If you live in the Netherlands, you will receive a letter about claiming your AOW pension about four months before you reach your AOW pension age. After you receive this letter, you can claim your AOW pension. If you submit a claim earlier, your claim will not be processed.
If you live outside the Netherlands, you should apply for your AOW pension six months before you reach your AOW pension age. How to apply will depend on the country where you live.
How is the Dutch pension system set up?
The Dutch pension system is made up of three pillars: Pillar 1 – The State or AOW (Algemene Ouderdomswet) pension, which is the basic pension paid out when one reaches the retirement age. The state pension is administered by the SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank). Workplace or company pensions funded by both employer and employee contributions. They are private or collective pension schemes connected to a specific industry, company or independent professional pension funds and are mostly managed by pension funds or insurance companies. Employees are entitled to choose their scheme preference within their pension fund. Updating your employer details with your pension fund is vital. More information is available on this website . Pillar 3 – Private pension schemes are funded by personal contributions that are voluntary. Self-employed individuals and employees in industries that do not have collective pension funds contribute to this option.
To summarise: If you have lived or worked in the Netherlands, you will receive a state pension (Pillar 1) which will be calculated proportional to the number of years that you have worked in the Netherlands.
If you receive pension benefits from a work pension fund (Pillar 2) depends on if you signed a pension agreement with your employer and if you keep track of your Dutch pension scheme. How much you will receive depends on your salary and the number of years you worked. Should you die, your partner may be entitled to a part of your Dutch pension. If you are not married, it is essential to inform the pension fund you want your partner to be egilible of a part of your pension after your death. If you fail to do so, your partner may not be egilible to receive any money from the pension fund.
You will only receive benefits from personal/individual pension (Pillar 3) if you took out a private pension.
How can I register for information sessions?
Information about how to register for our information sessions can be found on our website.
When are the information sessions scheduled?
If you are interested in volunteering at ACCESS, you can find the dates of the information sessions on our website.
What does ACCESS offer to its volunteers?
Volunteering for ACCESS is a rewarding way of using your existing skills and adding to your experience during your stay in the Netherlands. Furthermore, it provides you with an opportunity to meet people, create community and give back. More information about the benefits of volunteering at ACCESS is available on our website .
What is the process of joining ACCESS as a volunteer?
The process of becoming an ACCESS volunteer starts with our Information Sessions. The ACCESS Information Session consists of two parts: an informative presentation on ACCESS, its organisational structure and our volunteers, followed by individual interviews where skills and expectations can be discussed. Here, candidates will learn about us, what we do, how we do it and why we do it. It is an opportunity for you to get to know us, and for us in turn to get to know you. Following the information session each applicant will have a short interview session. You can find more information on our website.
I am temporarily immobile. How can I arrange help?
Depending on your personal circumstances you may need the following kinds of help:
* help with personal care or nursing care. Personal care (persoonlijke verzorging) would be assistance with getting dressed/undressed and getting washed. Also nursing care (verpleegkundige zorg) such as giving injections, treatment of wounds, etc. This kind of help is called thuiszorg or wijkzorg and is covered by the basic health insurance. If you have an in kind (natura) policy, only help from organisations that have a contract with your health insurance company is covered. It is best to contact your health insurance company to find out with which organisation in your neighbourhood they have a contract. If you have a restitution policy, you can also get help from organisations that don’t have a contract with your insurance company. If your insurance company feels their costs are too high, they will only reimburse up to a certain maximum.
The help will be given as long as necessary. The organisation you choose will come to you, discuss what you need, how often (once a day, twice a day or more often) and how long they will come. The organisation that will help you takes care of the necessary paperwork.
* help in doing the household (dishwashing, doing the laundry, ironing, dust cleaning, etc.). This is not arranged by the government. You need to find a cleaning lady yourself. Ask neighbours, friends, colleagues and others in your network.
Keep in mind that the Dutch system expects your partner/children help you as well as people from your network (friends, neighbours). Usually people from your network are willing to help occasionally, but not for weeks or months.The health insurance company will try to give you as little help as possible saying you can ask your network to do the rest. Be realistic what your neighbours are willing to do for you.
If you need any tools such as crutches, a toilet chair, a wheelchair, a pillow to avoid decubitus (wounds caused by sitting/lying very long in one position) etc. it is advised to contact Vegro, www.vegro.nl. (Dutch only) or Medipoint www.medipoint.nl (Dutch only). These organisations have shops all over the Netherlands which offer a wide choice of tools you might need, and they can also help you when you call them. They can also advise what would be useful considering your situation. In most cases you can borrow what you need free of charge as long as you need it and it will be delivered to your place.
I have a Dutch health insurance and would like to change to another insurance company. How can I arrange this?
You can change your health insurance company only once a year and only on 1 February. There is one exception: you can change your health insurance company during the year if you switch from one collective employer’s agreement to another (i.e. if you switch jobs).
You have to cancel your health insurance before 31 December. Your new health insurance company may offer to cancel your old insurance on your behalf. If they don’t offer this, it is best to send an aangetekende brief (registered letter) well in advance. A health insurance company is obliged to accept you for basic insurance, unless there are some payments overdue/outstanding at the current health insurance company. In such a case, the new company can refuse you basic health insurance.
The new health insurance company is allowed to refuse you for additional health insurance if you don’t meet its requirements. Therefore, it is suggested not to cancel your current additional health insurance until you have received an email or letter that the new company accepts you for additional insurance.
What are the types of housing in the Netherlands?
There are five main types of dwellings in the Netherlands:
- Vrijstaand (detached)
- Twee onder een kap (semi-detached)
- Rijtjeshuis (terraced /town house)
- Appartement (apartment)
- Woonboot ( houseboat)
The most common type of dwelling is the rijtjeshuis. This is a family home, two or three stories high, with a front and back garden, adjoined by two, three or more identical homes.
A standard Dutch house has two rooms in addition to the kitchen, living room, toilet and bathroom. Most Dutch people live in urban areas, yet the limitation of space is putting pressure on rural areas too. Many city dwellers would love to live amidst the water and the greenery of the countryside. Since space is limited in the Netherlands, many people live in low- or high-rise flats.
Can I be evicted if I lose my job?
Losing a job is not a basis for eviction, but not paying the rent is. If you no longer have an income and have no financial resources to continue paying the rent, you need to try reaching an agreement with the landlord about a mutually acceptable arrangement until you find employment or other sources of income.
You are expected to actively look for a solution that will enable you to take care of your needs and fulfill your obligations, like paying the rent. You should check to see if you qualify for unemployment benefits while looking for a job. If you receive the benefits, you may be able to pay the rent at least partially until you find work again.
If you do not qualify for unemployment benefits, financial and other forms of support are available through municipal social services. Information about types of support and conditions can be found on municipal websites.
The following FAQs on our website regarding social benefits, unemployment, and housing may also be of interest to you:
access-nl.org/relocating-to-netherlands/dutch-social-security-benefits/
access-nl.org/dual-careers-netherlands/working/unemployment-netherlands/
access-nl.org/housing-netherlands/
I have recently moved to the Netherlands and I don’t have a BSN number. Is it possible to have health insurance without a BSN number?
It is not possible to obtain Dutch health insurance without a burgerservicenummer (BSN – citizen service number).
If you are coming to stay in the Netherlands for more than four months, you are required to have a residence permit and BSN. The BSN It is required for starting a job in the Netherlands, opening a bank account, using the health care system, applying for benefits, etc. When you are legally living or working in the Netherlands for longer than four months, it is compulsory to get Dutch health insurance. This is the so-called basisverzekering (basic insurance). It may take a while before you can get your BSN. If you need medical help while you don’t have your BSN yet, you can get the necessary care but will probably have to pay for it yourself. Once you have a health insurance, you can send the bill to your health insurance company and they will refund it according to their policy.
If you are temporarily residing in the Netherlands (fewer than four months), you are not obliged to take out Dutch health insurance. If you do not have a BSN, you are not registered in the Netherlands. If you still would like to take out Dutch health insurance, you will need to apply at the Social Security Office (Sociale Verzekeringbank – SVB). If you are working, it is likely that the request will not be accepted. In that case, you should make sure to extend the international or travel insurance from your home country.
If you have further questions, contact the SVB on 020 656 4848.
For more information related to your first three months in the Netherlands:
access-nl.org/relocating-to-netherlands/first-three-months/formalities/
I recently arrived in the Netherlands just as the many restrictions started. I have tried to register with several doctors and have been unsuccessful. What can I do?
Registering with a general practitioner (huisarts) is advisable but not required. Registering may be complicated as many practices may be full. Together with health insurers, health care providers and patient organisations, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (Ministerie van VWS) ensures that there are sufficient facilities and that people have sufficient choices. However, you must find your own doctor.
To search for a local doctor, check the ZorgkaartNederland website (in Dutch) and enter your postcode. For more information you can contact your health insurer or your municipality.
For more general information about relocating to the Netherlands, specifically the formalities needed for your first three months of stay:
