Social Security Agreement with the Netherlands - living in New Zealand
If you've lived in the Netherlands and now live in New Zealand, you may be able to get some payments. This is because New Zealand (NZ) has an agreement with the Netherlands to share responsibility for social security coverage.
This agreement can help you if you either:
- are an NZ citizen
- are an NZ permanent resident, or
- have an NZ resident visa.
How this Social Security Agreement helps you
This agreement generally allows you to apply for certain NZ payments (paid by us) or Netherlands payments (paid by the Netherlands social security agencies).
NZ payments covered by this agreement are:
- New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super)
- Veteran's Pension
- Supported Living Payment, where you have a health condition, injury or disability
- Sole Parent Support for widows and widowers.
Netherlands payments covered by this agreement are:
- Old Age Benefit
- Survivors Benefit
- Invalidity Benefit
- Sickness Benefit
- Unemployment Insurance (in certain circumstances regarding secondments to New Zealand)
- Children's Allowances.
This agreement also allows you to add together your periods of residence in either country so you can meet certain criteria for these payments.
NZ and Netherlands payments
If you already get a Netherlands payment and move to NZ, contact the relevant Netherlands social security agency. They'll change the payment if needed.
Contact the Netherlands Social Security Agency
If you're not already getting a NZ or Netherlands payment, read the information below.
Who can get these payments
Who can get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
You may be able to get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension while you're living in NZ if:
- you've lived in the Netherlands, and
- you meet the criteria for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension.
You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension. If you haven't, you may be able to use time you've spent contributing to the national insurance scheme in the Netherlands from age 20 to meet this criteria.
Using SSA countries to meet residence criteria for NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
Who can get Supported Living Payment
You may be able to get the Supported Living Payment for a health condition, injury or disability while you're living in NZ if:
- you've lived in the Netherlands, and
- you meet the criteria for Supported Living Payment.
You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get Supported Living Payment. If you haven't, you may be able to use time you've spent contributing to the national insurance scheme in the Netherlands from age 20 to meet this criteria.
Who can get Sole Parent Support for widows or widowers
You may be able to get Sole Parent Support as a widow or widower while you're living in NZ if:
- you've lived in the Netherlands, and
- you meet the criteria for Sole Parent Support
You need to have lived in New Zealand for a certain amount of time to get Sole Parent Support. If you haven't, you may be able to use time you've spent contributing to the national insurance scheme in the Netherlands from age 20 to meet this criteria. If you're applying for this benefit as a widow, you may also be able to use your late partner's contributions to the national insurance scheme.
Who can get Netherlands payments
You may be able to get Netherlands payments while you're living in NZ. These are the:
- Old Age Benefit
- Survivors Benefit
- Invalidity Benefit
- Sickness Benefit
- Unemployment Insurance (in certain circumstances regarding secondments to New Zealand)
- Children's Allowances.
You may need to have lived in the Netherlands for a certain amount of time to get a Netherlands payment. If so, you may be able to use periods of residence in New Zealand to meet this criteria.
The Netherlands social security agencies (Sociale Verzekeringsbank and Uitvoering Werknemersverzekeringen) decide who can get these Netherlands payments.
How to apply for these payments
How to apply for NZ payments
Use our Check What You Might Get tool to find out what NZ payments you can get and how to apply.
Check What You Might Getexternal
You also need to apply for:
- any Netherlands payment that you may qualify for and
- any other overseas payments that you may be able to get.
How to apply for Netherlands payments
You should apply through the relevant Netherlands social security agency before you leave the Netherlands.
If you already live in New Zealand, contact our International Services team. They'll send you an application form to complete and you'll need to send it back to them. Then they'll forward that to the relevant Netherlands social security agency.
The Netherlands social security agencies will decide whether you can get a Netherlands payment and let you know. This may take a few months.
How much you'll get
New Zealand payments
We'll decide how much you will be paid based on certain criteria. If you get an overseas pension, it's usually deducted from your New Zealand payment.
Generally, the amount you're paid is about equal to what you would be paid if you had lived all your life in New Zealand.
Netherlands payments
The Netherlands Social Security Agencies decide how much you will be paid.
How you'll be paid
NZ payments
NZ payments are paid into your nominated NZ bank account.
NZ Super and Veteran's Pension are paid fortnightly. All other NZ payments are paid weekly.
Netherlands payments
Contact the relevant Netherlands social security agency to find out how Netherlands payments are paid.
Contact the Netherlands social security agencies
Taxes
- You have to pay NZ tax on your NZ payments. We'll withhold your NZ tax based on the tax code you're using and pay this directly to the NZ tax department, Inland Revenue.
- You may have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands holiday pay and voluntary contributions.
- You may have to pay Netherlands tax on your Netherlands payment. For more information, talk to the Netherlands Tax Administration - Belastingdienst. If your Netherlands payment is liable for tax in the Netherlands, you may be able to get a rebate on your New Zealand tax.
Individuals living or working outside the Netherlands (Belastingdienst)external
Paying NZ tax on your Netherlands payment
You may have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands payment, it depends what NZ payment you get.
NZ Super or Veteran's Pension
Generally you will have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands payments. However you may not have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands payment if it's paid by Special Banking Option (unless it's holiday pay or voluntary contributions that are passed onto you).
If you took up the Special Banking Option part way through a tax year, you may still have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands payment. This is regardless of whether it's paid to a bank account in the Netherlands or NZ.
A main benefit
Generally you will have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands payments. However you may not have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands payment if it's paid by the Direct Payment Method (unless it's holiday pay or voluntary contributions).
If your Netherlands payment is more than your benefit, you won't get your main benefit and you'll only get the Netherlands payment. In this case you may have to pay NZ tax on your Netherlands payment.
Keep copies of your bank records
Make sure you keep copies of all your banking records, as these may show your gross Netherlands pension payments required for tax purposes.
Talk to the NZ tax agency
We recommend you discuss your tax liabilities with Inland Revenue (New Zealand).
When your payments will start from
NZ payments will start from the date of your application or the entitlement date - whichever is later. We'll let you know what date your payment will start in the letter we send you, once your application's approved.
The Netherlands social security agencies decide when you get paid any Netherlands payments.
Travelling from NZ to another country (not the Netherlands)
Before you leave New Zealand you need to contact:
- our International Services team
- the relevant Netherlands social security agency, if you get a Netherlands payment.
Contact the Netherlands social security agency
You may keep getting your NZ payment but it depends on:
- where you're going
- how long you're going for, and
- what type of payment you're getting.
Our International Services team will talk you through this when you call.
Talk to the relevant Netherlands social security agency for information about what will happen to your Netherlands payment.