Plenty of retirees picture a Dutch retirement: flat landscape, a good bike, hospitable towns and a health system that works. The practical picture is more specific. It rests on two questions: what pension you will actually have, and how you will be covered for healthcare. This is how it works if you plan to retire in the Netherlands.
What is the AOW and who gets it?
The AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet) is the Dutch state pension, paid from a fixed age. It is 67 in 2025, 2026 and 2027, and 67 years and 3 months from 2028 to 2031 (Rijksoverheid). The age is fixed five years ahead from the life expectancy published by the CBS, the statistics office, and cannot change once fixed; the SVB gives your exact date from your date of birth.
The AOW is built on years of insurance in the Netherlands. For each year before AOW age in which you were not insured here, because you were living and working abroad, the pension is cut by 2%. A newcomer who arrives at 66 will therefore not receive a full Dutch pension. If you worked in the Netherlands in the past, check your years and your AOW age on the SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank) website and apply before you reach the age.
Foreign state pensions are paid by the countries in which you worked. Within the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, European rules add up your careers, and each country pays its own part at its own legal age.
If you have worked in two or three countries, or you are weighing whether to move before or after your retirement date, Moovy can lay out the official rules for your case and tell you which pension office to ask for a statement. For a precise calculation, ask the SVB and your other pension providers directly.
How do you get healthcare as a pensioner?
You cannot skip this question. If you draw a pension from another EU country, that country may issue an S1 form, which states that it pays for your healthcare where you live. Ask the health insurance body of the country that pays your pension for it before you leave, then hand it to the health insurance body where you live (Your Europe).
In the Netherlands, contact a Dutch health insurer (zorgverzekeraar) to have your S1 registered; the official pages we read do not describe the procedure in detail, so confirm it with the insurer. The CAK is not that counter: it issues S1 forms for Dutch pensioners who live abroad. If you receive a Dutch pension that gives you a right to care, the Dutch system covers you even if you also have pensions from other countries.
Without an S1, the general rule applies: when you come to live or work in the Netherlands, you must take out Dutch basic insurance within four months of arriving, even if you are insured elsewhere, and the CAK can fine you if you do not (Government.nl). The details are in health insurance in the Netherlands.
British pensioners: since Brexit, your right to a British S1 and the coordination of your pension depend on your situation, so confirm both with the UK body that pays your pension before you leave, and see moving to the Netherlands from the UK.
How are pensions taxed?
As a resident, you are taxed on your worldwide income, and your foreign pension goes in your Dutch return. The tax treaty between the Netherlands and the country paying the pension decides which one may tax it. A former civil servant's pension often stays taxable by the paying state, while other pensions are often taxed by the country where you live, but each treaty has its own wording. Read the "pensions" article of your treaty.
The Netherlands has tax treaties with every EU country, the UK and Switzerland. Box 1 rates are lower once you reach AOW age. See taxes in the Netherlands for new residents for how the boxes work and the special return for your first year.
What are the registration steps?
- Request your S1 from the pension fund that pays you before you leave.
- Register with the municipality if you stay more than four months. You get your BSN, which is needed for tax and health. See BSN number in the Netherlands.
- Enrol with a Dutch insurer using the S1, or take basic insurance if the rule requires it.
- Declare your pension to the tax administration, with your annual statement of gross pension and tax withheld abroad.
- If you worked in the Netherlands, check your AOW age and rights with the SVB.
What are the common traps?
- Expecting a full AOW after a few years in the country.
- Mixing up public and private pensions under the tax treaty.
- Unclear health cover. Without a registered S1 or Dutch insurance, your care is not reimbursed. Settle it on arrival.
- Border retirees. Treaties with Belgium and Germany set special rules for pensions and social benefits; check with the tax administration.
- The Caribbean parts of the Kingdom (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba) have a different pension and tax system.
What does it cost to retire in the Netherlands on a foreign pension?
Your budget starts with your pension and your tax. A foreign pension is declared in the Dutch return, and the box 1 rates are lower after the AOW age. Health cover, if you use an S1, is paid by your pension country; otherwise you pay a Dutch basic premium plus the yearly compulsory deductible, whose current amounts are in health insurance in the Netherlands. Housing is the unknown, as in every age group. See cost of living in the Netherlands for the official numbers we could verify.
Allowances may help in some cases, such as the healthcare allowance and the rent allowance, which depend on your income and, for rent, on your rent. They are requested from the tax administration with a DigiD.
Which documents should you collect before you retire in the Netherlands?
Make a folder before you leave. It should contain your S1 (for you and your family members), your annual statement of gross pension and the tax withheld abroad, your passport or ID card and, after registration, your BSN. If you have worked in several countries, ask each pension fund for a statement of your career and the date from which it will pay.
If you have a partner who has not reached pension age, check their health cover separately. An S1 can cover family members, but their position depends on the form.
What should you do about the first year of tax?
In the first year you file the special return for people who moved in during the year (the M form). You declare your pension income, claim relief under the treaty and apply for the credits you qualify for. The details are in taxes in the Netherlands for new residents.
Before you move, ask each pension fund how it will pay you in the Netherlands, and have a tax adviser who knows both your country and the Netherlands check where each pension is taxed: treaty rules for pensions can be technical, and the answer can change your budget.
When should you start preparing to retire in the Netherlands?
At least a year before. Request your S1 early, collect your pension statements, and arrange your housing. Retire in the Netherlands with a plan for the first twelve months: registration, insurance, a bank account and your first tax return. The earlier you contact the pension offices, the less likely a gap in your health cover.
Is the Netherlands a good place to retire?
That depends on your budget and housing. Rents are regulated for some homes but the market is tight; see renting in the Netherlands and cost of living in the Netherlands.