Pensioner who is residing abroad, how can submit the Life Certificate?
- In the case of pensioner residing abroad and drawing his pension through any bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India, Act, 1934, the life certificate may be signed by an officer of the Bank.
- Further, a pensioner not resident in India in respect of whom his duly authorized agent produces a Life Certificate signed by a Magistrate, a Notary, a Banker or a Diplomatic Representative of India is exempted from special appearance.
Procedure for Payment of Pension to NRI Pensioners
In the case of pensioner residing abroad and drawing his pension through any bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India, Act, 1934, the life certificate may be signed by an officer of the Bank.
Further, a pensioner not resident in India in respect of whom his duly authorized agent produces a Life Certificate signed by a Magistrate, a Notary, a Banker or a Diplomatic Representative of India is exempted from special appearance.
The Authorised Bank(AB) may credit the pension amount of non-resident to a non-resident (ordinary) account opened/maintained as per provision of the Exchange Control. The amount of pension of a pensioner who has become non-resident may be credited to the said account after ensuring the personal identification and other requirements as stipulated under the Scheme (Para 12).
In case of the existing accounts, the pensioner should intimate the fact that he has become non-resident Indian, to the pension paying branch in India and on receipt of the same the paying branch in India should convert the account of the pensioner to Non-resident Ordinary (NRO) Account.
The pensioner has to furnish the life certificate issued by an authorised official of the Embassy/High Commission of India or Consul of Indian Consulates or a Notary Public or an Officer of an Indian Authorised Bank attached to its branch in the country where the pensioner is residing, once in a year, in November.
The pensioner has to furnish other certificate viz. non-employment/re-employment certificate, Re-marriage/Marriage certificate as prescribed in the pension scheme (Annexures XVIII & XXVI.)
The paying branches will credit the amount of pension due every month to the Non-resident Ordinary Account of the pensioner.
Withdrawals from the Non-Resident Ordinary Accounts will be governed by the instructions contained in the Exchange Control Manual and the paying branch should allow the withdrawal accordingly.
Pension credited to the Pensioners Non-Resident (Ordinary) Account may be remitted by the bank to the Pensioners outside India, in case the Non-Resident Pensioner so desires, by debit to his NR (O) Accounts either by remittance or by credit to his NR (E) Accounts.
The paying branch should return PPOs of such Non-Resident Indian pensioners who are drawing pension from them and are unable to furnish the prescribed life certificate to the pension sanctioning authority for arranging future payments to them.
The change in the citizenship by any Non-Resident Indian pensioner will not affect his entitlement to the pension.
NRI Pensioners – Defence pensioner not residing in India
Defence pensioner not residing in India and intending to draw his/her pension through DPDOs, PAOs, TOs is required to :-
Open a Non -Residential bank account with any Scheduled Bank in India.
Execute a power of Attorney in duplicate (Specimen enclosed ) on Indian Non-Judicial Stamp paper of appropriate value or where Indian Non-Judicial Stamp paper is not available, on durable plain paper affixed with adhesive Indian Stamp of appropriate value, in favour of athorised agent.
The value of stamp will be determined with reference to practice as obtained in the place where the power of Attorney is executed. The power of Attorney to be executed before Notary Public or Indian Mission abroad. If the power of Attorney to be executed before notary public it must be signed in the presence of an official of Indian Embassy/ Mission abroad, who should attest the signature of the pensioner. If the power of Attorney is executed on a plain paper, and is not affixed with adhesive Indian Stamp of appropriate value, the pensioner may write his agent in India, advising him to take the same to the Collector within three month of its receipt for getting it stamped according to Indian Stamp Act.
Submit pension claim on IAFA-380(a) or an arrear claim on IAF (CDA) 651 to his / her PDA, if the pension has not been drawn for more than one year.
Submit the life certificate (IAFA-409) his/her PDA, issued by an authorised official of the Embassy/High Commission of India, or consules of Indian Consulates or a Notary Public or an officer of an Indian Public Sector Bank attached to its branch in the country , where the pensioner is residing, once in a year in NOVEMBER each year.
Submit a certificate to his/her PDA once a year in April each year whose nationality at the time of retirement was Indian and who for the time being is residing outside India, on the following lines :- “I certify that I was an Indian National at the time of my retirement and have not thereafter changed my nationality and become a naturalised citizen of a foreign state.”
Intimate the change of his/her nationality, if nationality has been changed, along with nationality certificate granted by the country where the pensioner is residing to the PDA as well as to Pr.CDA (P) Allahabad for updation of records.
Forward an attested copy of his/her passport to his/her PDA.
Submit other certificates viz.non-employment/re-employment certificate, non marriage certificate etc to his/her PDA.
Defence pensioner not residing in India and intending to draw his/her pension through Public Sector Banks is required to :-
Open a Non -Residential bank account with any Scheduled Bank in India.
Submit pension claim on IAFA-380(a) or an arrear claim on IAF (CDA) 651 to his/her PDA, if the pension has not been drawn for more than one year.
Submit the life certificate (IAFA-409) to his/her PDA, issued by an authorised official of the Embassy/High Commission of India, or consules of Indian Consultates or a Notary Public or an officer of an Indian Public Sector Bank attached to its branch in the country , where the pensioner is residing, once in a year in NOVEMBER each year.
Submit a certificate to his/her PDA once a year in April each year whose nationality at the time of retirement was Indian and who for the time being are residing outside India, on the following lines :- “I certify that I was an Indian National at the time of my retirement and have not thereafter changed my nationality and become a naturalised citizen of a foreign state.”
Intimate the change of his/her nationality, if nationality has been changed, along with nationality certificate granted by the country where the pensioner is residing to the PDA as well as to Pr.CDA (P) Allahabad for updation of records.
Forward an attested copy of his/her passport to his/her PDA.
Submit other certificates viz.non-employment/re-employment certificate, non marriage certificate etc to his/her PDA
Note:-Execution of Power of Attorney is not required by the pensioner drawing his/her pension from Public Sector Banks
CENTRALISED PENSION PROCESSING CENTER
Payment of Pensions to Central Government and State Government Pensioners through Centralized Pension Processing Cell (CPPC)
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What is the procedure for the pension payment to NRI pensioner?
Ans: NRI Pensioner needs to submit a declaration at the pension paying branch that he/she is an NRI. On the basis of declaration the existing account will be converted into a Non Resident – Ordinary (NRO) account ( a type of account for NRI) and NRI pensioner need to send a life certificate every year in the month of November to his/her pension paying branch.
Pensioner who is residing abroad, how can submit the Life Certificate?
Ans: In the case of pensioner residing abroad and drawing his pension through any bank included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India, Act, 1934, the life certificate may be signed by an officer of the Bank.
Further, a pensioner not resident in India in respect of whom his duly authorized agent produces a Life Certificate signed by a Magistrate, a Notary, a Banker or a Diplomatic Representative of India is exempted from special appearance.
Who is the pension sanctioning authority?
Ans: The Ministry/Department/Office where the Government servant last served is the pension sanctioning authority. The pension fixation is made by such authority for the first time and thereafter the re-fixation of pay, if any, is done by the pension paying Bank based on the instructions from the Central/ State Government authorities.
Who sends the Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) to the authorized Bank?
Ans: The concerned pension paying/sanctioning authorities of the Ministries/ Departments/State Governments forward the PPOs to the Bank where from the pensioner desires to draw his/her pension.
When will the payment of pension commence in case of new PPOs?
Ans: The payment of pension, in respect of PPOs received at Centralized Pension Processing Cell (CPPC) up to one week before last date of a month, will normally commence from the same month.
life certificate duly notarised by the bank in abroad and self-attested is sent to the PAYING BANK OF A SCHEDULE BANK FOR THEIR RECORD BY E-MAIL. IS IT NECESSARY TO SEND THE HARD COPY OF THE LIFE CERTIFICATE BY POST ALSO? THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES THAT THE LIFE CERTIFICATES MAY BE LOST IN TRANSIT. I SUGGEST THAT THE LIFE CERTIFICATE SENT BY E-MAIL BE TAKEN AS A DOCUMENT FOR RECORD.