Your Dutch AOW after living or working abroad

In het kort: Elk jaar dat u verzekerd bent voor de AOW bouwt u 2% AOW op, zegt de SVB. Heeft u buiten Nederland gewoond of gewerkt, dan bouwt u meestal geen volledige AOW op. In Mijn SVB ziet u hoeveel AOW u tot nu toe heeft opgebouwd; kunt u niet inloggen, dan kunt u de SVB bellen of het contactformulier invullen. Uw pensioen via werkgevers ziet u op Mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl.

How the AOW builds up

The SVB's page on the build-up says that for each year you are insured for the AOW you build up 2% of the AOW, and that the build-up starts 50 years before your AOW age. The SVB's own example shows that one year living in Spain means 2% less. The SVB's overview page says: if you have always lived or worked in the Netherlands you build up a full AOW; if you lived or worked outside the Netherlands you usually do not.

See your build-up in Mijn SVB

Look in Mijn SVB. The SVB says it shows how much AOW you have built up so far, over which periods, and how much you will get when you reach AOW age.

If you lived or worked outside the Netherlands and cannot log in to Mijn SVB, the SVB says to phone it. If you cannot phone, you can fill in its AOW build-up contact form. To log in you normally need DigiD, which needs a citizen service number (BSN). The DigiD page for people abroad explains the options, including how to apply through the SVB if you already get AOW or soon will.

Voluntary insurance

The SVB says that if you go to live or work outside the Netherlands you can insure yourself voluntarily for the AOW, but there are conditions. In its English page: you must have been insured for both the AOW and the Anw for the whole year before you left, and you must apply within one year of the date you start living or working outside the Netherlands. Read the SVB conditions for your own case. The SVB also notes that a period you have paid for will only show in your build-up overview once the premium has been set and fully paid.

Workplace pensions in the Netherlands

The AOW is only the state pension. You may also have built up pension through Dutch employers. Mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl shows your expected pension including AOW, and how much you have built up so far. See our guide to finding a lost Dutch pension for how to log in from abroad.

Applying near AOW age

If you live outside the Netherlands, the SVB's English page says to submit your application 6 months before you reach AOW age, and that you do not need DigiD or a BSN to do so. Where you apply depends on the country you live in, so read the SVB page for people living abroad.

Worked in other countries too?

See our Netherlands page and what to check before you leave a country. The count of how many pensions you may have left behind shows how common this is.

PensionHunter traces pensions left behind across borders. It is run by Battersea Park Capital. Capital Find Money's founder has an interest in it, and we feature it because no national tool looks across countries. Its Netherlands page is a cross-border option, after the free government route above.

Common questions

Do I build up AOW while living abroad?

The SVB says you build up 2% of the AOW for each year you are insured for the AOW. It also says that if you lived or worked outside the Netherlands you usually do not build up a full AOW. You can check your own build-up in Mijn SVB.

How can I see my AOW build-up from outside the Netherlands?

Use Mijn SVB. If you cannot log in, the SVB says to phone it, or to fill in its AOW build-up contact form if you cannot phone. Logging in normally needs DigiD, and a BSN is needed to apply for DigiD.

Can I insure voluntarily after leaving the Netherlands?

The SVB says you can, if you were insured for the whole year before you left, and you must apply within one year of the date you start living or working outside the Netherlands. Read the SVB's conditions for your own case.

We always point people to the free government tracing route first, and we take nothing from financial advisers.

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