Life Certificate for recipients of Austrian pensions (Lebensbestätigung)

The forms are sent by the pension authority concerned (and not the Austrian Embassy) to pensioners once a year.

The forms have to be completed with:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Full address
• Number and date of issue of passport
• Dated and signed by the pensioner

Upon personal application a Life Certificate may be certified (dated, signed and stamped) either by

• The Austrian Embassy in London
• The Austrian Consulate in Birmingham
• The Austrian Consulate in Edinburgh
• Police Station
• Departement of Social Security
• Municipal Authority, i.e. Council
• Citizen Advice Bureau - Justice of Peace/Magistrate (JP)

From January 2005 onwards, Austrian members of the Association of Jewish Refugees (Tel: 020 8385 3070) will be able to have their Lebensbestätigung notarised either at the AJR offices in Stanmore or at the AJR Day Centre in West Hampstead. Forms completed by the AJR must be returned to the Austrian Embassy in London and not to the Pensionsversicherungsanstalt.

Please note: Solicitors, banks, doctors or clergy are not able to sign and stamp Life Certificates.

However, if the easiest contact is the doctor he can help by:

• Writing a note saying the pensioner is alive
• Doctor's stamp on the form
• Date of note

Include the doctors note with the fully completed Life Certificate signed by the pensioner and post to:

The Austrian Embassy
18 Belgrave Mews West
London SW1X 8HU

Upon receipt of the doctor's note and Life Certificate the Embassy will officially stamp the certificate and forward directly to the pension authorities in Vienna.