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www.pensioenkijker.nl
Pensioenkijker.nl: Booklet on pension for people who have not always lived in the Netherlands.
Can I purchase more AOW pension?
Yes, you can.
If you did not always live in the Netherlands between your 15th and 65th birthdays, your AOW
pension will be reduced. There is something you can do about it:
•
You can purchase insurance for the missing years if you moved to the
Netherlands after the age of 15
If you moved to the Netherlands when you were 28, for example, you can purchase the
13 years of insurance you missed. However, you must buy all the missing years: you cannot
buy only some of them. From the time when you moved to the Netherlands (and therefore
became insured under the AOW), you have 5 years in which to buy the missing years.
After these 5 years, the purchase option is no longer available.
•
You can take out voluntary insurance if you move away from the Netherlands
before you turn 65
You can do this for a maximum of 10 years. You must apply for voluntary insurance within
one year after your compulsory insurance ends.
How much does it cost to purchase extra years of AOW insurance?
The contribution to purchase one year of AOW pension accrual is 17.9% of your income (up to
a maximum income of around € 32,000). If you had little or no income in a particular year, you
will owe contribution at a rate of 10% of the maximum contribution.
If you wish to purchase insurance for past years and you want to pay less than the maximum
contribution, then for each individual year you must prove that your income was less than the
income ceiling – for example, by submitting pay slips or tax returns from another country.
You can learn more about voluntary insurance at the website of the Sociale Verzekeringsbank:
www.svb.nl.
Example 1
Burak and Nuray are married. Nuray has no income. Burak moved to the Netherlands when he
was 25 and Nuray when she was 28. In 2010, Burak will turn 65 and retire. Burak will receive
an AOW pension plus a supplementary allowance. Because he was over 15 when he moved
to the Netherlands, his AOW pension will be reduced by 20% (10 * 2%). The supplementary
allowance will be reduced by 26% (13 * 2%). When Nuray turns 65, Burak will no longer
receive supplementary allowance in addition to his AOW pension, but Nuray will receive her
own partial AOW pension.
Example 2
Cyryl and Hanna live together. Hanna has no income. In 2012 Cyryl will turn 65 and retire;
Hanna will then be 60. Cyryl came to the Netherlands when he was 40. Hanna has always
lived in the Netherlands. Cyryl will receive an AOW pension for a person living together
with a partner. His AOW pension will be reduced by 50% because he missed out on the
frst 25 years of AOW pension accrual. His supplementary allowance will not be reduced
because Hanna has always lived in the Netherlands. When Hanna turns 65, she will receive
a full AOW pension for a person living with a partner.