At the end of February, CGA will send by postal mail, to users residing abroad who have not yet taken the Digital Proof of Life in 2025, a letter with the document (Proof of Life certificate) to be used to carry out the Proof of Life.
That document is intended to be completed and signed by the pensioner in person at an embassy, Portuguese consulate or local public entity (social security, city council or police authority) and must be certified by one of these entities.
The original document, duly certified, must be returned by postal mail to CGA to the address:
Caixa Geral de Aposentações
Apartado 1194
1054-001 Lisboa
Portugal
with the necessary notice to guarantee that it is received by CGA no later than April 30th, 2025.
If CGA does not receive the original Proof of Life certificate until April 30th, the payment of the pension will be suspended from June 2025, suspension that will only be lifted from the month following the month in which the document is received.
For security reasons, Caixa Geral de Aposentações does not accept other types of certificates for carrying out the Documentary Proof of Life, nor does it consider copies, namely scanned images sent by email.
Pensioners residing abroad and covered by international conventions aimed at avoiding double taxation must submit a request for non-application of the IRS withholding tax.
The request is made with the originals of the following documents:
- Form Model 21–RFI (available here)
- Document issued by the competent authorities of the Country of residence attesting to residence and liability to income tax in that State.
The original documents must be send to the CGA, by post mail (registered letter is suggested), to the address:
Caixa Geral de Aposentações
Apartado 1194
1054-001 Lisboa
Portugal
The application is limited to 31 December of the year identified in the tax residency certificate, so it needs to be renewed annually.
The delivery of documents must occur until the 20th of the month following the withholding tax due (legal deadline for the delivery of the tax to the Tax and Customs Authority), for example: to take effect in January, they must be received at the CGA by the 20th of February (if it is not possible to avoid the retention in the same month, the adjustment will be made together with the pension to be credited in the following month).
From this date, the pensioner may request the reimbursement of the IRS withheld in the meantime by sending to the CGA, also by post mail - to the address indicated above - the original completed form of the Model 24-RFI (available here). In this case the Tax and Customs Authority will be responsible for carrying out the aforementioned reimbursement.
