What is the number of vacation weeks you are allowed to take with AOW entitlement in 2025?
Retirees in the Netherlands receiving AOW (state pension) in 2025 can enjoy vacations without affecting their benefits, as long as the trips do not exceed three months. After that, special rules apply to ensure that the pension is not affected.
For vacations that exceed three months, retirees must inform the Social Insurance Bank (SVB). Trips that exceed eight months are considered migration, which may lead to the termination of AOW benefits. Short trips within or outside Europe do not affect the monthly pension payments.
People who have lived abroad for many years may experience a 2% reduction in AOW for each year they spend outside the Netherlands. In these cases, retirees can apply for the AIO supplement (additional income for the elderly), which helps maintain income at the social minimum.
Retirees using the AIO supplement are allowed to take a leave of up to 13 weeks annually at most. Trips exceeding this limit may lead to the suspension of the supplement, which can be resumed upon returning to the Netherlands.
The amounts of the AIO supplement for 2025 vary according to housing status: individuals receive €1,501.07 per month, couples €2,053.48, and residents of care homes between €471.03 and €763.69. These amounts include holiday allowances, providing additional support for retirees traveling abroad.