AOW pension - Who gets an AOW pension?

The Dutch AOW pension (paid under the National Old Age Pensions Act, AOW) is a basic state pension. As a rule, everyone who is 65 or older and lives or has lived in the Netherlands is entitled to an AOW pension. We will pay your AOW pension with effect from the month in which you turn 65. It makes no difference in which country you are living when you turn 65.

Most people will be insured under the AOW scheme automatically

The AOW scheme is an insurance scheme. Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is insured automatically, regardless of nationality. For every year that you are insured, you build up rights to 2% of the full AOW pension. If you have been insured from your 15th to your 65th birthday, you will get a full AOW pension.

You can find more information about AOW pensions on the page 'Leaflets and forms'.

Exceptions

If you have lived or worked outside the Netherlands, you are likely to have been uninsured during certain periods, and you may get a lower pension as a result. Also, a small number of people who do live in the Netherlands are not insured under the AOW scheme. You can find information about this on the page entitled 'Who is insured?'

AIO supplement

If you live in the Netherlands and you do not get a full AOW pension, and you have little or no other income, you may qualify for an AIO supplement.