Digidenty app for life certificates
From March 2024, Dutch and non-Dutch people who live abroad and receive AOW can prove that they are still alive via the Digidentity app. From that month onwards, a QR code will be included in the SVB Certificate of Life letters. If the customer has a partner, there is also a QR code for the partner in the letter. The customer also receives a brochure with step-by-step explanations of what to do.
Not everyone receives a letter every year with the request to send a proof of life. If someone has not received a letter of life certificate from the SVB, that person does not have to do anything.
The customer can prove that he is still alive from home via a mobile phone or tablet. What does the customer need for this?
- Letter from the SVB with a QR code.
- A smartphone or tablet with an NFC reader.
- A valid passport or ID card or a valid Dutch driver's license with NFC chip.
- An internet connection.
If the customer does not have a smartphone or tablet, he can use someone else's phone or tablet.
After sending the life certificate, no data remains on the phone. The app explains step-by-step what the customer needs to do. Customers do not need DigiD to use the app.
The customer can still choose to have the form signed and stamped on paper. However, using the app is free and much easier, both for the customer and the embassy/consulate.
Read more information on the pages:
- NL:https://www.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/aow-buiten-nederland/levensbewijs
- EN:https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/aow-pension-abroad/life-certificate
Life certificate for state pension
Do you receive AOW outside the Netherlands? Then the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) can ask you for proof that you are still alive (life certificate). You can easily prove that you are still alive at home via an app. If you use the app, you do not need to complete the paper version. Are you unable to send your life certificate via the app? Then complete the form, have it signed and stamped and send it back to the SVB.
Information: You will not receive a letter every year with the request to send a proof of life. Did you not receive a letter of life certificate? Then you don't have to do anything.
Other names for a life certificate are: proof of life, declaration of life, attestation de vita.
How do I send an SVB life certificate via the app?
You can report that you are still alive at home via an app on a mobile phone (smartphone) or tablet.
What do I need for that?
To prove you are alive you will need:
- Letter from the SVB with a QR code.
- A smartphone or tablet with NFC reader and an internet connection.
- A valid ID with NFC chip (passport, ID card or a Dutch driver's license).
- Please note: If you do not have a smartphone yourself, you can use someone else's phone. After sending your life certificate, close the app. No data will then be left on the phone.
What should I do?
- You will receive the life certificate form with a QR code from the SVB by post or digitally via the MijnOverheid Message Box.
- If you have a partner, there is also a QR code in the letter for your partner.
- Scan the QR code with a smartphone.
- You will then automatically be taken to the app store where you can download the Digidentity Wallet app. Open the app. You will then see the SVB logo and receive a brief explanation.
- In the app you can read step by step what you need to do:
- You first make a scan of your valid passport, ID card or Dutch driver's license.
- You take a photo and short video of your face.
- You will see a green check mark if everything went well.
- When you see “Document successfully uploaded” you can download a report.
- Do that immediately. Once submitted, you will no longer be able to download a report.
- Click “Continue” and you are done.
It is difficult to communicate with the SVB. The SVB does not have an email address. That's why I used the phone the last time. It went fine and I received an immediate response.
The man on the other end immediately explained and solved my problem.
Fortunately, an institution like the SVB is finally adapting to more modern technologies. In TH, facial recognition has long been an effective means of proving yourself. Hopefully PfZW will follow the SVB in this digital progress this year, otherwise they will still be stuck with a paper settlement.
Dear Herman, I do not fully understand this reaction. In mid-2021, I already received the message from PFZW that they had finally joined the SVB reporting regarding the life certificate. This means no more paper shops with PFZW since then.
Or perhaps you do not yet have a state pension?
Hi Maryse,
Herman has quite a point, I have four other pensions in addition to my AOW,
and also sent the life certificate signed by the SSO and scanned by me to my other pension insurers, because I was not sure whether the SVB would pass it on.
So I will now first ask the SVB whether my pension insurers will receive this from the SVB with that new technology.
November last year I (still) had to go to SSO with my PfZW life certificate papers for signature. Then scan it and forward it to a separate website specified by PfZW. If by any chance the request for a life certificate from the SVB is synchronized, you can also use that. Read here what PfZW itself says about paper life certificates: https://ap.lc/dYiKn
Via MijnPfZW you can click through to a separate upload page.
I have now informed PfZW of the SVB's initiatives and sent an abbreviated version of the text above and a link to the SVB press release in this regard. As soon as I have an answer I will let you know.
I think video calling is a better solution. Takes a minute and then don't work with time slots. Simply calling and sitting on hold for a few minutes is not a disaster. You don't have to make a video of your face and such. Hassle.
And the proof of being alive is optimal.
I wonder whether that is a workable situation with 360.000 state pensioners abroad.
Last December there were 3,6 million state pensioners, of which approximately 1 in 10 were abroad.
With approximately 200 office days, that means 18.000 video calls per day.
And with the current fake videos that are possible with AI… that's not going to happen
Kees2, the SVB website states 'You do not receive a letter every year requesting that you send a proof of life. Did you not receive a letter of life certificate? Then you don't have to do anything.'
This may apply to countries in the EU where one can 'look inside', I suspect. That leaves people in 'third countries'. But it will be a big job for the SVB. Either way, it's an effort that should be applauded.
@Kees2: With approximately 200 office days, that means 18.000 video calls per day.
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No, 1800. Please don't fiddle with the numbers. Makes a difference by a factor of 10.
If a video call only takes a few minutes, then that is doable. Above you wrongly assume that everyone wants to prove their proof of life through video calls.
In any case, video calling is the fastest and surest method to demonstrate proof of life. And yes, I am familiar with AI, but video calling is the most perfect weapon against AI. All other options are less.
So it will happen.
My first thought was: finally, here it is, the easy way to prove you're still alive, something that's been talked about for years.
When I took a look in the app store I saw that the app in question was introduced in 2008 by a developer called Digidentity BV and in the comments (all recent) there was nothing but criticism. Cumbersome, more often than not it doesn't work and more reactions like that.
The developer's response also raises my eyebrows. If you have any comments, please send an email with detailed information.
The procedure described above appears effective, but in practice it often causes problems, as I have experienced before.
We'll wait and see... fortunately it won't be my turn until October.
Regarding pension funds, I can say that mine only inquire with the SVB and no longer send a form themselves, unless the SVB is too slow, such as with COVID and the following years.
We deal with AOW pensioners. Many are over 70 or 80, like yours truly.
We deal with Thai wives who are entitled to state pension in the Netherlands and who now live in Thailand and who also have to send their life certificate once a year.
Both groups are not eager to be confronted with such a system.
The SVB states on form A that you must make an appointment with the SSO (not necessary) and B that the SSO will forward the life certificate (no way, they don't do that).
You can take it with you immediately if you put some “khanom” in your passport in advance or otherwise want to come back the next day.
Then you look for a post office that accepts international mail, there are not that many anymore, because we all have email and can scan it.
Such as with my private pension fund, which accepts it that way. After the lady of the Amphu makes a life certificate and is overjoyed with the khanom.
That's how it works here in Bangkok.
'
Dear Andrew, you hit the nail on the head. My Thai partner will also be entitled to an AOW pension in due course, but also to his own company pension and a significant survivor's pension. It is very difficult for illiterate people and those who do not speak the Dutch language or do not speak it sufficiently to scan a life certificate and send it to the various benefit agencies. GeertP gives a good suggestion in his response, namely finding a lawyer who will arrange it all. Perhaps in the future it will indeed be possible to have a video call with the SVB. But then this should also be possible for the various pension funds. I hope for the best!
Wut, there is every reason for you to master those techniques and already let your partner cooperate when you fill in the items or sit at the screen. You can also insist that the authorities enter a second language on the forms and some already do so. You can add Thai words to important documents. You can organize her own papers (employment history and number of years in the Netherlands, addresses, etc.) and give them a permanent place.
You really can't stop this and if you are already behind, I fear for the years when you are really old and can no longer see properly or develop other old age things. Because you can't stop that either.
Dear Erik, thank you for your response and tips. I am perfectly capable of communicating digitally. We now live in the Netherlands, where I selflessly help a number of Thai people with all kinds of things. My partner has a full-time job in the catering industry and is therefore also building up his own pension. After my death, which will hopefully take a long time, my partner will most likely return to Thailand. Have all important information and documents organized and also provided with Thai keywords. But my partner is completely illiterate and also dyslexic, so instructing is extremely difficult. Providing an annual certificate of life is just one of the problems. Given the income from various sources, a tax return will probably have to be completed and sent annually and that will certainly not be possible without help. In addition, logging in to DigiD does not always go smoothly. For example, if you have not cleared the history on your mobile device, you can often only log in with a pairing code, for which you need 2 devices or via an SMS code, but then the Thai number must be registered first. All a piece of cake for me, an impossible task for my partner.
Dear Wut.
I have probably been with the same Lawyer as GeertP for years.
Price and the 'they' correspond, one-person company's name is sometimes mentioned here, Korat legal
She will send the PDF to your inbox and you can take the real papers with you.
Never did it any other way.
Lady obviously speaks Thai and good English.
Small side note SVB cannot send you an email with the LB paper, only download it via the site, logged in.
For company pensions, this can be done by e-mailing a PDF.
So I do those last steps at home behind my own PC with everyone.
Thank you GeertP, Korat is unfortunately not an option in the future. Too far away from the future place of residence. Who knows, it may become easier in the future, for example via AI chat with the various authorities.
In Khon Kaen the 100 baht was neatly removed from the papers by the lady from SSO and given back (to my wife).
The lady says in clearly understandable English its free, service.
Here in Korat I go to a lawyer, it costs THB 500, she scans it and puts the stamp and sends it straight on, fifteen minutes of work and no queue at the SSO.
Andrew van Schaik,
you bring it nicely and that's how it is and not only in Bangkok, but also in other locations, khanom is a generally accepted custom.
I am happy with the new SVB system, now that I have recently started receiving AOW.
I once had to reactivate DIGID a few years ago and this was quickly arranged using video calling.