How to Submit a Life Certificate for Pensioners Online

To submit a life certificate for pensioners online, install the Jeevan Pramaan app on an Android phone or Windows computer, verify your identity with Aadhaar-based fingerprint, iris, or face authentication, enter your pension details, and the digital certificate is delivered straight to your pension-disbursing agency through the Life Certificate Repository. The annual deadline is November 30. Pensioners aged 80 and above can submit from October 1.¹

The service is open to pensioners of central government, state government, and other government organizations whose disbursing agencies have connected to the Jeevan Pramaan system, including those drawing family pensions. If your agency has not integrated with the system, or you do not have an Aadhaar number, you will still need to submit a paper certificate through your bank or treasury.¹

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Keep these to hand before opening the app:

Your 12-digit Aadhaar number, and access to the mobile phone whose number is registered with Aadhaar. An OTP will be sent there.
Your Pension Payment Order (PPO) number.
Your pension bank account number, bank name, and branch.
The pension type (service, family, or another category) and the correct sanctioning authority and disbursing agency, chosen from the dropdown lists in the app.

Check the sanctioning authority against your PPO document carefully. Selecting the wrong one is a common reason certificates get rejected once they reach the bank or treasury.²

Installing the App and Choosing an Authentication Method

The Jeevan Pramaan Android app is available on the Google Play Store, and a Windows client can be downloaded from jeevanpramaan.gov.in.¹ How you authenticate depends on the equipment you have.

Face Authentication

For most pensioners with a reasonably modern smartphone, this is the simplest route. Install the AadhaarFaceRD app alongside the main Jeevan Pramaan app, then use your phone’s camera when prompted. Position your face inside the on-screen circle and blink when the app asks.³ No external device is needed.

Face scans need good lighting and a clean camera lens. If scans keep failing in a well-lit room, your Aadhaar photo record may be too old, and you may need to update your biometrics at an enrolment centre before trying again.

Fingerprint or Iris Device

If you have a fingerprint scanner or iris reader, connect it and confirm your computer or phone recognizes it before opening the Jeevan Pramaan app. You will also need to install the RD Service app for your specific device from the Play Store. A list of supported devices is published on the Jeevan Pramaan portal.²

Step-by-Step Submission

Once the app is installed and your authentication method is ready, the submission itself takes a few minutes.

Open the app and enter your Aadhaar number and mobile number. An OTP is sent to your Aadhaar-registered mobile number. Enter it to proceed.³
Fill in your name, PPO number, pension type, sanctioning authority, disbursing agency, and bank account number. Check each field. Mismatches here cause downstream rejections.²
Complete biometric authentication using fingerprint, iris, or face. The app sends the biometric data to the Aadhaar platform for verification against the Central Identities Data Repository.¹
On successful verification, the app generates your Digital Life Certificate and stores it in the Life Certificate Repository. Your disbursing agency pulls it from there. Nothing needs to be printed or delivered in person.

Your Pramaan ID and Confirming the Agency Received It

After a successful submission, an SMS with a unique Pramaan ID is sent to your registered mobile number. That ID is your receipt.¹ Log in to the Jeevan Pramaan portal with the ID to check whether your disbursing agency has accessed and accepted the certificate. The certificate stays available to both you and the agency in the repository.⁴

Note the Pramaan ID somewhere other than your phone. If a pension payment is delayed after submission, this is the number your bank or treasury office will ask for.

Deadline and What Happens If You Miss It

The standard cutoff each year is November 30. Pensioners aged 80 and above may submit from October 1, giving them two months instead of one.

If the deadline passes without a valid certificate on file, your disbursing agency may suspend pension payments until one is received. Any skipped payments are usually released once the certificate is submitted, but the gap can last weeks depending on the agency’s processing backlog. If you expect difficulty, submit early rather than late in the window.

If Online Submission Will Not Work

Biometric authentication does not succeed for everyone. Worn fingerprints, cataracts, or an out-of-date Aadhaar photo can all cause repeated failures. If none of the biometric methods work for you, several alternatives remain:

Visit a Jeevan Pramaan centre, often located at government offices or Common Service Centres, where an operator handles the equipment and takes you through the process.
Submit a paper life certificate at the branch where your pension is deposited, bringing your pensioner ID and a photo ID.
Ask your pension-disbursing bank whether it offers doorstep life certificate collection. Some banks provide this for bedridden pensioners or those unable to travel.

Pensioners who cannot use biometric verification at all because of disability or illness should have a family member contact the bank well before the November deadline to arrange one of these alternatives. Most suspensions happen in the last week, when there is no time left to switch routes.

1
Jeevan Pramaan. Jeevan Pramaan – Life Certificate for Pensioners
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Jeevan Pramaan. Procedure for Generating Jeevan Pramaan / Digital Life Certificate
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Jeevan Pramaan. Jeevan Pramaan App For Android Mobile Phones User Manual
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Jeevan Pramaan. Jeevan Pramaan – Life Certificate for Pensioners