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Anyone who is obligated to take out Dutch health insurance under the Health Insurance Act, must enroll with a health insurer to cover medical expenses within four months of arrival in the Netherlands.
The Dutch healthcare system is based on the principle of social solidarity. Therefore anyone, healthy or not, must contribute to the medical expenses of those who are ill. If you have an income or receive a social security benefit, you are also due to pay an income related premium. Depending on your situation, the percentage varies.
If you have the obligation to take out Dutch basic health insurance, you chose a health insurer and chose a policy that fits your needs. When you have received the policy sheet, you are insured from the day on the policy sheet.
Health insurers must accept anyone who are to take out the Dutch basic health insurance as it is then mandatory, regardless of their age or state of health. You are free to choose your own health insurer and change your health insurer once a year, with effect from January 1st.
The basic Dutch health insurance consists of the above mentioned Dutch basic health insurance, which is mandatory and an optional additional health insurance. There are more than forty health insurers (including labels) that offer Dutch basic health insurance policies as well as additional health insurances.
The mandatory health insurance covers:
The supplementary insurance covers expenses that are not included in the mandatory Dutch basic health insurance. For example:
Check whether your employer offers a corporate health insurance to benefit from the discount on the premium for the mandatory Dutch basic health insurance.
People on a low income may be eligible for the healthcare benefit to help pay for the health insurance premium. You can apply for the healthcare benefit online or in person by making an appointment. You can call 'de BelastingTelefoon' 0800 0543 for information. Please call from abroad +31 555 385 385.
Besides the monthly premium there is a mandatory policy excess. The policy excess concerns healthcare costs that are not reimbursed. The government determined that the excess for 2023 amounts to € 385,-. Medical costs that exceed this sum and are covered by your health insurance will be paid by the insurer.
If you visit your GP (in Dutch Huisarts), it will not be deducted from your policy excess. But some medical treatments are deducted from the policy excess, such as a blood test.
Newborns must be registered with a health insurer within four months after birth. If they are insured within 4 months after birth, the insurance will start from the day they were born. Are they insured after the first 4 months, the insurance will start on the day of application.
Everyone over the age of 18 pays a monthly premium for the Dutch basic health insurance. You start to pay the monthly premium on the first day of the month after your 18th birthday. Children under 18 do not have to pay any premium or policy excess.
If someone under 18 has no insurance obligation but starts to work, they must be insured with a Dutch basic health insurance from the first day of work. The parent, even without insurance obligation can take out the healthcare policy for the child under 18.
Your basic Dutch health insurance must start on the first day of work. If you are still searching for work, you cannot be insured with a basic Dutch health insurance.
Start a Wlz assessment and the SVB (Sociale Verzekeringsbank) will determine whether you need to be insured under the Wlz scheme or not.
You are not required to be insured in the Netherlands if you reside and work in the Netherlands for an employer based in your home country, you can remain insured in that country. You need to have an A1 certificate and apply for an S1 or E106 form with your health insurer in your home country. This form is used by the member states of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. With this certificate and form you can get medical care in the Netherlands.
1. You can take out an international health insurance. Ask the international office at your school if they can refer you to an international health insurer. Or use a search engine on the internet and type in "international health insurance Netherlands". You can chose the policy that fits you best.
2. You can keep the insurance from your insurer in your home country that provides medical health coverage in the Netherlands.
If you are obligated to take out basic Dutch health insurance, you can proof this by showing the insurer your work contract or a recent digital pay slip. You need to be registered with the municipality (in Dutch woonadres/briefadres) and you must have a BSN (in Dutch Burger Service Nummer).
Do you work or do you receive an internship allowance that is equal to or higher than the minimum wage? Then you must you must take out Dutch basic health insurance. Sometimes you are also obliged to take out health insurance without having a job or internship. Please contact us or ask the SVB to assess your insurance position.
If you are in the Netherlands for study purposes only, it's not required and not possible to take out a Dutch basic health insurance. You can keep the health insurance from your home country or take out international health insurance.
Different rules apply to students with a Dutch nationality, e.g. from Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. Please contact us or look here for more information.
Are you a student from Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten and do you have a Dutch passport? Then you must take out Dutch basic health insurance if you meet the following conditions:
You live in the Netherlands, your study programme lasts at least 3 years and
Are you coming to the Netherlands for a period shorter than 3 years? And are you only in the Netherlands to study? Contact the Sociale Verzekeringbank (SVB).
Are you unsure whether you must take out Dutch basic health insurance? Then ask the SVB to assess this for you.
Watch this video for more information.
Are you a student from Bonaire, Saba or Sint Eustasius and do you have a Dutch passport? Then you must take out Dutch basic health insurance if you meet the following conditions:
You live in the Netherlands, your study programme lasts at least 3 years and
Are you coming to the Netherlands for a period shorter than 3 years? And are you only in the Netherlands to study? Contact the Sociale Verzekeringbank (SVB).
If you cannot get Dutch health insurance, make sure you are registered with BES Health Insurance.
Are you unsure whether you must take out Dutch basic health insurance? Then ask the SVB to assess this for you.
Watch this video for more information
If you are going to do an internship for which you are being paid at least as much as the Dutch minimum wage, you must be insured with a Dutch basic health insurance. Expenses are regarded as income for your internship, room and board may also be seen as such.
If you have a part-time job, you are required to have a basic Dutch health insurance from the first day of work.
Are you quitting your (part-time) job? Then you must also cancel your Dutch basic health insurance.
You can only have Dutch basic health insurance as long as you work or receive an internship allowance that is equal to or higher than the minimum wage.
You can only apply for healthcare benefit if you also have Dutch basic health insurance. Look at www.belastingdienst.nl for more information.
If you have received a letter from the CAK stating that you are ‘not insured’, it means that you do not have a Dutch basic health insurance. A Dutch basic health insurance is compulsory for people who work in the Netherlands. If you think you should not have to take out a Dutch basic health insurance as you are here for study purposes only (no work, no internship), contact the SVB (in Dutch ‘Sociale Verzekeringsbank’) to request a wlz assessment. For more information visit the SVB website.
More information is on the website of the CAK.
Yes, the EHIC from your home country is valid in the Netherlands for necessary medical care during your stay. Check with your own health insurer before coming to the Netherlands how long the EHIC will be valid as it might expire. The EHIC will no longer be valid if you start to work in the Netherlands. You must then take out a Dutch health insurance.
You can find more information about EHIC here.
You are not required to be insured in the Netherlands if you reside and work in the Netherlands for an employer based in your home country, you can remain insured in that country. You need to have an A1 certificate and ask for an S1 or E106 form from your health insurer in your home country. This form is used by the member states of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. With this certificate and form you can get medical care in the Netherlands.
1.You can take out a private health insurance from an insurer in the Netherlands.
2.You can stay insured with the insurer in your home country that provides medical health coverage in the Netherlands.
3.You can take out an International health insurance.
If your premium is overdue, you risk paying extra costs. The health insurer will send you a letter when you are two months or more behind on your payments. You can then request for a payment arrangement. When you are four months behind or more on you premium payment, you will receive a last warning from your health insurer. Make a payment arrangement with your health insurer in time or go to your municipality for assistance to solve your debt problem.
The health insurer will charge you extra costs for not paying on time. You will stay insured for the Dutch basic health insurance. The additional health insurance will be stopped if you do not pay and you will lose your coverage.
What you should do in the event of payment arrears:
In the event of a six months premium debt, your health insurer will report you to the CAK. The monthly premium (in Dutch bestuursrechtelijke premie) due to the CAK is € 165,70 (2023).
This new monthly premium will be deducted directly from your wages or healthcare benefit. If it is deducted from your healthcare benefit you will additionally receive a payment request from the CJIB (in Dutch Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau) to pay the rest of the premium.
With this new monthly premium, you do not pay of your debt with the health insurer. The increased premium will end once the entire debt has been paid or if you have made arrangements for debt counselling with your health insurer. You will then pay the normal premium to your health insurer from the first day of the new month after you made an agreement on the payment arrangement.
Download the flyer: Collection proces in the event of non-payment of healthcare premium
If you deregister with the municipality and end your policy with the health insurer, you will still have to pay the debt you have with the health insurer. Your debt will not be solved by leaving the Netherlands.
This page explains how health care is arranged for Ukrainians in the Netherlands from 1 July 2022 onwards. The main points:
More information about the RMO (Medical Care Scheme for Displaced Persons from Ukraine)
For Ukrainians and those close to them:
085 050 14 20 (8:30 – 17.00 hrs.)
For health care providers:
085 050 14 21 (8:30 – 17.00 hrs.)
Health care providers can also find more information, for example about claiming expenses, on the RMO website.
For municipalities:
On the RMO website you can find a useful list with Q&A's.
Information about the Subsidy Scheme for Medically Necessary Care for Uninsured Persons
For the reimbursement of care provided to refugees from Ukraine without a citizen service number (BSN), you can find more information on the website of the CAK.
All refugees from Ukraine can get necessary medical care in the Netherlands. For example care provided by a GP, hospital, or obstetrician. You do not have to pay anything yourself.
Please note! From 1 July 2022 onwards it is no longer necessary to take out Dutch health insurance when you have a job.
For non-emergency care, you can contact the GP. They will refer you to a specialist if necessary.
Call the emergency number 112, when you or someone else needs urgent medical attention.
Contact the GP in your place of residence.
That depends on your situation:
No, you do not need to take Dutch health insurance. From 1 July 2022 onwards it is no longer necessary to take out Dutch health insurance when you have a job. Your health care costs will be paid from the Medical Care Scheme for Displaced Persons from Ukraine (RMO). You do not need to pay health insurance premium and the deductible.
You do not need to do anything. Your health insurance company will send you a letter informing you that your health insurance policy will be cancelled from 1 August 2022 onwards.
Please note! If you want to keep your health insurance policy, you need to contact your health insurance company. The letter will provide further instructions.
From 1 August 2022 you will no longer receive health care benefit because you no longer pay health insurance premium and the deductible.
You can apply for health care benefit retroactively online on Toeslagen.nl (in Dutch). You can also call the Tax Information Line to make an appointment at a tax office. You can apply for health care benefit for the year 2022 until 1 September 2023.
The health care package provided by the RMO is virtually the same as the health care package provided by the Medical Care Scheme for Asylum Seekers (RMA). For more information, visit the RMA website (this information is only available in Dutch). In addition to medically necessary care covered by the basic health care package, certain care that falls outside the basic health care package is also covered. For example dental costs in case of acute pain, contraception and abortion.
For more information contact the RMO. You can find contact details on the website of the RMO (this information is in Dutch).
Medically necessary care covered by the basic health care package (this information is in Dutch) will be reimbursed.
No, you do not have to pay or advance any of the costs yourself.
Registered medicines covered by the basic health care package prescribed by your GP or specialist will be reimbursed. Once you have a prescription, you can pick up your medicine at the pharmacy.
Yes, if the treatment is medically necessary. The GP or medical specialist will make that decision. Start by reporting to your GP.
If you are pregnant, you should contact an obstetrician ((this information is in Dutch) in your place of residence.
A GP or health care provider can request a medical indication. When a medical indication is given, the costs of long-term care will be reimbursed. You do not need to pay the deductible or a personal contribution.
You can find more information on the website RefugeeHelp (this information is in Dutch, English, Ukrainian and Russian) and Government.nl (this information is in English).