Dutch Pension When Leaving Netherlands (2026)

Before we dig in: if you want to understand how the Dutch pension system works from scratch, read our Dutch pension system guide for expats first. This article focuses on what changes when you leave.

💡 Looking for a complete banking comparison? Read Best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026, which covers ABN, ING, bunq, Wise, Revolut and others by expat use case.

Two types of Dutch pension, two sets of rules

For departing expats, two types of pension matter most:

Part 1: AOW, the Dutch state pension

How AOW accrual works

AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet) is the Dutch state pension, paid by the SVB. For every year you are insured for the AOW you build up 2%. The build-up starts 50 years before your AOW age and stops when you start receiving AOW, so the maximum is 50 years × 2% = 100%. Your AOW age is 67 in 2026 and 2027 and 67 years and 3 months in 2028 to 2031 (Rijksoverheid).

From 1 July 2026 the full gross AOW is:

• Single person: €1,662.16 per month
• Married or living together: €1,139.39 per person per month

The government adjusts these amounts regularly, so check the SVB for the current figures.

What leaving does to your AOW

When you move abroad you are normally no longer insured for the AOW, so you stop building up. The years you already built up are not lost. Whether you remain insured while working for a Dutch employer from abroad depends on your new country of residence and social security treaties, so ask the SVB.

AOW by years in the Netherlands

The table uses the single-person amount from 1 July 2026 (gross, per month), before tax, indexation and any reduction that applies in your country of residence. If you receive the partner rate, apply the same percentage to €1,139.39.

Three worked examples

These examples assume the 2026 amounts stay the same and ignore indexation and tax.

Example 1: you leave after 3 years. You have built up 3 × 2% = 6%, which is €99.73 a month gross at today’s amounts, paid from your AOW age.

Example 2: you leave after 5 years. You have 10%, or €166.22 a month. Over 20 years of AOW that is about €39,900 gross (€166.22 × 12 × 20).

Example 3: you leave after 10 years. You have 20%, or €332.43 a month. Over 20 years that is about €79,800 gross. Voluntary insurance for 10 more years could take you to 40%.

Paid abroad

The SVB mostly pays AOW in euros. To a bank account in a SEPA country (except the United Kingdom) payment arrives around the 24th of the month. In some countries the SVB pays a lower AOW or pays in the local currency, and you cannot buy off a lower AOW (SVB). Wage tax and a healthcare contribution can be withheld. Arrange your DigiD and Berichtenbox before you leave, so that you can deal with the SVB online from abroad.

Part 2: Voluntary insurance (vrijwillige verzekering)

What is it?

If you move abroad you can insure yourself voluntarily for the AOW with the SVB and keep building up the 2% a year. You pay a premium every year.

Key rules from the SVB:

• You can apply from 2 months before you leave until 1 year after you start living or working abroad
• You can insure yourself for a maximum of 10 years (there are exceptions)
• There are conditions, including having been insured before you leave
• The premium is a percentage of your income in a year, which can be income from the Netherlands and from abroad

What does it cost?

In 2026 the AOW premium is 17.9% of your income, with a minimum of €569 and a maximum of €5,693 a year. If your income is €38,883 or more, you pay the maximum. With little or no income you pay the minimum.

Is it worth it?

One year of voluntary insurance buys 2% of the full AOW: €33.24 a month, or €398.92 a year at the 2026 amount. Paying back the premium therefore takes:

This is a gross comparison at today’s amounts, without indexation, tax or any reduction in your country of residence. Whether it pays off also depends on how long you receive AOW and on the tax treaty with your new country. Ask the SVB for a calculation of your own situation.

What if you miss the window?

The SVB gives a fixed period: until 1 year after you started living or working abroad. If there is any chance you want this, apply in time.

Part 3: Your employer pension (bedrijfspensioen)

What happens to it when you leave?

Your accrual ends when your employment ends. What you built up stays with the pension fund or insurer, which pays it from your pension age to a bank account abroad. Check how the pension scheme defines the pension age.

You cannot normally cash out your Dutch employer pension when you leave. Pension providers can pay out only very small pensions, below €632.63 a year in 2026, and only with your consent.

Keeping track of your pension

Mijn Pensioenoverzicht (mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl) shows your Dutch pension rights in one place. Log in with DigiD before you leave. Give each pension provider your current contact details, because every provider has its own contact information.

For understanding what your gross salary actually means in the Netherlands, including how pension contributions affect your net pay, see our employment contract guide.

Part 4: Waardeoverdracht, transferring your pension abroad

Waardeoverdracht is the transfer of accrued pension to another pension provider. Within the Netherlands this is routine when you change employers. Taking your Dutch pension abroad is possible only under conditions, and you should ask your Dutch pension provider first (Belastingdienst).

• To another EU country: your Dutch provider assesses whether you meet the conditions for transfer to the provider of your new employer. If it approves, you get a statement that you need for a tax exemption.
• To a country outside the EU: your Dutch provider asks De Nederlandsche Bank to assess the transfer, and you get a statement from DNB.
• Tax exemption: to avoid tax on the transfer you need that statement, you must work abroad for at least 5 years without a break, and your new pension provider must agree to receive your Dutch pension.

Do not assume a transfer will work. Get written confirmation from both providers before you decide.

Part 5: Tax on Dutch pension and the conserverende aanslag

Tax on payments abroad

Tax treaties decide whether the SVB or your pension fund has to withhold Dutch wage tax. If you have the right to an exemption and the SVB or fund therefore withholds no wage tax, you must pay tax on the pension in the country where you live (SVB). The treaty does not cover premiums for national insurance schemes; the SVB withholds these when you are insured. The SVB cannot say per country what is withheld.

This is not legal or tax advice. Treaties and individual circumstances differ. For amounts that matter, consult a tax adviser who specialises in expats. The Belastingdienst and Rijksoverheid publish overviews of tax treaties.

Conserverende aanslag

When you emigrate you can receive a conserverende aanslag (a preserving tax assessment) for pension built up in the Netherlands, covering the tax benefit you got (Belastingdienst). Our expat tax return guide covers the tax return you file when you emigrate, and the Dutch tax system guide gives the wider picture.

Part 6: Receiving Dutch pension abroad

Bank account considerations

AOW and employer pensions are paid to a bank account. For AOW, the SVB mostly pays in euros, and the payment day differs by country (see Part 1). Costs depend on your bank, so compare what your bank charges for incoming euro payments and conversion.

If you live outside the eurozone, check the exchange rate and fees for converting euros before you decide where to receive your pension. A transfer service can be an alternative to a bank conversion.

Compare receiving pension payments abroad with Wise →

Wise (formerly TransferWise) offers a multi-currency account and currency conversion. Check the current fee and rate for your own amount before you choose.

Keeping your address updated

Once you live abroad the SVB no longer receives changes from your municipality, so tell it your new address yourself. Do the same with every pension provider. In some countries the SVB asks for proof of life (levensbewijs) and sends you a letter if that applies to you.

Your pre-departure pension checklist

Use this alongside our full deregistration guide and the complete leaving Netherlands checklist.

Before you leave:

• Log into Mijn Pensioenoverzicht and note all pension providers and projected amounts
• Request a current pension statement from each employer pension provider
• Get your DigiD and Berichtenbox working before you leave
• Check your AOW build-up with the SVB
• Decide whether you want voluntary AOW insurance. You can apply from 2 months before you leave

Within 1 year of leaving:

• Apply for voluntary AOW insurance (if desired) before the deadline
• File your emigration tax return (M-biljet), see our tax return guide
• Notify all pension providers and the SVB of your new address and bank details
• Check the tax treaty between the Netherlands and your new country
• Ask for an exemption from Dutch wage tax withholding if the treaty gives your country the right to tax

Ongoing:

• Keep your address up to date with the SVB and all pension providers
• Respond to any proof-of-life request
• Check Mijn Pensioenoverzicht periodically

Summary: what you keep

What you built up is kept. The main risk is missing the voluntary-insurance deadline, which is the one date that can cost you.

If you want a fuller picture of your Dutch tax and financial situation when leaving, the 30% ruling calculator and the salary checker are useful starting points.

AOW amounts are SVB figures from 1 July 2026 and are used for illustration. Amounts, premiums and tax treaty rules change, so verify the current rules with the SVB, the Belastingdienst or a qualified tax adviser before you make decisions about voluntary insurance or pension transfers.