Life Certificate Process For Family, NRI Pensioners: How to Submit Jeevan Praman Patra Without Visiting India?

The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare (DoPPW), under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, has released its latest Office Memorandum regarding the submission of the Annual Life Certificate for pensioners and family pensioners residing abroad. This certificate is mandatory for all Central Government pensioners to ensure the continued disbursement of pension and family pension.

Life Certificate Process For NRI Pensioners & Family Pensioners

Traditionally submitted in November each year, the life certificate confirms that the pensioner is alive and eligible to receive their dues.

For pensioners living outside India, the DoPPW has outlined multiple methods for submitting the life certificate. Pensioners drawing pensions through any bank listed in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, can have their life certificate signed by a designated officer of the bank. This exempts them from appearing in person for verification, provided the certificate is duly signed.

NRIs Can Now Claim Pension Without Traveling to India: Here's How Life Certificate Submission Gets Easier

Alternatively, pensioners residing abroad may authorize an agent to submit a life certificate on their behalf. The certificate can be signed by a Magistrate, a Notary, a Banker, or a Diplomatic Representative of India, allowing the pensioner to avoid personal appearance.

For Non-Resident Indian (NRI) pensioners who are unable to travel to India, pension payments can be continued on the basis of a certificate issued by an authorized official of the Indian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate in the country where the pensioner resides. The verification process may include comparing the pensioner's photograph on the Pension Payment Order (PPO), Passport or other official documents.

In cases where the pensioner or family pensioner cannot visit the Embassy or Consulate in person, documents may be submitted by post. This may include a Doctor's Certificate certifying the pensioner's inability to appear in person. Indian diplomatic missions abroad may also assist pensioners in submitting the life certificate to ensure smooth processing.

Jeevan Pramaan Patra: NRIs and Pensioners Can Secure Their Pension Every Year

A life certificate, also known as "Jeevan Pramaan Patra," can be obtained either digitally or physically and is a biometric-based document that confirms the pensioner's existence. The certificate must be resubmitted annually to pension disbursing agencies, including banks, to ensure that pension funds are correctly transferred to eligible recipients.

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