International student insurance in the Netherlands

Student health insurance in the Netherlands depends on what you do alongside your studies. If you only study, an EHIC or GHIC, or private insurance, may be appropriate; if you leave the Dutch education system and start working or take certain paid internships, you may need Dutch basic health insurance.

Your nationality, employment and Dutch social security status can all affect the rules, so recheck your cover whenever your circumstances change.

Key takeaways
Do international students need Dutch health insurance?
- If you are in the Netherlands for study only
- If you work or do a paid internship
What does basic Dutch health insurance cover?
- What basisverzekering usually includes
- What it can cost and when zorgtoeslag may apply
When is EHIC or private international insurance appropriate?
- When EHIC or GHIC may be enough
- How to compare private international student insurance
What to do after arrival in the Netherlands
- Register, choose cover, and keep your documents ready
- What to do if your situation changes or CAK contacts you
Useful resources

Key takeaways

Study only: Many international students cannot simply join Dutch basic health insurance. Check Study in NL or SKGZ before choosing home-country public cover, an EHIC or GHIC, or private student insurance.
EU, EEA, Swiss, and UK students with public cover: An EHIC, or a GHIC for UK students, can cover medically necessary public care during a temporary stay. It is not full local insurance, and work can change the answer.
Part-time job: Starting paid employment in the Netherlands will often bring you under Dutch social insurance and mean you need Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering). Check your position as soon as you start work rather than assuming your student cover remains sufficient.
Paid internship: Internship rules depend on nationality, employee-insurance status, pay, and whether room and board count as remuneration. If you are unsure, ask the SVB for a Wlz insurance assessment.
CAK letter: If CAK writes to you, act straight away. You usually have three months to get insured or request a Wlz assessment, and the SVB decision can take several weeks.

Do international students need Dutch health insurance?

Whether you need Dutch basic health insurance depends mainly on whether you are in the Netherlands only to study or also work. Check your insurance position alongside your student visa in the Netherlands rather than relying on one rule for every international student.

Your position can depend on:

your nationality and existing public healthcare cover
whether you have a part-time job or paid internship
whether you are insured under Dutch social security rules.

You can ask the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) for a Long-term Care Act (Wlz) insurance assessment if your status is unclear.

Healthcare Basics

Getting health insurance in the Netherlands

If you are in the Netherlands for study only

If you come to the Netherlands solely to study, you will normally not be insured under the Wlz and generally cannot take out Dutch basic health insurance. Instead, you need adequate healthcare cover from your home country or private insurance.

EU and EEA students may be able to use a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for medically necessary healthcare during their stay, depending on their home-country coverage. Other international students may need private student insurance or another form of qualifying cover.

Match your case against the student scenarios on Study in NL or the English guidance from SKGZ before choosing a policy.

If you work or do a paid internship

A part-time job alongside your studies will generally mean you become insured under the Wlz and need Dutch basic health insurance. Internships are more complicated because the rules depend partly on where you live and how the internship is treated for Dutch social insurance purposes.

Check whether you have a regular paid job. If you take a paid student job in the Netherlands, you will generally need Dutch basic health insurance, even if you work only limited hours.

Check the internship rules that apply to you. For students living in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or a treaty country, a paid internship generally brings you under the Wlz if you are also covered by one or more Dutch employee insurance schemes. Check this with your internship provider or UWV.

Check the minimum wage test where relevant. If you live outside the EU, EEA, Switzerland and treaty countries, a paid internship generally brings you under the Wlz if your remuneration is at least the Dutch minimum wage. Expense allowances count as remuneration, and room and board can sometimes count too.

Do not assume a small internship allowance is too low to affect your insurance status. The rules differ by situation, so if you are unsure whether you fall under the Wlz, ask the SVB for an assessment rather than waiting until you receive a CAK letter.

What does basic Dutch health insurance cover?

Basisverzekering is the statutory Dutch basic health insurance package. It covers a defined range of essential healthcare, but not every medical or dental expense, so students should understand what is included and what they may still have to pay themselves.

What basisverzekering usually includes

Basic health insurance covers much Dutch healthcare including GP (huisarts) visits, hospital and specialist treatment, and many prescription medicines. Bear in mind that you will usually need a GP referral for non-urgent specialist treatment.

Route	Routine care access	Emergency care	What to verify
Dutch basic insurance	Full access to covered Dutch care, usually through a huisarts	Covered within the Dutch system	Policy type, referrals, and whether extras like adult dental need separate cover
EHIC or GHIC-type public cover	Medically necessary public care during a temporary stay	Covered within EHIC/GHIC rules	Validity, scope, and whether work changes your position
Private international student insurance	Varies by policy and may use reimbursement or provider networks	Often covered, but check limits	Pre-existing conditions, mental health, repatriation, and whether Dutch basic insurance could still become mandatory

*Information correct on 26th August 2026

Routine adult dental care is generally not included in the basic package, while coverage for services such as physiotherapy depends on your circumstances and treatment. You may therefore need supplementary insurance or have to pay some costs yourself.

What it can cost and when zorgtoeslag may apply

If you have Dutch basic insurance, costs can include a monthly premium, the annual eigen risico (mandatory deductible) for many types of covered care, and premiums for any supplementary insurance you choose. Premiums and deductible rules can change each year, so check current insurer prices and official government guidance.

Monthly premium: the standard amount you pay to keep Dutch basic insurance active.
Eigen risico: the annual amount you may pay yourself before some covered care is reimbursed.
Extra cover: optional add-ons for things like adult dental or broader physiotherapy.
Zorgtoeslag: a healthcare benefit that can help eligible people with the cost of Dutch health insurance. Eligibility depends on having qualifying Dutch health insurance and meeting conditions including income and asset limits.

Students on EHIC, GHIC, or private international cover should not assume they qualify for zorgtoeslag.

Visas & Immigration

Student visas in the Netherlands

When is EHIC or private international insurance appropriate?

EHIC, GHIC, and private international student insurance can all be appropriate in the right circumstances. The key question is whether you remain in the Netherlands solely to study or whether work or an internship changes your Dutch social insurance status.

When EHIC or GHIC may be enough

An EHIC, or a GHIC for UK students, can help with medically necessary public care during a temporary stay in the Netherlands. It does not provide the same protection as comprehensive health or travel insurance and generally does not cover private healthcare, repatriation, or treatment where receiving that treatment is the purpose of your trip.

Scenario example: An EU student who arrives with a valid EHIC and does not work may be able to use it for necessary public care while studying. If that same student later starts a weekend café job, they should recheck immediately because Dutch basic insurance may then be required.

Before arrival, confirm your card’s validity and scope with your home insurer. If you start working, even for a few hours a week, do not assume your EHIC or GHIC remains sufficient.

How to compare private international student insurance

Private student cover can help before arrival, during study-only stays, or when a university or visa process asks for proof of insurance. However, having or waiting for a BSN does not itself determine whether Dutch basic health insurance is required.

Private or international student insurance cannot normally replace mandatory Dutch basic health insurance once you become subject to the Dutch system through work, internship status, or wider social security rules.

Provider	Best for	Useful features to verify	Possible limitations	When Dutch basic insurance may still be required
Feather Insurance	Study-only students who need Dutch visa proof or cover before a BSN	Instant policy documents, IND acceptance, start before BSN, monthly cancellation	This student plan excludes some routine check-ups and has clear limits around pre-existing conditions and mental health therapy	When you start paid work or a qualifying paid internship
Allianz Care	Students wanting broader international medical cover	In-patient care, evacuation, repatriation, optional out-patient and dental cover	Benefits, exclusions, and contract terms vary by plan	When Dutch social security rules make basisverzekering mandatory
Cigna Global	Globally mobile students who want modular cover	Local or worldwide options, possible mental health support, optional evacuation and dental	Some benefits are optional and reimbursement rules vary	When work or internship status brings you into the Dutch system
APRIL International	Students who want quick certificates and app-based claims	Immediate insurance certificate, hospital support, digital claims, repatriation	Benefits differ by destination and plan level	When Dutch basic insurance becomes compulsory for your case

*Information correct on 26th August 2026

Compare visa proof, start date before a BSN, direct billing versus reimbursement, pre-existing conditions, mental health, excess or deductible, duration, and repatriation. For a neutral starting point, use Expatica’s health insurance quotes in the Netherlands.

What to do after arrival in the Netherlands

Once you know which insurance route applies to you, the next step is getting the administration in order. Keep proof of your cover and recheck your insurance status whenever your studies, work, or internship situation changes.

Register, choose cover, and keep your documents ready

Register if required. If you will live in the Netherlands for more than four months, you generally need to register as a resident with your municipality, which will give you a BSN if you do not already have one.

Choose the right cover. Keep your policy document (polisblad) or other proof of insurance somewhere easy to access, along with your EHIC or GHIC if you are relying on one.

Check how payments and claims work. With Dutch basic insurance, healthcare providers will often bill the insurer directly, particularly where they have a contract. Private international policies may instead require you to pay first and claim reimbursement.

Housing pressure is high in university cities such as Leiden, so start looking at student housing in the Netherlands early. Intensive Dutch courses can also make GP visits and paperwork easier.

If you need to pay a first premium from abroad or receive support money in euros before your local banking setup is ready, services such as Wise can help with transfers, a multi-currency account, or a debit card for day-to-day spending. It is a money-management service, not an insurance provider.

Discover Wise

What to do if your situation changes or CAK contacts you

Your insurance position can change when you start or stop working, begin or end a paid internship, finish studying, or move into an orientation-year residence permit. Recheck our position whenever your circumstances change rather than assuming your existing cover remains valid.

Do not ignore a CAK letter. If CAK tells you that you appear to be uninsured, act promptly. You generally have three months from the date of the letter to resolve the situation.

Choose the right official route. Arrange Dutch basic insurance if you are required to have it. If you believe you are not insured under the Wlz, request an insurance assessment from the SVB as soon as possible.

Follow the CAK instructions once the SVB decides. Keep the SVB decision and provide or report it to CAK as instructed. Missing the deadline without resolving your insurance status can result in a fine.

Writer

Gary Buswell

Insider tip for CAK letters

Do not assume your university or insurer will resolve the issue for you. Start the SVB assessment promptly if you need one, follow the instructions in your CAK letter, and keep copies of the correspondence and relevant dates.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about international student insurance in the Netherlands

Do international students need Dutch health insurance in the Netherlands?

Not always. Students who are in the Netherlands solely to study are generally treated differently from those who also work, so your insurance obligation can depend on your work or internship status, existing healthcare cover, and Dutch social security rules. If your position is unclear, check official Dutch guidance or request an SVB Wlz assessment.

Can I use an EHIC or GHIC as a student in the Netherlands?

Sometimes. If you are eligible for an EHIC or GHIC through your home-country system, it can cover medically necessary state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay. However, it does not cover every healthcare cost and cannot replace Dutch basic insurance if you become required to have it, so recheck your position if you start working.

Do I need Dutch health insurance for a part-time job or paid internship?

A regular paid job in the Netherlands will generally mean you need Dutch basic health insurance. Paid internships require more careful checking because the rules can depend on your circumstances, including where you live, your employee-insurance status and, in some cases, your remuneration. If you are unsure whether you are insured under the Wlz, request an assessment from the SVB.

Can students get zorgtoeslag in the Netherlands?

Sometimes. Students with qualifying Dutch basic health insurance may be eligible for zorgtoeslag if they meet the applicable income, asset, and other conditions. Students relying solely on an EHIC, GHIC, or private international insurance should not assume they qualify, so check the current Belastingdienst rules before applying.

What should I do if I receive a CAK letter?

Act promptly and follow the deadline and instructions in the letter. Arrange Dutch basic health insurance if you are required to have it, or request an SVB Wlz assessment promptly if you believe you are not. Keep copies of your correspondence and decisions, as failing to resolve the situation within the CAK deadline can result in a fine.

Useful resources

(accessed 25 August 2026)

Study in NL – information on healthcare insurance requirements for students in the Netherlands
Government.nl – information and advice on compulsory Dutch health insurance
Centraal Administratie Kantoor (CAK) – government body that handles administrative tasks for the Dutch public healthcare system
SKGZ – English-language information about the Dutch health insurance system
Belastingdienst – information about the Dutch healthcare benefit (zorgtoeslag)

Finance

International student insurance in the Netherlands

Table of contents

Key takeaways

Do international students need Dutch health insurance?