How much remigration benefit can you get?

If you are sharing a house with another person in the Netherlands and that person is going to remigrate with you, you will get a higher amount if you and that person are married or regarded as ‘living together’. You are regarded as living together if:

• you are sharing a household with someone aged 18 or over for more than half of the time, and
• you share the household costs, and
• you take care of each other

If you are living with a person in the Netherlands before you remigrate, this person can be regarded as your ‘partner’ whether you are married, in a registered partnership or just sharing a household.

However, if the person you want to live with after you remigrate is already living outside the Netherlands, and you are not married or in a registered partnership, you can only get a remigration benefit for a person living alone.

What is meant by ‘partner’?

We refer to the person you live with as your ‘partner’. This could be your spouse, but also your friend, brother or sister or grandchild.

Examples of possible situations:

• If you and your partner were separated or divorced before you remigrated to your country of birth, you will get a remigration benefit for a person living alone
• If you get married or start living with someone in your new country, you will still get a remigration benefit for a person living alone
• If you get married in your new country to someone who also gets a Dutch remigration benefit, you and your partner will get 1 remigration benefit together at the rate for a married couple.

Living together

If you live in the same house as someone else but you do not share the household costs, you will still be regarded as living together if:

• you and your partner were divorced but you started sharing a household again less than 2 years after the divorce
• we are paying your AOW pension or other benefit at the rate for a person who is living with another adult
• you have a child together
• you have a cohabitation agreement 

Not living together

You are not considered to be living with someone if you live with:

• your own children
• children under 18 who are not your own children
• your mother or your father
• someone who is staying with you for less than 6 months
• someone who is staying with you because you or they need a lot of care
• more than one housemate older than 18

If you are married and you are getting a divorce, the amount of your remigration benefit will change. You will get a benefit at the rate for a person living alone. You must always report changes in your domestic situation so that we can make sure you receive the right amount. 

In some cases, your ex-partner can also get a remigration benefit. You can contact us about this.