Life Certificate for Recipients of a Compensation Payment
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Once every year, you are requested by the compensation authority to submit a certificate of life (life certificate). If you do not present the life certificate in time, your compensation payments will be suspended.
Your signature on the life certificate needs to be certified.
Please be advised that in general the certificate of life can only be filled in and confirmed by the competent German foreign mission in Canada. You need to come to the competent German foreign mission in person and present a valid identification document with a recent photo on it (e.g. passport).
(see below for exceptions for residents of Montreal)
After having legalized the life certificate, the German foreign mission will forward it to the competent compensation authority. Please note, that the German foreign missions can not keep track of the life certificates.
Who can certify my life certificate?
In case you cannot come in person due to disability, poor health, or because you live too far, the form may be filled in and certified by the following persons (1):
- a Canadian notary public
- your family Doctor
- a bank manager.
Certifications by the administration of a nursing home can not be accepted.
The seal and signature of the certifying person is required on the life certificate. After the certification, the life certificate needs to be sent to your competent German foreign mission for legalization.
The beneficiary is not able to sign. Who can sign instead?
If the beneficiary is not able to sign, the holder of a valid Power of Attorney is required to sign instead. His signature has to be certified by one of the above mentioned persons. In addition, a medical confirmation from the doctor has to be attached, stating that the beneficiary is alive but unable to sign. The life certificate and the proving documents need to be sent to the German Consulate for legalization. Please make sure, that the compensation authority is in possession of the relevant power of attorney.
Options for Residents of Montreal
If you live in Montréal, you may have the following alternatives for completing the annual life-certificate:
- have it certified at the Cummings Jewish Centre for Seniors at 3, Carré Cummings (5700, avenue Westbury) in Montréal,
- have it certified at Project Genesis at 4735 Chemin Cote-Ste-Catherine, Montréal and send it for legalisation to the German Embassy, 1 Waverley Street, Ottawa, ON, K2P 0T8 afterwards
- residents of Cote- St- Luc may have it certified at the Cote-St-Luc City Hall, 5801 Cavendish Blvd, and send it for legalisation to the German Embassy, 1 Waverley Street, Ottawa, ON, K2P 0T8 afterwards
(1) Please note that the compensation authority of Rheinland Pfalz, Amt für Wiedergutmachung, does only accept certification by a Notary Public!
