Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about life certificates
If you live outside the Netherlands and receive a pension or benefit from us, we can ask you to submit a life certificate. Read the FAQs to find out what this means for you.
No, not everyone receives a life certificate form. The SVB exchanges data automatically with a number of countries.
If you live in Australia, Aruba, Belgium, Canada, Curaçao, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sint Maarten, Spain, the United Kingdom or the United States of America, you will most likely not receive a form. You do not need to take any action. If you do receive a form, you must always complete and return it. How to go about this is explained in the letter accompanying the form.
We will send you a life certificate form of our own accord. You do not need to request one yourself. We will generally send you a form once a year. Whether or not you receive a form depends on your living situation and the country in which you live.
If you have a Message Box (Berichtenbox), we will send the form to your Message Box. If you do not have a Message Box, we will send you the form by post.
No, life certificate forms are personal. You must first check the details on the form and then have a competent authority sign it. The letter accompanying the form will explain how to do this. If you prefer to submit your life certificate using the life certificate app, you may do so.
Yes, this is possible but you should only download the life certificate app using the QR code in our letter. Without this QR code, you will not be able to send the life certificate via the app.
You can download your proof of submission in the ‘Documents Submitted’ window. You should do this straight way because your details will be submitted if you continue. You will then return the homepage and the app will no longer contain any information. You can use the app again the following year when you get a new QR code for your life certificate.
No, this is not necessary. If you see in the app that the life certificate was uploaded successfully, this means that we have received it. Our staff will not be able to see your life certificate immediately, but they will always check whether it was received properly. We will only contact you if we have questions. Your payments will continue as usual.
After the form has been signed by a competent authority, you can post it to us at the address stated in the letter.
You can also scan the form and upload it in My SVB.
If there is an embossed stamp on the form (i.e. stamp you can feel when you run your finger over the paper), you must send us the original completed form by post.