Maltese Pension Life Certificate From Australia

If you receive a Maltese pension in Australia, the Department of Social Security in Malta posts you a life certificate from time to time, needing three declarations: yours, a nominated next of kin's, and a witness with a professional background. Return it within 45 days, by post or the mySocialSecurity app, or payments stop. A notary is rarely required.

Key takeaways

• Malta's International Relations Unit (IRU) generates the life certificate and sends it by post to beneficiaries living abroad.
• If the IRU does not receive it back within 45 days, all benefit payments are stopped.
• The form needs declarations from you, a nominated next of kin, and a witness with a professional background.
• You can upload the completed form through the mySocialSecurity app, using the references printed on its first page.
• A spouse's life certificate is a separate submission, even if both arrive together.

Why do Maltese pensioners in Australia get a life certificate?

Malta's Department of Social Security says it requests life certification regularly from beneficiaries living outside Malta, and sends a life certificate form to everyone receiving a pension or benefit abroad. The purpose is to keep the department's records accurate. For the many Maltese-Australians receiving a Maltese pension under the social security agreement between Malta and Australia, this is a routine part of being paid.

The form is generated by the International Relations Unit and posted to you. It carries two references on its first page: a document reference and the IRU reference, which is your pension number. Keep the envelope and the form together, because you will need those references if you submit online.

What are the three declarations?

This is what makes the Maltese form different from most. Where many countries ask only for a witness, Malta's form asks for three separate declarations.

The practical effect is that you need to line up two other people, not one. Your nominated next of kin must be available to complete their part, and the witness must fit the form's description. If your next of kin lives in another city, or overseas, allow time to get their section done. Read the form's own instructions carefully, because the wording on the paper you receive is what the department will check against. If anything on it is unclear, ask the department or the Malta High Commission before anyone signs, because a form returned for correction still has to beat the same deadline.

Who counts as a "witness with a professional background"?

The department's page describes the witness as someone with a professional background, and the form you receive is the place to check the exact requirement. That description is broader than "a notary", and many pensioners will find a suitable witness without paying for one. The table sets out the realistic options in Australia.

Possible witness	Why they may suit	What to check
A professional you already know, such as your doctor or pharmacist	Easy to reach, and often already familiar with you	That the form's wording covers their profession, and that they are willing to sign
A Justice of the Peace	A free witness, found in many communities	That the department accepts a JP as a professional witness
An Australian notary	A lawyer holding a formal office, clearly a professional	Usually charges a fee, and is rarely necessary for this form
The Malta High Commission or a consulate	Maltese officials familiar with the form	Whether they witness life certificates for your situation, and how to arrange it

If you are unsure whether a particular person qualifies, ask the department before they sign, rather than risk the form being returned after the 45 days have passed. The Malta High Commission in Canberra and the Consulates of Malta in Melbourne and Sydney can also help with questions. For how a JP differs from a notary, see notary versus Justice of the Peace.

How long do you have?

Forty-five days. The department says that if the IRU does not receive the life certificate back within 45 days, all benefit payments are stopped. From Australia, that window is tighter than it sounds, because it includes the time the form takes to reach you and, if you post it, the time it takes to get back to Malta.

How do you upload it online?

Malta now lets beneficiaries abroad submit the completed life certificate online through the mySocialSecurity app, which removes the return postage from the 45 days. The department describes the steps:

1. Complete the form on paper, with all three declarations.
2. Scan the completed form. The total uploaded must not exceed 10 MB.
3. Open the mySocialSecurity app and go to the section for online services, then choose the life certificate upload service.
4. Enter the document reference and the IRU reference, your pension number, both printed on the first page of the form.
5. Check the date of issue and the calendar year the app shows for that certificate.
6. Enter a valid email address, which the department will use to contact you.
7. Upload the scan and submit. Confirmation arrives by email.

Upload only your own life certificate in each submission. If your spouse also receives a Maltese benefit and has a life certificate, it must go in a separate submission. If the app gives you trouble, the department's page offers a Contact Us form, where you choose the life certificate submission option under the mySocialSecurity cluster, and the option to book a Microsoft Teams call with its Information Management Unit.

Does the Maltese life certificate need a notary or an apostille?

Usually neither. The department asks for a witness with a professional background, not specifically a notary, and says nothing about an apostille for the life certificate. Paying for a notary and a DFAT apostille would add cost and time the department has not asked for, eating into the 45 days. If the department ever asks for more in your case, follow its instructions. Only DFAT issues apostilles in Australia; an apostille confirms the signature and seal on a document, never its contents. Malta's status is shown on the HCCH status table.

A notary may still be the right choice in one situation: if you cannot find anyone else who fits the professional witness description and is willing to sign. A notary checks your identity and witnesses your signature. They do not verify what the next of kin declares. Our document notarisation page describes the notarial act itself.

What if you cannot get out, or have no next of kin nearby?

Raise it early. If you are in hospital or aged care, a professional who already sees you, such as a doctor or a facility manager, may be able to act as the witness if the form's wording covers them. Some notaries also attend homes and facilities by arrangement, usually at extra cost. If your nominated next of kin is overseas or unavailable, or you have none, contact the department or the Malta High Commission before the deadline and explain the situation, rather than leaving that section blank. Whoever witnesses the form must see you in person.

Where does Centrelink fit in?

Centrelink is part of the picture for Maltese pensions paid in Australia. Under the social security agreement between Malta and Australia, a person living in Australia claims a Maltese retirement pension through Centrelink, which forwards the claim to Malta. The Maltese department's pages also list Centrelink's international services team as a contact. The life certificate, though, comes from Malta's IRU and goes back to it, not to Centrelink. Questions about entitlement or tax belong with the department or an adviser, not a notary. For other foreign pension paperwork, see foreign pension documents and notaries.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving the form in the envelope. The 45 days are already running when it arrives.
• Getting only a witness. The next of kin's declaration is part of the form too.
• Posting it back when you could upload it. The upload saves the return journey.
• Combining two pensioners' forms in one upload. Each life certificate is its own submission.
• Paying for a notary and an apostille the department has not asked for.
• Losing the references on the first page, which the upload needs.

Here is an illustration, not a real case.

A widower in western Sydney receives a Maltese widower's pension. His life certificate arrives while his daughter, his nominated next of kin, is interstate. He rings her straight away, and she completes her declaration on her next visit. His regular pharmacist, who has known him for years, agrees to act as the professional witness after they both read the form's wording. His grandson scans the finished form, and they upload it through the mySocialSecurity app using the references on page one. The confirmation email arrives that evening, well inside the 45 days.

In short

Malta's IRU posts a life certificate to pensioners in Australia and stops payments if it is not back within 45 days. The form needs three declarations: yours, a nominated next of kin's and a professional witness's. A notary is rarely necessary. Upload the completed form through the mySocialSecurity app to save postage time, and submit each pensioner's form separately. Our guide to proof of life certificates covers other countries.

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