Retire Abroad

The Dutch retirement system is built on three pillars providing comprehensive income security. First pillar: AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet) is the universal state pension administered by SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank), available to anyone who lived or worked in the Netherlands between ages 15-67, regardless of employment history. You accrue 2% of the full AOW for each year of residence, so 50 years equals 100% entitlement. The current AOW age is 67, and it increases gradually based on life expectancy. SVB sends a notification letter approximately 4 months before your AOW date with payment details - typically no application is needed if you're registered in the BRP. Second pillar: occupational pension (pensioen) comes from workplace pension funds (pensioenfondsen), which most employees contribute to during their careers. Unlike AOW, you must actively claim occupational pension by contacting each pension fund where you built up rights. You can check all your Dutch pension entitlements at mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl using DigiD. Most pension schemes allow flexible start dates between ages 60-70, with earlier retirement resulting in lower monthly payments and delayed retirement increasing them. Some pension funds allow afkoop kleine pensioenen (buyout of small pensions) as a lump sum if the annual amount is very small. Third pillar: private pension savings (lijfrente) through insurance or banks provide additional income. All pension income is subject to income tax (inkomstenbelasting), with tax typically withheld at source by SVB and pension funds. Healthcare remains mandatory (zorgverzekering), though retiring often qualifies you for higher zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) due to lower income. The unique Dutch advantage is the automatic AOW system and centralized pension overview at mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl.