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Pension question, Switzerland

Do Swiss pensioners abroad need a life certificate?

Swiss pensioners living abroad are sent a life-and-civil-status certificate every year and must return it, signed by their local authority and with a copy of their ID, within 90 days. Death data is received automatically for Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Croatia; anyone who receives no form need do nothing.

What to do next

  1. Keep the month the certificate usually arrives in your diary.
  2. Make sure the Swiss Compensation Office holds your current address abroad.
  3. Run our free check to see whether another country also holds a pension for you.

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Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.

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Questions people also ask

What happens if it is not returned?

Once payment starts abroad, an annual life and civil status certificate must be officially attested and returned within 90 days or the pension can be suspended.

  • Source: ahv-iv.ch, ch.ch, eda.admin.ch and aeis.ch, read 3 October 2026

Do you give advice on what to do?

No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.