Electronic certificate of existence
We told you about it several months ago. The portal public info-retraite.fr lance "My retirement abroad". This online service enables you to receive and return your certificate of existence directly via the Internet.
Certificate of existence
As you know, when you retire abroad and receive a retirement pension from a French source, you are legally obliged to submit an annual certificate of existence to your pension fund. At present, this document is sent to you by post. You must then have it validated by a competent authority (police station, town hall, embassy, etc.) and then return it.
Of course, this procedure must be repeated depending on the number of pension funds to which you belong.
Why the certificate of existence is mandatory
If you're an expatriate pensioner, it's vital to be able to prove to your pension fund that you're still entitled to receive your pension. If you fail to do so within three months of receiving your certificate, your pension will be suspended. The fact that you can do this electronically means that the exchange is quicker and more secure, and removes any doubts as to whether your pension fund(s) have sent and received the letter.
How to send your certificate of existence
To make your declaration online, simply go to your retirement account on info-retraite.fr (in your personal space) when you renew your certificate. You'll find a document pre-filled with your Insee number, surname and first name. If you are affiliated to several schemes, it's important to take the time to check that all your schemes are listed.
If the document is not available for download when you log on, you can program an alert. Of course, the procedure by mail remains valid, even if it is more restrictive.
One step remains mandatory
Unfortunately, no procedure can or will ever be dematerialized. We are referring, of course, to validation of the document by the relevant authorities. This is essential to prove that you are still alive. You only need to validate the certificate of existence once, as all your pension funds will be identified on the certificate.
Once the document has been signed by the relevant authorities, all you have to do is scan it and send it back via the online service.
