The life verification process is now automated for the majority of OASI/DI pension beneficiaries

Until now, all insured persons receiving OASI/DI benefits have had to submit a life certificate to the Swiss Compensation Office (SCO) at regular intervals to ensure uninterrupted payment of their pension. As of this year, this process, which is costly both for the SCO and for insured persons, will be simplified through the introduction of automated data sharing between the various administrative bodies including the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

Specifically, this means that Swiss nationals living abroad who are duly registered with the Swiss representation of their country of domicile will no longer be required to provide a life certificate, as this information will instead be transmitted directly from the Register of the Swiss Abroad to the SCO.

Swiss nationals who are not registered with diplomatic or consular representations will still be asked to submit life certificates. They must complete the document as usual and have it endorsed to prevent their pension from being stopped.

Please note that the new procedure applies from 2022. Anyone who has not yet submitted their life certificate for 2021 is still required to do so.

However, the new simplified procedure does not affect the obligation to inform the SCO directly of any changes in personal status such as a change of address or marital status, etc.

At the beginning of 2022, the SCO also launched an information campaign which will be phased throughout the year. Every insured person will be personally informed about this change at the time they were due to have received the relevant life certificate form.

Notifying the SCO of changes in circumstances: revue.link/zascontact