Millions of retirees receive a warning regarding a fresh regulation in the retirement benefits scheme
In a routine administrative practice, German retirees living abroad are required to prove they are alive annually to continue receiving their pension. This process, known as a "life certificate" or "proof of life" ("Lebensbescheinigung"), is mandatory to prevent fraud and ensure that pensions are not paid to deceased persons.
The certificate must typically be submitted once a year. Retirees living abroad may need to have it verified by a local authority such as an embassy, consulate, or notary. Failure to provide such proof may lead to the suspension of pension payments.
While the exact details of this requirement may not be explicitly detailed in the provided sources, it is a well-established practice by German pension authorities. For official and detailed current instructions, retirees should contact the Deutsche Rentenversicherung or the nearest German embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
According to available data, around 500,000 German retirees living abroad must still provide proof of life annually. Some of them may need to submit multiple forms due to having multiple pensions with separate postal billing and pension numbers.
The process for digital submission is streamlined, with retirees using the PostIdent app and a personalized QR code provided in the cover letter sent by the German Pension Insurance. This method saves retirees the trip to the office and the sending of the form by mail. For paper-based submissions, retirees fill out the form sent by the DRV, which needs to be certified by an authorized body in their country of residence.
Retirees who do not submit the proof of life in time risk having their pension temporarily withheld. It is recommended to fill out all forms at home and have them certified in one go by an authorized body. This year, the DRV sent the form with information about the new pension amount from July 2025 to retirees living abroad, typically in June or July by post.
Notably, retirees living in Germany do not typically have to provide proof of life, even since August 2021, as they are already subject to automatic exchange of data with German authorities. Approximately 1.2 million of the 1.7 million pensions paid abroad are already subject to this automatic exchange, such as in Australia, Italy, Spain, or Austria.
In conclusion, German retirees living abroad are required to provide annual proof of life to continue receiving their pension. To ensure compliance with the necessary guidelines, retirees should contact the Deutsche Rentenversicherung or the nearest German embassy or consulate in their country of residence for official and detailed instructions.
Personal-finance requirements specify that German retirees living abroad must prove their annual existence to continue receiving their pensions. Given the digital submission option, retirees can use the PostIdent app with a provided QR code to avoid office visits and mailing forms.
To maintain pension payments, retirees may need to have proof of life forms verified by local authorities and ensure timely submissions to prevent temporary withholding of their pension.
