For all your questions regarding the German statutory pension, the German Pension Insurance is the responsible authority

You can find a lot of information about pensions on the German Pension Insurance’s website.

Life Certificate – “Lebensbescheinigung”

If you are entitled to a German pension payment from the statutory pension or statutory accident insurance, as well as additional pensions, you will be asked to provide proof of life (life certificate) once a year. This is done regularly together with the notification of adjustment to your pension amount. From 2024, the annual proof of life can be provided worldwide either physically using a form or digitally. We recommend that you use the digital process. Further information on both procedures, (certificate of life form (LB)) or digital proof of life (DLN) can be found at:

www.rentenservice.de/LB
www.rentenservice.de/DLN

Please note: Please primarily use the digital proof of life (DLN) procedure, which you can do safely, free of charge and conveniently from home, regardless of public holidays and opening times. You can provide proof via your smartphone/tablet using a QR code. The letter “Digital Proof of Life” including QR code will be sent to you together with the adjustment notice and the paper form of the certificate of life.

If you want to come to the German Embassy, the following applies: To issue a life certificate for presentation to the pension insurance or the “Deutschen Post Renten Service”, please contact the German Embassy personally during visiting hours. You must appear in person! Please bring a valid official identification document with a photo (e.g., passport, ID card). If you are unable to appear in person for health reasons, someone you trust can do this on your behalf. In this case, a current medical certificate (not older than 48 hours) is required, and must be filled in on the back page of the life certificate (in part C1).

There is no charge for issuing a life certificate for pension purposes (exceptions: company pensions, supplementary pensions, e.g., from private pension insurances or foreign pensions: there is a ready-made form for this from the respective pension service; acquiring the certificate through the embassy costs €34.10).