Must you report a death to us?
You do not always have to report the death of your partner or a relative who was receiving an AOW pension to us.
Select the applicable situation to see what you have to do.
The deceased lived in the Netherlands
The deceased lived outside the Netherlands
The deceased lived in the Netherlands and died in the Netherlands
You do not need to report the death to us. However, it must be reported to the municipality (gemeente) where the death occurred.
First, you will need a death certificate from the deceased’s family doctor or a hospital doctor. You can ask the funeral director to report the death and make all the necessary arrangements.
The municipality (gemeente) will report the death to us. We will send a letter to the surviving partner or relatives to inform them of the consequences for the deceased’s AOW pension.
The deceased lived outside the Netherlands and died outside the Netherlands
The deceased lived in the Netherlands and died outside the Netherlands
You must report the death to us within 4 weeks, but preferably as soon as possible so that we can stop the AOW pension payments.
We will send a letter to the surviving partner or relatives to inform them of the consequences for the deceased’s AOW pension.
The deceased lived outside the Netherlands and died in the Netherlands
You must report the death to us within 6 weeks, but preferably as soon as possible so that we can stop the AOW pension payments.
We will send a letter to the surviving partner or relatives to inform them of the consequences for the deceased’s AOW pension.
The deceased lived outside the Netherlands and died outside the Netherlands
You must report the death to us within 6 weeks, but preferably as soon as possible so that we can stop the AOW pension payments.
We will send a letter to the surviving partner or relatives to inform them of the consequences for the deceased’s AOW pension.
The deceased lived in the Netherlands and died in the Netherlands
You do not need to report the death to us. However, it must be reported to the municipality (gemeente) where the death occurred.
First, you will need a death certificate from the deceased’s family doctor or a hospital doctor. You can ask the funeral director to report the death and make all the necessary arrangements.
The municipality (gemeente) will report the death to us. We will send a letter to the surviving partner or relatives to inform them of the consequences for the deceased’s AOW pension.
The deceased lived in the Netherlands and died outside the Netherlands
You must report the death to us within 4 weeks, but preferably as soon as possible so that we can stop the AOW pension payments.
We will send a letter to the surviving partner or relatives to inform them of the consequences for the deceased’s AOW pension.
What else you need to do
You will need to arrange various matters in the event of a death. On the Dutch government’s website, you will find a useful checklist of things you have to do. This checklist can help ensure that you do not forget anything.
Version: 1 July 2025
This page is part of a quality network of the European Union
Version: 1 July 2025