Receiving Dutch social security benefits abroad

What is social security?

Social security consists of social provisions, national insurance and employee insurance.

This overview sets out all the social security schemes in the Netherlands. Click on a scheme to find out if you are entitled under it to benefits abroad.

Social provisions

If you live in the Netherlands you may be eligible for social provisions. In certain situations you may also be eligible if you live abroad.

• Child benefit
• Childcare benefit
• Supplementary child benefit
• Benefit under the Work and Employment Support (Young Disabled Persons) Act (Wajong)
• Healthcare benefit

National insurance

If you live in the Netherlands you are covered by national insurance schemes. You may also be covered outside the Netherlands in certain situations. You contribute to national insurance schemes through your income in the Netherlands.

• Surviving dependants’ benefit (ANW)
• State pension (AOW)
• Chronic Care Act (Wlz) (health insurance)

Employee insurance

If you are employed in the Netherlands you are covered by employee insurance schemes.

• Incapacity benefit (WIA, WAO, WAZ)
• Unemployment benefit (WW)
• Sickness benefit

Working from home and social security

The country you are insured in for social security benefits depends on where you live and work. According to EU rules, if you work in more than one country, your country of residence provides social security cover if you carry out at least 25% of your total work activities there. The exceptions that applied during the coronavirus pandemic ended on 30 June 2023.

If you work for a Netherlands-based employer in your country of residence, you can ask the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) if you meet the requirements for social security cover in the Netherlands.

Read more about this on the page Framework Agreement for cross-border teleworkers as of 1 July 2023 on the SVB website.