Certificate of life (attestatie de vita) Japan

If you live in Japan and you need a certificate of life, the embassy can draw up this document for you. You can make an online appointment to visit the embassy.

When might you need a certificate of life?

Dutch financial and benefits agencies like the ABP Pension Fund and the Social Insurance Bank may ask you to provide a certificate of life (verklaring van in leven zijn or attestatie de vita).

What documents do you need?

To apply for a certificate of life, you will need to appear in person at the consular section of the embassy. You will need to meet the following conditions:

you must have a valid Dutch passport or ID card
you must be able to provide proof of your nationality or nationalities
you must be able to provide proof of your address and place of residence. For example you could produce a certificate of registration from the municipality where you live
you must be able to establish your marital status, for example by producing a marriage certificate

You may need to have the original legalised and translated. The rules vary per country.

Getting a certificate of life stamped

Did you receive a request from the SVB to prove that you are still alive? You can send a proof of life via an app. Read how to do this on the Proof of life for AOW pension page.

Some financial and benefits agencies draw up their own pre-printed certificates of life. The embassy can sign and stamp these documents. The embassy will sign and stamp the certificate free of charge, unless this can be done elsewhere locally for free.

You will need to meet certain conditions:

you must be a Dutch national
you must appear in person at the embassy
you must produce a valid Dutch passport or ID card
you must provide proof of your address, for example official documents issued by the authorities
you must sign the documents at the embassy in the presence of an embassy staff member.

Obtaining a certificate from the municipality or a notary

If you are unable to go to the embassy, in some countries you can instead obtain a certificate of life from the municipal authorities or from a notary in the municipality abroad where you live.

Certificate of life in this country or region

Depending on the financial or benefits agency the Japanese authorities may or may not be able to process a request for a certificate of life. In the case of the SVB, the Japanese pension service has an agreement where a family register (koseki tohon) or residential register (juminhyo) can be attached to the received form. It will be forwarded to the SVB. Please check with your nearby pension office (nenkin jimusho) about the possibilities.