Each year from 1 October to 15 December, the recipients of the Latvian pension living in foreign states shall submit a submission to the State Social Insurance Agency (VSAA) regarding the continuation of the pension costs in the following year. This is determined by Cabinet Regulation No. 542 “Procedures for the Payment of State Pensions Granted in the Republic of Latvia to Persons after Leaving to Permanent Living in the Foreign States”.
Taking into account the restrictions related to the epidemiological situation and the fact that persons arriving in Latvia from abroad have to comply with the 10-day self-isolation, the SAA recommends that the continuation of the pension costs be requested remotely:
- the application may be sent via electronic mail vsaa@vsaa.gov.lv, signed with a secure electronic signature (also valid issued by a foreign state), or authenticated on the portal latvija.lv by selecting “Application to the Authority”. In this case a notarial certificate not be attached to the application that the person is alive.
- the application may be sent by post. It is mandatory to attach the original notarial certificate to an application sent by mail.
- an application may also be submitted by an authorized person, presenting a power of attorney. In this case, the original notarial certificate must also be attached to the application.
When residing in a Member State of the European Union / European Economic Area, a person may inquire about the possibility of certifying the fact of life with the competent institution of pension matters of the country of residence.
A person residing in Canada may submit a completed application approved by the competent authority of Canada for the continuation of the payment of a Latvian pension – the form “Application for pension payment continuation”.
The Latvian pension beneficiaries living in Lithuania, Estonia, and Australia do not have to submit a notarial certificate because the exchange of information on pension beneficiaries takes place electronically between the competent authorities.
For Latvian pension beneficiaries living in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, for whom the payment of the pension takes place through the competent authorities, no proof of life is required.
In order to receive a survivor’s pension, a notarial certificate is required that both the recipient of the pension and the dependent to whom the pension has been granted are alive. If a dependent who receives a survivor’s pension sends a valid study certificate to certify studies and extend the payment of the pension, then it is not necessary to submit a notarial certificate in addition.
In foreign countries, notarial activities may also be carried out by other legal persons or authorities. Accordingly, the document submitted on a case-by-case basis and the information contained therein confirming the fact of the person’s life will be assessed separately by the SAA.