Restoring documents
How to obtain a duplicate MSEK certificate in Ukraine
Where to get a copy of the extract from the MSEK examination record, how to contact the Pension Fund online, and whether a repeat assessment is needed
In this article 11 sections
Important: this article is for information only and is not legal or medical advice. It is based on official information from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Pension Fund of Ukraine. The procedure for restoring documents and providing government services may change, so before applying we recommend checking the current information on official government resources.
If an MSEK certificate has been lost, damaged or destroyed during relocation, evacuation or hostilities, that does not mean the disability status established earlier is automatically cancelled.
Documents and decisions issued by MSEK before the end of 2024 remain legally valid for their stated period. They continue to be used to confirm entitlement to pensions, payments, benefits, social services and other guarantees provided for by law.
If the paper certificate is lost, the data on the earlier examination can be restored.
It is important, though, to understand the term «duplicate MSEK certificate» correctly.
Official Ministry of Health guidance sets out a different route: a person who has lost an MSEK certificate is advised to contact the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine and request a copy of the extract from the examination record of the medical and social expert commission.
Are duplicate MSEK certificates still issued
On 1 January 2025 the MSEK system in Ukraine was replaced by the system for assessing a person’s everyday functioning.
New MSEK certificates are therefore no longer issued.
If a person has lost an old certificate issued by MSEK before the reform, this is not about going through a new MSEK or obtaining a new certificate of the old type.
What is needed is to restore the information about the decision taken earlier.
According to the official guidance of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, a person who has lost an MSEK certificate may contact the territorial office of the Pension Fund of Ukraine and request:
a copy of the extract from the examination record of the medical and social expert commission.
This document is the main way of restoring the information from a lost certificate.
Where to apply if an MSEK certificate is lost
The main option is the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Health also states that where MSEK documents have been lost because of hostilities, evacuation, relocation or other circumstances, a person may apply to:
- the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine;
- the social protection authority.
There is no need to contact the former MSEK for a duplicate, since from 1 January 2025 MSEK no longer carry out disability assessments.
Can a duplicate MSEK certificate be obtained online
The procedure can be started remotely.
The Pension Fund of Ukraine officially allows applications to be submitted over the internet.
Several options are available:
- a personal account on the Pension Fund’s e-services web portal;
- the electronic application form on the Pension Fund website;
- an application by email.
It is important to understand, however, that there is currently no separate service where a person clicks a button and instantly downloads a «duplicate MSEK certificate».
What can be done online is submitting an official application requesting a copy of the extract from the MSEK examination record.
How to apply through the Pension Fund portal
One of the most convenient routes is the Pension Fund’s e-services web portal.
1Sign in to the Pension Fund portal
You can log in to your personal account using:
- a qualified electronic signature (КЕП);
- Дія.Підпис;
- BankID via ID.GOV.UA.
2Find the applications section
Once signed in, go to: «Комунікації з ПФУ» → «Звернення».
This section lets you create a new application to the Pension Fund.
3State what you are asking for
You can write: «Прошу надати копію виписки з акта огляду медико-соціальної експертної комісії у зв’язку з втратою довідки МСЕК».
It is also advisable to state:
- your surname, first name and patronymic;
- date of birth;
- your taxpayer number (РНОКПП);
- a contact telephone number;
- an email address;
- the disability group, if known;
- the approximate date of the MSEK examination;
- the name or city of the MSEK, if known;
- the reason for applying — for example, loss of the document.
4Attach any documents you still have
If you still have documents confirming the disability status established earlier, it is worth attaching them to the application.
For example:
- a photograph or scan of the old certificate;
- a pension certificate;
- an individual rehabilitation programme;
- a medical extract;
- other documents stating the disability group or the date of the MSEK decision.
Having none of these does not mean you cannot apply.
5Submit the application
Once submitted, the application can be tracked through the services in your Pension Fund personal account.
The Pension Fund provides a service in the personal account for handling applications and showing their processing status.
How to apply to the Pension Fund without a personal account
The Pension Fund also provides a separate electronic application form.
To submit it you need to provide:
- your full name;
- address;
- email address;
- contact details;
- the subject of the application;
- the text of the request.
Files can be attached to the application.
Another official option is to send the application to the Pension Fund’s email address:
In the email you should give your contact details, describe the situation in detail and, where available, attach copies of documents.
Can an MSEK certificate be obtained through Diia
There is currently no separate government service «Obtain a duplicate MSEK certificate» in Diia.
Дія.Підпис can be used to sign in to the Pension Fund web portal, but the document itself is not restored through a separate service in the Diia app.
So if a person has lost an old MSEK certificate, the first place to apply is the Pension Fund or, in the cases provided for, the social protection authority.
Is a repeat assessment necessary
No, if the only problem is that the paper certificate has been lost.
Losing a document and losing disability status are two different things.
If the MSEK decision remains in force, there is no need to undergo a new assessment merely because the paper certificate is missing.
This applies in particular where disability status was granted without a re-examination date.
What to do if disability status was granted indefinitely
If MSEK granted disability status indefinitely, losing the paper certificate does not in itself cancel that decision.
To restore the supporting information you need to contact the Pension Fund.
There is no need to undergo a new assessment solely because the document was lost.
Are old MSEK certificates still valid after MSEK was abolished
Yes.
Certificates, decisions and other documents issued by MSEK before 31 December 2024 remain in force.
They continue to serve as grounds for the following, as provided for by law:
- pensions;
- social payments;
- benefits;
- assistance;
- compensation;
- supplements;
- social services;
- other guarantees.
There is therefore no need to replace a valid certificate simply because the MSEK system has been reformed.
What to do if the MSEK certificate was lost during the war
If the document was:
- lost during evacuation;
- destroyed;
- left behind in temporarily occupied territory;
- lost during hostilities;
- mislaid during relocation,
the Ministry of Health recommends applying to restore the information to:
- the social protection authority;
- the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
If medical documents have been lost at the same time, you should see a doctor.
Some medical information may be held in the electronic healthcare system.
What to do if the MSEK examination took place in another city
This does not mean you have to travel to the city where the commission once sat.
Since the reform, MSEK records and information about previously granted statuses are used by government bodies within the new system.
So the place to start is an application to the territorial Pension Fund body where you currently are.
In the request it is advisable to state where and roughly when the examination took place.
What to do if you don’t know the MSEK certificate number
Not knowing the number of the old certificate is no reason to give up on restoring the data.
Provide as much information as possible to help identify the decision:
- full name;
- date of birth;
- taxpayer number (РНОКПП);
- disability group;
- the approximate year when disability status was granted;
- the city or region where the MSEK examination took place;
- the cause of disability, if known.
If you still have any old documents relating to the disability, it is worth attaching them.
What is issued instead of an MSEK certificate after 1 January 2025
Since the reform, new disability decisions are no longer issued as an MSEK certificate.
Assessments are carried out by expert teams assessing a person’s everyday functioning.
Based on the results, the person receives an extract from the expert team’s decision.
So if disability status was first granted after 1 January 2025, there is no need to look for or restore an MSEK certificate — the person should have a document of the new type.
What to do if the expert team’s extract has been lost
This is a different situation.
If the assessment took place after 1 January 2025 and the electronic extract from the expert team’s decision has been lost, first check the email address given when the referral was made.
Assessment results are sent to the person electronically.
If necessary, you can also contact the treating doctor, who has access to the assessment results in the electronic system.
In other words:
How a copy of the extract differs from an MSEK certificate
The old MSEK certificate was the document a person received following an examination.
Since MSEK was abolished, there is no longer any need to issue a new paper certificate of the same type.
If it is lost, the Ministry of Health recommends obtaining a copy of the extract from the MSEK examination record.
So if a government body or institution asks a person to confirm an old MSEK decision, it is worth clarifying exactly which supporting document is required in that particular situation.
What to do if the document is needed for prosthetic provision
When applying for a prosthesis or another assistive rehabilitation device, losing the old paper certificate does not automatically mean losing the entitlement.
You need to:
- restore the information about the disability status granted earlier;
- obtain the necessary supporting document;
- check the current list of documents for that particular type of provision.
Since the reform, some information is passed between government information systems electronically, so the list of paper documents may differ depending on the specific procedure.
Can the rehabilitation programme be restored along with the MSEK certificate
The individual rehabilitation programme is a separate document.
If both the MSEK certificate and the rehabilitation programme have been lost, this should be stated separately in the application.
Old individual rehabilitation programmes issued before the reform remain valid, provided they do not need amendments or additions.
How much a copy costs
Do not turn to intermediaries just because the internet offers to «restore your MSEK certificate quickly».
Official restoration of information goes through government bodies.
Be especially wary of offers to:
- «issue a new MSEK certificate»;
- «restore disability status without applying to the Pension Fund»;
- «enter your data into the register» for a fee;
- obtain a document without identity checks or an official application.
Since 1 January 2025 MSEK no longer operate in their previous form, so offers to issue a new MSEK certificate should raise particular caution.
Quick guide: how to obtain a duplicate MSEK certificate
If the MSEK certificate was issued before 2025 and has been lost:
1Contact the Pension Fund of Ukraine
Ask for: a copy of the extract from the examination record of the medical and social expert commission.
2Choose how to apply
You can:
- apply in person;
- submit an application through the Pension Fund web portal;
- fill in the electronic form;
- send the application by email.
3Provide your details
It is advisable to give:
- full name;
- date of birth;
- taxpayer number (РНОКПП);
- disability group;
- the approximate date of the MSEK examination;
- where the examination took place.
4Attach any surviving documents
If you have them.
5Wait for the Pension Fund’s reply
How the copy is then provided depends on the outcome of processing the application.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an actual duplicate of the old MSEK certificate?
It is more accurate to speak of restoring the information and obtaining a copy of the extract from the MSEK examination record. That is the route set out in the official Ministry of Health guidance.
Where can I get a copy of the MSEK decision?
The Ministry of Health recommends applying to the territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine.
Can the document be requested online?
An application to the Pension Fund can be submitted online through a personal account, the electronic form or by email.
There is, however, no separate service for instantly downloading a «duplicate MSEK certificate».
Do I have to go through an assessment again?
No, if the only reason for applying is the loss of the paper certificate and the decision granted earlier remains in force.
What should I do if my disability status is indefinite?
Apply to the Pension Fund to restore the information. Losing the paper document does not cancel indefinite disability status.
Where do I apply if documents were lost during evacuation?
To the territorial body of the Pension Fund or to the social protection authority.
Can a duplicate be obtained through Diia?
There is no separate service in Diia for restoring an MSEK certificate. Дія.Підпис can be used to sign in to the Pension Fund web portal.
What if disability status was granted after 1 January 2025?
In that case an MSEK certificate is no longer issued. You need to use the extract from the decision of the expert team assessing everyday functioning.
Key points
If an old MSEK certificate has been lost, there is no need to have disability status established again merely because the paper document is gone.
According to the official guidance of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, you should contact the territorial body of the Pension Fund and request a copy of the extract from the examination record of the medical and social expert commission.
The procedure can be started online — through the Pension Fund web portal, the electronic application form or by email.
The date when disability status was granted also matters:
- if the decision was taken by MSEK before 2025 — the information from the old decision is restored;
- if the assessment took place after 1 January 2025 — the extract from the expert team’s decision is used.
MSEK documents issued before the reform remain in force for their stated period and retain legal effect.