Certificate “of life” for pensioners residing in Canada

If you are a permanent resident of Canada and you receive a pension from a Greek institution you are periodically required to provide a certificate proving you are alive so your pension does not get cut off.

Instructions by Institution
1. If you are receiving a pension from the institution formerly known as IKA-ETAM you must contact the competent Greek Consular Authority in Canada to book an appointment once a year between October and December to submit the “declaration of the beneficiary of pension”.

1.A. In-person appointment
a) Download, print and fill out the “declaration of the beneficiary of pension from IKA-ETAM”. Do not sign it.

b) Contact the competent Consular Authority in Canada to book an appointment:
• Embassy of Greece in Ottawa
• Consulate General in Vancouver
• Consulate General in Montreal
• Consulate General in Toronto

c) On the day of your appointment you need to have the declaration with all your personal information filled out, as well as a valid photo ID (valid Canadian or Greek passport, or Greek police ID issued in the last 15 years). During your visit at the Consulate you will sign the declaration, witnessed by a consular employee and you will pay 10 euro in Canadian dollars according to the exchange rate of that month which is indicated at the end of this webpage.
d) Once the declaration has been completed and stamped you will mail it to the following address:
ΕΦΚΑ - Γενική Διεύθυνση Οικονομικών Υπηρεσιών
Διεύθυνση Εκκαθάρισης & Πληρωμής Συντάξεων Ε.Ε. & ΔΣΚΑ
ΠΑΤΗΣΙΩΝ 12,
Τ.Κ. 10677, ΑΘΗΝΑ
Email:  

1.B. Virtual appointment through the platform MyConsulLive

Steps:

a) Download, print, fill out, sign the “declaration of the beneficiary of pension from IKA-ETAM” and include your telephone number and then send it through regular post to the competent Consular Authority in Canada:
• Embassy of Greece in Ottawa
• Consulate General in Vancouver
• Consulate General in Montreal
• Consulate General in Toronto

b) Allow a few days for the document to be delivered before booking your appointment: MyConsulLive If you need assistance with the virtual appointment booking, call the competent Consular Authority.

c) During your videoconference you will need to present a valid photo ID (valid Canadian or Greek passport, or Greek police ID issued in the last 15 years). You will be witnessed by a consular employee and after that they will guide you how to pay 10 euro in Canadian dollars according to the exchange rate of that month which is indicated at the end of this webpage.

2. If you receive a pension from the institution formerly known as OGA and the money is deposited either directly into a Canadian bank account, or into a Greek bank account, you have to submit a “declaration of a beneficiary living abroad”, every two years.

2.A. In-person appointment

a) Download, print and fill out the “declaration of beneficiary living abroad for OGA”. Do not sign it.

b) Contact the competent Greek Consular Authority in Canada to book an appointment (see overhead the list of Consular Authorities under point 1.A. along with the relevant links)

c) On the day of your appointment you need to have the declaration with all your personal information filled out, as well as a valid photo ID (valid Canadian or Greek passport, or Greek police ID issued in the last 15 years). During your visit at the Consulate you will sign the declaration, witnessed by a consular employee and you will pay 10 euro in Canadian dollars according to the exchange rate of that month which is indicated at the end of this webpage.

d) Once the declaration has been completed and stamped you will mail it to the following address:

ΕΦΚΑ - Τμήμα Εκκαθάρισης και Πληρωμής Συντάξεων ΕΕ & ΔΣΚΑ
Πατησίων 12
Τ.Κ. 10677 Αθήνα
You can also send it by email:

2.B. Virtual appointment through the platform MyConsulLive

Steps:

a) Download, print, fill out and sign the “declaration of beneficiary living abroad for OGA” and include your telephone number and then send it through regular post to the competent Consular Authority in Canada:
• Embassy of Greece in Ottawa
• Consulate General in Vancouver
• Consulate General in Montreal
• Consulate General in Toronto

b) Allow a few days for the document to be delivered before booking your appointment: MyConsulLive If you need assistance with the virtual appointment booking, call the competent Consular Authority.

c) During your videoconference you will need to present a valid photo ID (valid Canadian or Greek passport, or Greek police ID issued in the last 15 years). You will be witnessed by a consular employee and after that they will guide you how to pay 10 euro in Canadian dollars according to the exchange rate of that month which is indicated at the end of this webpage.

3. If you receive a pension from the institution formerly known as PSHO (Public sector), you will have to submit a special certificate once every six months, which is issued by the competent Greek Consular Authority.

3.A. In-person appointment
a) Contact the competent Greek Consular Authority in Canada to book an appointment (see overhead the list of Consular Authorities under point 1.A. along with the relevant links)

b) On the day of your appointment you need to have  a copy of the last certificate issued to you by the Consular authority or, if you are a new pensioner, a copy of the initial decision of the pension fund to grant the pension, as well as a valid photo ID (valid Canadian or Greek passport, or Greek police ID issued in the last 15 years). During your visit at the Consulate a consular employee will issue the new certificate and you will pay 10 euro in Canadian dollars according to the exchange rate of that month which is indicated at the end of this webpage.

3.B. Virtual appointment through the platform MyConsulLive

Steps:

a)  Make a copy of the last certificate issued to you by the Consular authority or, if you are a new pensioner, a copy of the initial decision of the pension fund to grant the pension, include your telephone number and then send these through regular post to the competent Consular Authority in Canada:

• Embassy of Greece in Ottawa
• Consulate General in Vancouver
• Consulate General in Montreal
• Consulate General in Toronto

b) Allow a few days for the document to be delivered before booking your appointment: MyConsulLive If you need assistance with the virtual appointment booking, call the competent Consular Authority.

c)  During your videoconference you will need to present a valid photo ID (valid Canadian or Greek passport, or Greek police ID issued in the last 15 years). You will be witnessed by a consular employee and after that they will guide you how to pay 10 euro in Canadian dollars according to the exchange rate of that month which is indicated at the end of this webpage.