How do I arrange voluntary AOW and Anw insurance when leaving the Netherlands?
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Detailed explanation, checklist and sources
If leaving the Netherlands ends your compulsory AOW or Anw cover, apply to the SVB for voluntary continuation within one year of that insurance ending, subject to eligibility. You can apply from two months before departure. Buying AOW years on first arrival is a different scheme.
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1. Does Dutch insurance end?
First check whether living or working abroad actually ends your Dutch insurance. Deregistration alone does not settle every cross-border situation. Study, internships and travel can also require assessment. An uninsured year within the AOW accrual period generally reduces the full pension by 2%.
2. Do I meet the conditions?
Normally you need at least one continuous year of insurance immediately before leaving. Compulsory insurance in an EU country may sometimes count. Voluntary AOW requires being within the fifty-year accrual period and below AOW age. Choose AOW, Anw or both; surviving relatives must separately meet benefit conditions.
3. What is the deadline?
You can apply from two months before departure. The registration deadline is one year after departure ends your insurance. Ask the SVB to confirm the date if residence and work dates differ. Do not delay Anw: death before an application may leave relatives without Anw. A missed deadline requires individual assessment, not promised reinstatement.
4. What does it cost?
The annual premium depends on Dutch and foreign income, with a minimum and maximum. Use the current SVB premium tool and request a personal calculation. AOW and Anw premiums differ. Assess affordability and cover separately; paying premiums does not guarantee relatives will qualify for benefits.
5. How do I apply?
In Mijn SVB choose applications and voluntary insurance for departure. Alternatively complete, sign and post the official form. Report income from departure through the end of that year in euros. Keep the application and receipt confirmation; for postal applications, SVB receipt matters, not just dispatch.
6. How long does cover last?
Cover normally lasts up to ten years, with exceptions allowing longer or shorter periods. AOW age, return to the Netherlands and certain work or benefit situations matter. Have the SVB confirm duration and terms. Check the decision, premiums and objection instructions and report changes. This checklist prepares an application; it sends nothing.
7. Which premiums apply in 2026?
SVB lists a 17.9% AOW premium for 2026, with a yearly minimum of €569 and maximum of €5,693. Anw is 0.1%, minimum €3 and maximum €31. Income of €38,883 or more attracts the maximum; little or no income attracts the minimum. Dutch and foreign income count. Use the official premium calculation for your personal amount; merely multiplying by the percentage does not always give the correct result. Rates and amounts are set each year.
Can I insure missed travel years after returning?
Do not assume so. Continuation after departure has a one-year registration deadline. Buying AOW years after first arrival is a different scheme. Ask the SVB to assess your actual periods.
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SVB · Buiten Nederland wonen of werken ↗SVB · Voorwaarden ↗SVB · Aanvraagtermijnen ↗SVB · Premies ↗SVB · Aanvragen bij vertrek ↗SVB · Duur en uitzonderingen ↗Sources may be in Dutch. General information about Dutch law, not individual legal advice.