Moving abroad while receiving your pension

Are you moving abroad during your retirement? Nothing changes with respect to your gross pension. There are however a number of other things you need to consider.

Receiving your pension benefit abroad

Having your pension benefit paid in another country has several consequences:

  • It may take longer before your pension benefit is credited to your foreign bank account
  • Our bank may charge a fee for the transfer to a foreign bank account
  • The receiving bank may also charge a fee. The banks (in the Netherlands and/or abroad) will deduct these fees from your pension benefit. In this case you will keep less of your pension benefit

Dutch tax

Even if you live abroad, you are still obliged to pay tax on the pension paid to you in the Netherlands. We are therefore obliged to withhold income tax from your pension. If you live in a country with which the Netherlands has concluded a treaty to avoid double taxation, you can request the Dutch Tax & Customs Administration to issue an exemption certificate. In your request, you should always state our tax withholding number (0038.29.200.L01) and the name of the Fund (IFF Pensioenfonds).

Once we have received the exemption certificate, we do not have to deduct income tax from your pension. You can apply for an exemption certificate to:

Belastingdienst/Limburg/kantoor Buitenland
Postbus 2865
6401 DJ Heerlen Nederland
www.belastingdienst.nlĀ 
Telephone: +31 555 385 385

Health insurance

If you emigrate to another country, your Dutch health insurance will lapse. If you are still receiving a pension from the Netherlands, and you are moving to or already live in a treaty country, you are entitled to medical care in your new country of residence. You have to register with the Central Administration Office for Exceptional Medical Expenses (the CAK). For more information, go to the CAK website.

Life certificate

Do you live abroad and receive a pension from us? Then we will request your 'Proof of Living' annually. Because you live abroad, changes in your personal situation are not automatically communicated to us.

You can submit your proof digitally using an app on a smartphone. Is that not possible? Then you can submit your proof digitally via MyIFFPension or in writing using the 'Proof of being alive' form.

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