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AOW: The Dutch State Pension Explained

How the Dutch state pension (AOW) works: who builds it up and how, the amounts from 1 July 2026 for singles and couples, what years abroad do to it and how to fill a gap, your AOW age, how AOW is paid and taxed, and how it fits with a workplace pension and your own savings.

← Tax GuidePartners, family and benefits10 min readUpdated 18 Oct 2026
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1The AOW in a nutshell

€1,662full AOW per month, single, gross
€1,139full AOW per month, each partner, gross
67y 3mAOW age in 2026

2How you build it up

50 years€1,662 /month
40 years€1,330 /month
30 years€997 /month
20 years€665 /month
10 years€332 /month
Gross AOW per month for a single person by insured years, from 1 July 2026.

Each year you live or work in the Netherlands, you are insured and build up 2% of the full AOW. It is funded by the AOW premium in the first income tax bracket, not by a personal pot.

3Amounts from 1 July 2026

SingleWith a partner, each
Gross per month€1,662€1,139
Net per month, with tax credit€1,582€1,084
Holiday allowance built up per month€105€75

4A gap from years abroad

How can you deal with a gap?

You are about to move abroadApply for voluntary AOW insurance with the SVB within a year of leaving.
You lived or worked in another EU country or a treaty countryYou usually get a state pension from that country for those years.
You came to the Netherlands later in lifeSave extra yourself, for example with an annuity within your annual margin.

5Your AOW age

The AOW age is 67 years and 3 months in 2026, and rises with life expectancy, announced five years in advance. Check your exact date on svb.nl.

6How AOW is paid and taxed

  1. 1
    Paid monthly by the SVB

    Usually at the end of each month; the holiday allowance in May.

  2. 2
    Taxed as income

    The SVB withholds payroll tax, at the lower rates from AOW age.

  3. 3
    One tax credit

    Let only one payer apply the tax credit if you also have a workplace pension.

7AOW plus a workplace pension and savings

AOW

The base layer from the government.

Workplace pension

Built up through your employer. See pensions.

Your own saving

Annuities within your annual margin, or saving and investing in Box 3.

8Common questions

Is AOW means-tested?

No, savings and other income do not reduce it. Only a partner and years insured matter.

Can I get AOW abroad?

Within the EU and in countries that have a social security agreement with the Netherlands, yes. In a few countries without one it is not paid, so check with the SVB before you move.

Does my partner's age matter?

You each get the partner amount; a younger partner without income does not get a supplement for new cases.

Can I start AOW earlier?

No, the AOW age is fixed. A workplace pension can sometimes start earlier.

Sources

This article is based on these official pages. If anything here differs from them, the official page is right.

Ready to run your own numbers?

AOW calculator
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