As of May 30, 2026, more than 18 million out of approximately 25 million labor books have been digitized. In other words, about 7 million have not. The Ministry of Social Policy reassured the public this week: the June 10 deadline does not mean loss of seniority, and digitization will continue. However, behind this official reassurance lies a specific practical fork in the road.

What actually changes after June 10

The five-year transition period launched by law No. 1217-IX in February 2021 officially concludes. The paper labor book ceases to be the priority document for record-keeping — priority shifts to electronic data from the Pension Fund's Insured Persons Register.

However, there is a significant clarification: as the Pension Fund informed Radio Liberty in response to an inquiry, after June 10, authorities will continue to accept and process scanned documents. No fines or sanctions for delays are provided for in the legislation.

Where the real trap lies

The problem is not with seniority as such, but with seniority before 2004. Data after January 1, 2004 already exists in the electronic register — employers submitted it monthly. However, Soviet and early post-Soviet records exist only on paper.

«If data is not digitized before the end of the transition period, it will not disappear, but when a pension is assigned, a person will have to personally provide paper documents — and confirming seniority before 2004 will require complicated procedures through archives or court decisions.»

— Pension Fund of Ukraine

In other words, a person does not automatically lose seniority, but takes on the burden of proving it — at the moment when it is least convenient: during retirement.

Why the queue won't disappear

Still in spring 2026, the queue for processing submitted scans reached two months. Pension Fund offices across the country recorded record visitor traffic. Meanwhile, draft law No. 14257 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada, which provides for an official extension of the deadline — precisely because a significant portion of books have not been digitized due to the consequences of war: business relocation and archive loss.

• Who is at risk: people who began their careers before 2004 and have not yet submitted scanned copies.
• What to do now: submit an application through the Pension Fund's web portal or in person — this is possible even after June 10.
• How to check seniority: through your personal account on the Pension Fund portal or through the Diia app — an extract from the electronic labor book is available online.

If draft law No. 14257 is not passed, millions of people with non-digitized pre-war records will find themselves in a situation where the state technically «does not see» part of their working life — and they will have to prove it themselves, not the system.