Poles who have lived or worked in the Netherlands can claim the Dutch state pension, and two free information sessions scheduled for October will explain how to access the benefit, according to ZUS, Poland’s social insurance agency.
The Dutch social security institution Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) is hosting the events in collaboration with ZUS and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Warsaw. The sessions form part of a series titled “Information Days for Poles who lived or worked in the Netherlands”.
The first meeting will take place on 20 October at the Dutch Embassy in Warsaw between 14:30 and 16:30. The second is scheduled for 22 October at the auditorium of the Emanuel Smołka Provincial Public Library in Opole from 10:30 to 12:30, according to ZUS.
Although the sessions are aimed particularly at residents of the Mazowieckie and Opolskie regions, anyone from across Poland may attend. Questions can be asked in Polish, English or Dutch, with translation into Polish provided by organisers.
Number of Polish claimants triples
ZUS reported that the number of Polish citizens receiving the Dutch state pension, known as AOW, has tripled over the past three years. In 2020, just 2,057 Poles claimed the benefit, but by 2026 that figure had risen to 6,152 people.
The AOW is the Dutch state pension available to anyone who has lived or worked in the Netherlands. Entitlement is built up based on the number of years spent in the country, with each year of residence between the ages of 15 and the state pension age earning 2 per cent of the full pension.
Registration is required to attend the information sessions. Forms are available on the SVB website and on the Facebook profile of the Dutch Embassy in Warsaw, ZUS confirmed.
What this means for Poles in the UK
If you worked in the Netherlands before moving to the UK, you may be entitled to a Dutch state pension even while living in Britain. The AOW operates under EU coordination rules, which continue to apply to people who moved to the UK before the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020.
Entitlement depends on how long you lived in the Netherlands between age 15 and state pension age. Each year earns you 2 per cent of the full AOW pension, so ten years of residence would qualify you for 20 per cent of the full amount. You can claim the pension once you reach Dutch state pension age, currently 67, regardless of where you now live.
The pension is paid separately from any UK state pension you may be building up. If you have worked in multiple countries, you can receive pension payments from each, though the amounts will be proportional to the time you spent in each nation. Although the October sessions are taking place in Poland, similar information is available from SVB directly, and you can contact them from the UK to check your entitlement and start a claim. Visit the SVB website or contact them to request an assessment of your Dutch pension rights.
