Commencement date of pension
In the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, the age you can start receiving your state pension is different. If you qualify for a state pension from 2 or all of these countries, your pensions will start on different dates.
The way you have to apply for your pension is also different depending on where you live. Choose what you want to know more about:
It could be better for you to ask for your Belgian state pension to start at a later date. This will depend on your personal situation. For more information, please contact the Bureau for Belgian Affairs (BBZ).
| Born between | AOW pension age | Belgian state pension |
|---|---|---|
| January 1953 to December 1953 | 66 years and 4 months | 65 years |
| January 1954 to December 1954 | 66 years and 4 months | 65 years |
| January 1955 to August 1955 | 66 years and 4 months | 65 years |
| September 1955 to December 1955 | 66 years and 7 months | 65 years |
| January 1956 to May 1956 | 66 years and 7 months | 65 years |
| June 1956 to December 1956 | 66 years and 10 months | 65 years |
| January 1957 to February 1957 | 66 years and 10 months | 65 years |
| March 1957 to December 1957 | 67 years | 65 years |
| January 1958 to December 1958 | 67 years | 65 years |
| January 1959 to January 1960 | 67 years | 65 years |
| February 1960 to December 1960 | 67 years | 66 years |
| January 1961 to September 1961 | 67 years and 3 months | 66 years |
| October 1961 to December 1961 | not yet known | 66 years |
| January 1962 to December 1962 | not yet known | 66 years |
| January 1963 to December 1963 | not yet known | 66 years |
| January 1964 to January 1965 | not yet known | 66 years |
| February 1965 to December 1965 | not yet known | 67 years |
It could be better for you to ask for your German state pension to start at a later date. This will depend on your personal situation. For more information, please contact the Bureau for German Affairs (BDZ).
| Born between | AOW pension age | Regelaltersrente |
|---|---|---|
| January 1953 to December 1953 | 66 years and 4 months | 65 years and 7 months |
| January 1954 to December 1954 | 66 years and 4 months | 65 years and 8 months |
| January 1955 to August 1955 | 66 years and 4 months | 65 years and 9 months |
| September 1955 to December 1955 | 66 years and 7 months | 65 years and 9 months |
| January 1956 to May 1956 | 66 years and 7 months | 65 years and 10 months |
| June 1956 to December 1956 | 66 years and 10 months | 65 years and 10 months |
| January 1957 to February 1957 | 66 years and 10 months | 65 years and 11 months |
| March 1957 to December 1957 | 67 years | 65 years and 11 months |
| January 1958 to December 1958 | 67 years | 66 years |
| January 1959 to December 1959 | 67 years | 66 years and 2 months |
| January 1960 to December 1960 | 67 years | 66 years and 4 months |
| January 1961 to September 1961 | 67 years and 3 months | 66 years and 6 months |
| October 1961 to December 1961 | not yet known | 66 years and 6 months |
| January 1962 to December 1962 | not yet known | 66 years and 8 months |
| January 1963 to December 1963 | not yet known | 66 years and 10 months |
| January 1964 to December 1964 | not yet known | 67 years |
- Contact BDZ
- Find out your AOW pension age
- View your German state pension (Regelalters or ‘Rente’) on the website of Ihre Vorsorge You will be directed to an external website. This will open in a new screen.
- For more information about when you can start taking your German state pension (Rente), please visit the website of the Deutsche Rentenversicherung You will be directed to an external website. This will open in a new screen.
Read how to apply, depending on your situation. Or go to the website at grensinfo.nl for more information first. The best time to claim a state pension is about 1 year before it is due to start. This gives the institutions concerned enough time to calculate how much you can get.
You live in the Netherlands
You can apply to the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) for your Belgian state pension (rustpensioen) or German state pension (Altersrente). The SVB will then forward your claim to the Belgian or German pension institution.
You live in Belgium
You can apply to the pension service in your municipality, or to the regional office of the Federal Pensions Service (FPD), for your Dutch AOW pension. The FPD will then forward your claim to the SVB.
You live in Germany
You can apply to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV) for your Dutch AOW pension. The DRV will then forward your claim to the SVB.
If you have built up a company pension or supplementary pension via your employer, please contact your company pension fund or your personal pension insurer. They can tell you how to apply for your pension.
If you live in the Netherlands and your Belgian or German pension starts before your Dutch pension, you will be required to pay contributions under the Dutch AOW pension scheme and the Anw survivor benefit scheme.
After you reach your AOW pension age, you will only continue to pay contributions for Anw survivor benefit.
If you do not wish to be insured under the AOW pension and Anw survivor benefit schemes
You can apply for an exemption from compulsory AOW and Anw insurance so that you no longer pay contributions under those schemes. This means that your AOW pension will stop growing and in the event of your death, an Anw survivor benefit will be paid at a lower rate or not at all.