In this guide
Can you still claim your Dutch pension after you leave the Netherlands? Yes. This guide explains how the AOW state pension builds up and is paid abroad, what the SVB withholds, when you can insure yourself voluntarily and what applies to small pensions.
Quick answer: AOW is paid outside the Netherlands. You build up 2% of the full AOW for every year you were insured, and the SVB can pay it into a non-Dutch bank account. Check what is withheld for your country, and note the 2-month-before to 1-year-after window for voluntary AOW insurance if you move abroad.
Looking for a banking comparison? Read Best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026.
The Dutch pension in layers
Dutch pension is built up in three layers, and each works differently when you move abroad.
- AOW: the state pension, paid by the SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank).
- Occupational pension: built up through your employer with a pension fund or insurer. This is separate from AOW.
- Private pension savings: such as an annuity or a bank savings product that you took out yourself. You access these under the terms of the product.
This guide focuses on AOW and the occupational pension.
AOW, the state pension
Key facts, from the SVB and the Rijksoverheid:
- Build-up: 2% for every year you were insured for AOW. The build-up starts 50 years before your AOW age and stops when you receive AOW. You pay AOW premium over your income during that period.
- Full pension: if you were insured for all those years, you receive the full AOW.
- Full AOW for a single person from 1 July 2026: €1,662.16 gross per month.
- Full AOW per person for partners who are married or live together: €1,139.39 gross per month.
- AOW age: 67 in 2025, 2026 and 2027, and 67 years and 3 months in 2028 to 2031 (Rijksoverheid). Your own AOW age depends on your date of birth, and the SVB website shows it.
Because you build up 2% per insured year, 15 insured years give 30%. For a single person that is 30% of €1,662.16, about €499 gross per month. Ten insured years give 20%, about €332 gross per month. If you were insured for fewer than 50 years, you receive a lower AOW. If you were born on or after 1 January 1950 and were insured for less than 1 year, you cannot receive AOW (SVB).
AOW from abroad
Payment
The SVB pays AOW to people who live outside the Netherlands. Check the SVB website for how to apply and which documents it asks for.
Some facts from the SVB page on payment abroad:
- If you receive AOW on a non-Dutch bank account, the payment day can differ from the payment day for a Dutch account. It depends on the country, and you cannot choose another payment day.
- Payments to a SEPA country arrive around the 24th of the month, except for the United Kingdom. For other countries and the United Kingdom payment is at the start or in the middle of the month.
- The SVB usually pays in euros. In some countries it pays in the currency of that country.
- If you and your partner have the same non-Dutch account, the SVB adds up the amounts and pays them in one go.
What the SVB withholds
If you receive AOW abroad, the SVB can withhold wage tax or a contribution for healthcare costs. The SVB cannot say per country what exactly is withheld, because it differs per country and per situation.
- Wage tax: the Netherlands has agreed with many countries in a tax treaty who may tax what. The treaty decides whether the SVB withholds wage tax on your AOW. If it does not, because you are exempt, you have to pay tax on your AOW in the country where you live.
- National insurance contributions: the treaty does not cover the premie volksverzekeringen. If you are insured for one or more Dutch national insurance schemes, the SVB withholds that premium, also if you pay tax in your country of residence.
- Healthcare contribution: the CAK decides whether you must pay a treaty contribution (bijdrage Zvw buitenland), and the SVB then withholds it from your AOW.
Read about tax treaties at the Belastingdienst and the Rijksoverheid, and ask a cross-border tax adviser about your own situation.
Receiving euros in another currency
If you live outside the euro area, the way your euros are converted determines what you keep. The SVB usually pays in euros, so compare what your bank gives you with what a specialist transfer service quotes for the same amount before you choose.
Wise can give you EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address), so you can receive the payment in euros and convert it when you choose. Check the quote for your own currency before you decide. Check a Wise quote → This page contains affiliate links: if you use them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Occupational pension from abroad
Your occupational pension is held by the pension fund or insurer of your employer. The process is separate from the SVB and from AOW.
- Find out where your pension is. If you know the fund, contact it. If you are unsure, mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl shows pension entitlements from Dutch pension providers, and you log in with DigiD.
- Keep your address and bank account up to date with each fund, so that its letters reach you before your pension age.
- Ask each fund about your options at pension age and when you have to choose.
Taking your pension with you when you emigrate
Ask your Dutch pension institution whether this is possible, because there are conditions (Belastingdienst). For a transfer to a pension institution in another EU country your Dutch pension institution assesses the conditions. For a transfer to a country outside the EU it asks De Nederlandsche Bank to assess the transfer. If you want exemption from tax on the transfer, you need a statement from your pension institution or De Nederlandsche Bank, and you must meet the further conditions of the Belastingdienst.
Small pensions
A small pension is a pension of EUR 2 to EUR 632.63 gross per year (2026; Rijksoverheid). A pension fund can only pay out such a pension if the pension is below EUR 632.63 per year and you have agreed to it (Rijksoverheid). The amount is per year, not the total capital value. Ask your pension fund how this works for your pension.
Tax on your Dutch pension when you live abroad
Both the Netherlands and your country of residence may want to tax your pension. The tax treaty between the two countries decides who may tax it (SVB, Belastingdienst). The rules differ per country and per type of pension, so check the treaty for your country and ask a cross-border tax adviser. The Dutch Tax Return Guide for Expats explains how Dutch tax returns work.
AOW gaps: can you insure yourself voluntarily?
If you were not insured for AOW for some years, for example because you moved to the Netherlands later in life, your AOW will be lower. If you move abroad, you may be able to continue the AOW insurance voluntarily, so you keep building up 2% per year.
- When to apply: from 2 months before you leave until 1 year after you moved abroad (SVB).
- For how long: at most 10 years, with exceptions (SVB).
- Premium in 2026: 17.9% of your income, at least €569 and at most €5,693 per year. You pay the maximum premium from an income of €38,883 (SVB).
Is it worth it? Each year of voluntary insurance adds 2% of the full AOW. For a single person that is about €33 gross per month (2% of €1,662.16), or about €399 per year, for as long as you receive AOW. With the 2026 premium of €569 to €5,693 per year, the payback time runs from about 1.4 years at the minimum premium to about 14 years at the maximum. Whether it pays off depends on your premium and how long you collect AOW. Missing the 1-year window may close the option, so check the SVB website early.
What to do now
- Check your AOW age and your insured years with the SVB.
- Find out where your occupational pension is held (mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl).
- Update your address and bank account with each fund.
- If you are leaving the Netherlands, decide on voluntary AOW insurance within the SVB’s window.
- Check the tax treaty between the Netherlands and your country of residence.
Your Dutch pension rights
| Type | Build-up | Paid abroad | Who to contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| AOW (state pension) | 2% per insured year | Yes, SVB pays outside the Netherlands | SVB |
| Occupational pension | Depends on the fund and your employer | Ask the fund | Your fund or insurer |
| Private pension savings | Your own contributions | Per product terms | Your insurer or bank |
More resources on expat finances
- Dutch Pension Complete Guide for Expats 2026
- Dutch Pension System Explained for Expats
- Leaving the Netherlands: What Happens to Your Pension
- Dutch Tax Return Guide for Expats 2026
- 30% Ruling Netherlands 2026: Complete Guide
- Wise Review for Expats 2026
- Dutch Box 3 Tax and Savings for Expats
- Netherlands Salary Guide 2026
- Expat Finance Tools
The bottom line
Your AOW rights do not disappear when you leave the Netherlands. The SVB pays AOW outside the Netherlands, and the key decisions are the voluntary insurance window when you leave, keeping your address and bank details up to date, and checking what is withheld for your country of residence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my Dutch AOW pension if I live abroad?
Yes. The SVB pays AOW to people who live outside the Netherlands, on a non-Dutch bank account. What counts is how many years you were insured for AOW, because you build up 2% for every insured year (SVB). Whether tax or a contribution for healthcare costs is withheld depends on your country and your situation.
How much AOW pension do I build up per year in the Netherlands?
You build up 2% of the full AOW for each year you were insured for AOW. The build-up starts 50 years before your AOW age and stops when you receive AOW (SVB). From 1 July 2026 the full AOW for a single person is EUR 1,662.16 gross per month. After 10 insured years that is 20%, about EUR 332 gross per month.
Is my Dutch pension taxed abroad or in the Netherlands?
It depends on the tax treaty between the Netherlands and your country of residence. The treaty decides whether the SVB withholds wage tax on your AOW. If it does not, you have to pay tax on it in your country of residence. The treaty does not cover the national insurance contributions (premie volksverzekeringen), which the SVB does withhold if you are insured for one or more of the Dutch national insurance schemes (SVB). Check the treaty with the Belastingdienst and ask a cross-border tax adviser about your own situation.
Can I get a lump sum for a small Dutch pension?
A pension fund can pay out a small pension, but only if the pension is below EUR 632.63 gross per year in 2026 and you have agreed to it (Rijksoverheid). Pensions of EUR 2 to EUR 632.63 per year count as small pensions. Ask your pension fund what applies to your pension.
Can I voluntarily contribute to fill AOW gaps?
Yes, in some cases. If you move abroad you can apply for a voluntary insurance from 2 months before you leave until 1 year after you moved. You can insure yourself for at most 10 years, with exceptions (SVB). In 2026 the premium is 17.9% of your income, at least EUR 569 and at most EUR 5,693 per year.
Can I take my Dutch pension with me when I emigrate?
Ask your Dutch pension institution, because there are conditions. For a transfer to a pension institution in another EU country your pension institution assesses the conditions. For a transfer to a country outside the EU De Nederlandsche Bank also assesses the request (Belastingdienst).