Divorce
If you are divorcing your partner or ending a registered partnership, you will need to make agreements about your pension with your former partner. By law, your former partner will be entitled to half of the retirement pension accrued during your marriage or partnership. This distribution is known as equalisation. You and your former partner are also free to make alternative arrangements. These must be documented in your prenuptial agreement, partnership terms or divorce agreement.
What you need to do
You want to opt for equalisation
Notify APF Pension Fund within 2 years of the date of your divorce. Use the following government form for this purpose: 'Mededelingsformulier in verband met verdeling van ouderdomspensioen bij scheiding'. (This is a notification form that specifies how retirement pension is to be divided following a divorce, available in Dutch only).
If we do not hear from you or your former partner within 2 years, we will not be able to pay a pension directly to your former partner, even if the 2 of you had made agreements on the division of your retirement pension. In this situation, you will have to arrange the division of your pension between the 2 of you.
You have made alternative arrangements together
Please indicate your arrangements on the ‘Mededelingsformulier in verband met verdeling van ouderdomspensioen bij scheiding’ form. Return the completed form to us, with a certified copy of your prenuptial agreement, partnership terms or divorce agreement. We only need a copy of:
- the 1st page with the names of you and your former partner
- the page with your pension arrangements
- the last page with your signature and that of your partner
If you married or entered into a registered partnership outside of the Netherlands, please include a certified copy of your marriage certificate or certificate of registered partnership. If your marriage or registered partnership was terminated abroad, we also need a certified copy of the proof of divorce or the proof of termination of the registered partnership.
Your former partner will receive a statement from us showing all of the pension amounts.
Special partner’s pension
If your relationship ends, your former partner will be entitled to the partner’s pension accrued. This is called the special partner’s pension. Your former partner may waive his or her entitlement to a partner’s pension. Document the agreements made between you and your former partner, sign the document in question and then send us a scan via My pension.
Do you need to deregister your partner?
- You live abroad
Deregister your partner in My pension yourself. Also send us a copy of the document evidencing that your relationship has ended. - You are married or a registered partner and live in The Netherlands
The municipality you live in will notify us of the change. You do not need to do anything yourself.