One of the most common notarial services among Israeli citizens and long-term residents is the life certificate. This document, when signed by a German-speaking Israeli notary, allows its holder to receive or continue receiving pensions, social security rights, and pension benefits from various bodies such as authorities and funds that pay compensation in Germany, the National Insurance Institute, and others.

This certificate is typically used by Holocaust survivors, people who worked in Germany and are entitled to pension payments from German social insurance, people who lived in Israel, their heirs, and people with business or legal connections in German-speaking countries.

In this article, we will examine the importance of this certificate, the legal and administrative requirements involved in issuing it, and present the steps and means that ensure its validity, so that the rights and benefits due to the applicant are granted in full and without bureaucratic delays.

What Is a Life Certificate?

A life certificate (in German: Lebensbescheinigung) is a document required at least once a year by social and pension institutions in German-speaking countries such as Germany, in order to confirm that the person entitled to an allowance, benefit, or pension is still alive and is not receiving payments unlawfully.

In order to give this certificate legal validity, and in accordance with the requirements of the institutions and organizations, the document must be certified, among other things, by a German-speaking Israeli notary.

Why Is a German-Speaking Notary Needed to Issue a Life Certificate?

For a life certificate in German to have legal validity, it must be certified by an authorized party who has full command of the German language, such as a German-speaking Israeli notary.

Issuing a life certificate through a German-speaking Israeli notary ensures that the person’s identity has been checked and verified using an official ID with a current photo, and that the document has been certified in accordance with the requirements of the bodies responsible for making the payments.

Using a German-speaking notary helps prevent errors that could harm the validity of the document and delay receipt of allowances and social rights.

It is important to note that notarial certification is a precondition for obtaining an apostille — the international certificate that grants a document the legal validity required for use in foreign countries that are signatories to the Apostille Convention.

What Must Be Included in a Life Certificate Document?

Every life certificate must include detailed and clear information confirming the identity and status of the person:

• The full name of the certificate holder and the means by which their identity was verified.
• Date of birth.
• Current residential address.
• Date and place of certification.
• The notary’s signature and official notarial seal.

What Happens If the Applicant Cannot Appear Before a Notary?

If the applicant for a life certificate is alive but unable to physically reach the notary’s office, their identity can be verified in accordance with the provisions of the law and at the notary’s discretion.

The most effective solution is to ask the notary to travel to the applicant’s location, provided the legal requirements and relevant conditions allow this.

For example, a person receiving National Insurance benefits who, due to a car accident, is confined to bed, will not be able to appear at the embassy to sign a life certificate. In order to preserve their rights and prevent loss of the allowance, the applicant can arrange for a German-speaking notary to visit their home to verify their identity and have them sign the life certificate.

Another example in which the services of a German-speaking Israeli notary are required at the client’s home is issuing a life certificate for pension benefits accrued in one country, when the applicant’s life circumstances have led them to live in a different country.

In order for the applicant to continue receiving the pension benefits they have accrued, they must submit a life certificate once a year. In cases where they cannot fly to the country where the pension was accrued in order to prove that they are alive, a German-speaking Israeli notary can travel to any place or country where the applicant resides in order to have them sign the life certificate, which will then be sent to the institution or authority paying the pension.

Summary

A life certificate in German, as its name suggests, is a document attesting to a person’s existence in a particular country. It is an important document for everyone entitled to receive allowances and rights in the many European countries where German is the dominant language. Issuing or renewing a life certificate is not a complicated procedure, but it does require signing before a notary and, at times, also translation and an apostille. To avoid rejection of applications or delays in payments, it is important to prepare the document professionally, in the correct language, and with the assistance of a qualified notary who speaks German.

The above is general information and does not constitute a substitute for individual legal advice.

For further questions, please contact attorney and notary, German-speaking, Alon Sposhnik, at info@sr-lawoffice.co.il or by phone at 0722502512.