The Dutch AOW Pension Explained in Plain English

If you have lived or worked in the Netherlands, you may be entitled to an AOW pension when you reach state pension age, even if you are not Dutch. Most English-speaking expats have never received a clear explanation of how it works, how much they might get, or what they need to do to claim it. 💚

This guide covers what the AOW pension is, who qualifies, how the amount is calculated, and how to apply.

1. What the AOW pension is

AOW stands for Algemene Ouderdomswet, which translates as the General Old Age Pensions Act. It is the Dutch state pension, paid by the SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank), the Dutch social insurance bank. The AOW is a residency-based pension, not a contribution-based one. This means that what matters is how many years you have lived or worked in the Netherlands, not how much you earned or paid into any particular fund.

The pension is paid monthly once you reach your AOW pension age, on or around the 23rd of each month, with a holiday allowance paid each May. It is taxable in the Netherlands, though tax treaties between the Netherlands and many other countries affect how it is treated abroad.

Simple action: Log in to My SVB with your DigiD to see how much AOW you have built up so far.

2. Who qualifies

You build up AOW rights for each year you are insured under the AOW scheme during the 50 years before your AOW pension age. For most people, being insured means living or working legally in the Netherlands. You do not need to be Dutch, and you do not need to have been employed. Living in the Netherlands is usually enough.

Your AOW pension age depends on your date of birth. It is 67 for people reaching it in 2026 and 2027, and 67 years and 3 months from 2028, and it is linked to life expectancy, so it rises for younger people. You can check your exact date with the SVB's AOW age calculator. You cannot take the AOW early, and you cannot postpone it.

If you moved to the Netherlands later in life, or spent periods outside the country during those 50 years, you will receive a partial pension rather than a full one. Each missing year reduces your pension by 2%. If you were born on or after 1 January 1950 and were insured for less than a year, you will not get an AOW pension.

💡 Tip: If you have worked in another EU or EEA country and paid social insurance there, those years can sometimes be combined with your Dutch record to help you qualify. Contact the SVB to check whether this applies to your situation.

3. How the amount is calculated

The AOW builds up at a rate of 2% per year. To receive the full pension you need to have been insured for all 50 years before your AOW pension age. If you have 40 years of insurance, for example, you receive 80% of the full rate.

The full monthly rate depends on your household situation. From 1 July 2026, the full gross AOW is:

• €1,662.16 a month if you live alone
• €1,139.39 a month each if you are married or live with another adult

The SVB updates the rates every January and July.

Example: If your AOW age is 67 and you moved to the Netherlands at 32, you will have 35 insured years by your AOW date, which is 70% of the full pension. Living alone, that is around €1,163 a month gross at the July 2026 rate.

Check SVB.nl for the current rates, including the net amounts after tax.

4. When and how to apply

If you live in the Netherlands, the SVB writes to you about 4 months before your AOW pension age to explain how to claim. You cannot submit a claim before that letter arrives, so there is nothing to chase early. You will need your DigiD (the Dutch digital identity) to claim online.

If you live outside the Netherlands, you claim through the pension organisation in the country where you live, or in the last country where you were insured for a state pension. The SVB explains how on its page about claiming AOW from outside the Netherlands.

For questions, the SVB lists its phone numbers and offices on its contact page. For anything involving personal details, the SVB asks you to send a message through My SVB rather than by email.

Simple action: Log in to My SVB now to check your build-up record. Even if your AOW date is years away, it is worth knowing where you stand so you can spot any gaps while there is still time to address them.

5. Living outside the Netherlands

The AOW is paid wherever you live in the world. If you have left the Netherlands and returned to the UK, Ireland, or another country, you are still entitled to the AOW you have built up, and it will be paid to your bank account abroad.

Tax arrangements vary. In most cases the Netherlands has the right to tax the AOW, but this depends on the tax treaty between the Netherlands and the country where you now live. An international tax adviser or the SVB can clarify your specific position.

💡 Tip: If you are leaving the Netherlands before your AOW age, look into voluntary AOW insurance before you go. It lets you keep building up your pension while you live abroad, and many people who left years ago only found out about it when their AOW turned out smaller than expected.

Understanding your AOW entitlement takes an hour at most, and what you find out could make a real difference to your retirement income. Whether you are still in the Netherlands or have long since moved on, it is worth knowing what you have earned. 💛

Start by checking your AOW record in My SVB.

If you have gaps in your AOW build-up, our guide to the AOW bridge explains what those missing years mean in practice, and our guide to AIO covers the top-up available if your pension falls short. For the other half of the picture, our guide to Dutch health insurance explains what you will pay for cover, and our guide to zorgtoeslag covers the allowance that can help with it. You will need DigiD to claim. To find out exactly when your pension starts, our guide to your AOW age explains how it is set for each birth year. Browse more Una guides for plain English help with money in later life.