Do I have unemployment insurance coverage outside the Netherlands?
Whether and where you have unemployment insurance coverage depends on the country where you live and work/worked. If you are covered and become fully or partially unemployed, you will receive unemployment benefit.
What is your situation?
I live in the Netherlands
If you live in the Netherlands and work/worked in Belgium or Germany, find out where you have unemployment insurance coverage by visiting Grensinfopunt:
- I work/worked in Belgium (information in Dutch)
- I work/worked in Germany (information in Dutch)
I live outside the Netherlands
If you live in Belgium or Germany and work/worked in the Netherlands, find out where you have unemployment insurance coverage by visiting Grensinfopunt:
- I work/worked in Belgium (information in Dutch)
- I work/worked in Germany (information in Dutch)
If you are/were in employment and you do/did not perform a significant part of your work in your country of residence, then you are insured in the country where your employer's head office or company is located. For more information about social security abroad, visit Europa.eu.
If you live and work/worked in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you have unemployment insurance coverage in the country where you work/worked.
If you live and work/worked in a country with which the Netherlands has reciprocal agreements, in most situations you have unemployment insurance coverage in accordance with the rules of the country where you work/worked.
Exceptions
The following are situations in which you are insured in the Netherlands, even though you work in a country with which the Netherlands has reciprocal agreements:
- you are working abroad temporarily (less than one year)
- you work abroad, but also in the Netherlands
- you are employed in the international transport sector
- you work in the maritime shipping or maritime fishing industry
- you work at sea, for example on an oil rig
- you are a civil servant posted to an embassy or consulate.
If you live and work in a country other than an EU/EEA country, Switzerland or a country with which the Netherlands has reciprocal agreements, you may still have unemployment insurance coverage in the Netherlands. For example, if you have compulsory insurance through your employer, which is the case if you work for an employer based in the Netherlands (secondment, etc.). Or if you have taken out optional unemployment insurance.
If you do not have compulsory or optional insurance in the Netherlands, you may be able to take out insurance in the country where you live and work/worked. Consult the benefits organisation in that country to see what your options are.
Unemployment benefit outside the Netherlands
Do you know where you are insured? Then see whether you are entitled to an unemployment benefit outside the Netherlands.
Are you moving abroad soon?
See what else you have to arrange when you emigrate or move abroad.
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.