U.S. Embassy in Panama

To Apply for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) Death and the Federal Employees Group Like Insurance (FEGLI) Benefits

• Original death certificate with the cause of death issued by the Civil Registry Office. No stamps or seals are required.
• Retirement card or any document or correspondence that reflects the deceased’s Civil Service Annuity (CSA) number.
• The widow(er), should bring the original marriage certificate and cedula. If there is no widow(er) because of partner’s death, you should bring their original death certificate issued by the Civil Registry Office. No stamps are required.
• Surviving minor children and children over 18 years of age should bring their original birth certificate. Children over 18 should bring their cedula. Note: A surviving child between 18 and 21 years of age could be entitled to receive benefits if he/she is a full time student. To prove school attendance, form RI 25-41 Initial Certification of full-time School Attendance certified by the school is required.
• If the beneficiary is a minor, and you are not the surviving parent you should provide the following documents:
• If no guardian has been appointed by court to handle the individual’s affairs, you should provide sworn affidavits from at least two persons who know the facts concerning the individual’s competency, preferably one from a member of the immediate family and one from a non-family member. The affidavits must be sworn or affirmed before a notary or other officer who is authorized by law to administer oaths. They should state the following:
• The relationship to and the amount of contact with the individual during the relevant time period.
• What actions or incidents were personally observed which would show whether the individual’s condition interfered with the ability to handle personal affairs and how often these were observed.
• Who has been handling the individual’s affairs
• If the affidavits are prepared in Spanish, the English translation from a certified translator is required.
• If you are applying for an adult disabled child, you must bring an updated medical certification. It should include the patient’s medical condition, date the patient was first treated, the diagnosis, prognosis, and medication(s) if any. If the medical certification is issued in Spanish, the English translation from a certified translator is required. It should also state if the person is incapable of handling his/her own funds. All beneficiaries should bring their original birth certificate and “cedula”. Only if applying for a monthly benefits)
• You should also bring the Designation of Beneficiary for CSRS (Civil Service Retirement System), Form SF-2808/ FEGLI (Federal Employees Group Life Insurance), Form SF-2823, if it is available.
• If any person designated as a beneficiary has died, you should bring the original death certificate issued by the Civil Registry Office. No stamps or seals are required.