Benin retirees can now prove they’re alive with a smartphone scan 🇧🇯📱

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Benin’s government has officially launched “Preuve de Vie” (“Proof of Life”), a mobile app for pensioners of the country’s national pension fund, the Fonds national des retraites du Bénin (FNRB). Since October 15, 2026, retirees can confirm they are alive remotely, from inside Benin or abroad, without making the trip. The campaign runs through November 15, 2026, and also relies on biometric kiosks and a support call center.

For context, a “proof of life” is the check through which a pensioner confirms they are still alive so their pension payments can continue.

Confirming proof of life remotely 📲

To complete the process on a smartphone or tablet, pensioners first need two valid pieces of information: their Personal Identification Number (NPI) and their pension booklet number.

They then download the “Preuve de Vie” app from Google Play or the App Store. Once it’s open, they enter both numbers and move on to biometric verification.

This step involves scanning their fingerprints with the device’s camera, taking care to avoid light reflections that could interfere with the reading. When the process is complete, a confirmation is sent by SMS, email or WhatsApp. In practice, retirees can finish the procedure without visiting a government office, even if they live abroad.

Biometric kiosks for retirees without the app 🖥️

For pensioners who prefer to do it in person, the government is also providing biometric kiosks in dedicated public spaces. They are an alternative to the mobile app.

The procedure has two main steps. Retirees first insert or place their biometric national ID card (CNI) in the slot provided. They then put their fingers on the sensor so the fingerprints can be read and the operation validated.

Pensioners therefore have two options: their own mobile device or the kiosks.

A one-month campaign 📅🇧🇯

According to the government communiqué, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which oversees the Budget and the Civil Service, has set the official registration and usage period from October 15 to November 15, 2026. During this window, pensioners are asked to complete their proof of life following the procedures laid out by the administration. A call center has also been set up to help users who run into difficulties.

The service can be reached at +229 01 21 40 79 47. The communiqué says it is open 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday, throughout the campaign.

The Minister Delegate for the Budget and the Civil Service is also urging retirees and their representative associations to adopt the new digital tool, which he presents as a way to make administrative procedures easier and more secure.

Benin’s pension system goes digital 💻

The launch fits into a series of measures Benin has taken to modernize pension management. In September 2020, authorities reportedly acknowledged that the complexity of some procedures was delaying pension booklets and the processing of files for several beneficiaries.

Building on that, the country introduced automatic pension processing in 2020 for state employees who retire. In 2021, it strengthened coordination between the FNRB and the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) so that rights acquired by workers who contributed to both schemes would be taken into account.

In April 2023, five digital services went online, notably allowing users to view their pension statements and complete some procedures remotely. More recently, in July 2026, the government announced a career reconstruction and a review of the pensions of some retirees whose administrative situation was not up to date.

Now comes the real-world test 🌍

With this app, Benin continues to digitize its pension procedures. The system is meant to let retirees confirm proof of life remotely or at biometric terminals, with a support service during the campaign. What remains to be seen is how it will be adopted on the ground: relying on a smartphone, a stable connection and a biometric scan may not be straightforward for every pensioner.

Do you think a system like this could work in your country, where pension paperwork can often feel like an obstacle course? Tell us in the comments 👇