OPM Annuity & Pension Verification Letter Apostille

Issuing agency

U.S. Office of Personnel Management (Retirement Services)

We can obtain it?

No — federal retirees request it from OPM

Certification first?

No — the OPM letter is authenticated as issued

Also known as

OPM retirement letter, annuity verification, federal pension income letter

Federal retirees applying for residency or a retirement visa abroad are usually asked to prove a steady pension income. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issues an annuity verification letter for exactly that — and many countries require it to be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State before they'll accept it as proof of income.

What an OPM annuity verification letter is

The OPM annuity verification letter is issued by OPM Retirement Services and confirms that a federal retiree receives a civil-service annuity, typically stating the monthly or annual amount. It is the federal counterpart to a Social Security proof-of-income letter, and it's the document foreign immigration authorities accept as proof of stable retirement income when a residency or retirement visa sets a minimum-income requirement. If your income comes from Social Security instead, see our Social Security letter page.

Why it needs an apostille abroad

A foreign authority cannot verify a U.S. federal document on its own. The apostille, issued by the U.S. Department of State, certifies it as genuine for use across the 120-plus Hague Convention countries. Non-Hague destinations need that authentication followed by embassy or consulate legalization — the same document, a longer path.

Getting the letter from OPM

Federal retirees request the annuity or verification letter from OPM — through OPM's online retirement services or by contacting OPM Retirement Services directly. We can't request it for you, but once you have the OPM letter, we take it through apostille. Because consulates want current documents, request a fresh letter close to filing.

Document preparation requirements

• Submit the OPM letter exactly as issued.
• Do not notarize the letter; notarizing a federal document invalidates it for authentication.
• Do not laminate, staple across the text, or annotate it.
• Use a recent letter — most consulates want one issued within the last few months.

The step-by-step process

1. Request the letter from OPM

   Federal retirees request the annuity/verification letter from OPM Retirement Services. We tell you what your destination's consulate expects.

2. Receive the letter

   OPM issues the letter. Send it to us.

3. We review & submit in D.C.

   We verify it's in a form the Department of State will authenticate, then hand-deliver it to the Office of Authentications.

4. Apostille or authentication issued

   You receive an apostille (Hague) or authentication certificate (non-Hague), affixed to your letter.

5. Embassy legalization & translation, if required

   For non-Hague destinations we handle embassy legalization, and arrange a certified translation where the consulate requires it.

Common rejection reasons — and how to avoid them

Common uses

• Retirement and residency visas — proving pension income where a country sets a minimum-income requirement.
• Non-lucrative and passive-income visas — documenting stable income for long-stay residency.
• Foreign bank and immigration filings — establishing income for account opening or residency renewal.
• Proof of means abroad — wherever a consulate asks for verified retirement income.

Hague vs. non-Hague countries

We authenticate for any destination — see all countries we serve.

Official references: U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Retirement Services · U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document. Government fees are set by these agencies and are separate from our service fee.