StraksGuides
Retiring in the Netherlands, explained
Plain-English guides to the AOW, your pension fund, Box 3 and lijfrente, with the 2026 figures and where they come from.
Early retirement · Start hereHow early can you retire? The Pension Bridge, explainedStop before your AOW and pension start, and your savings carry you on their own for a while. How long that stretch lasts decides most of the answer.Read the guide
AOWAOW: how much you'll get, and when it startsYou build up 2% of a full AOW for each year you live here. Where to find your own figure on Mijn SVB.
Box 3Box 3 in 2026: how your savings and investments are taxedIn 2026 Box 3 takes 36% of a return the tax office assumes, not of what you earned. With a worked example for a couple.
LijfrenteLijfrente in 2026: how much can you put in?Up to €35,589 for 2026: your Jaarruimte, catching up on earlier years, and when it pays out.
Pension fundsReading your pension statement and mijnpensioenoverzicht.nlWhich number to use for your employer pension, and why it's shown before tax.
KidsWhat does a child cost in Amsterdam?€11,000 a year per child is our starting figure. Daycare dominates the early years.
New to the NetherlandsMoved here later? Your AOW gap, and how to plan around itA full AOW takes 50 years here; each missing year is 2% less. What that means for when you can stop.
Living abroadYour Dutch pension when you leave the NetherlandsWhat stays yours when you move, what changes, and what to decide before you go.
About StraksHow the Straks calculator worksWhat the calculator works out, the assumptions behind it, and one made-up household worked out step by step.
Put the guides to work
See what these rules mean for you.