Getting health insurance in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has a top-notch healthcare system that’s funded through a combination of mandatory health insurance, social security contributions, and record paracetamol sales (joke). We’ll show you how it works, how you can register, and (more importantly) how much it’ll cost you.

Continue reading for the following information:

Health insurance in the Dutch healthcare system

The healthcare system in the Netherlands consists of a wide range of public (publieke gezondheidszorg) and private healthcare providers.

The system itself is funded through taxes, social security contributions, and mandatory health insurance from a number of for-profit insurers (zorgverzekeraars). These same companies also offer additional top-up insurance that allows you to visit private healthcare services.

A mix of public and private coverage

Mandatory (or basic) health insurance (basisverzekering) covers essential care in the Netherlands, including doctor visits and hospital care. However, the term ‘primary care’ only stretches so far. That is where additional insurance comes in.

Most Dutch residents take out complementary health insurance (aanvullende verzekering) to make sure they have 100% coverage. These private insurance top-ups can also offer a wider choice among healthcare providers and quicker access to specialist treatment.

The Dutch Healthcare Authority (Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit – NZa) regulates the health insurance industry in the Netherlands. All legitimate insurance providers must have permits from The Dutch Bank (De Nederlandsche Bank) as well, so be sure to check the insurer’s credentials before signing up with them.

Who needs health insurance in the Netherlands?

Health insurance is mandatory in the Netherlands. It doesn’t matter if you are a tourist on a stag do or a Dutch citizen whose family tree goes back centuries: if you stay in the country, you must have medical insurance.

Of course, there is always an exception. Residents with conscientious objections based on their faith or beliefs may apply for an exemption. In that case, they can skimp out on health insurance, but they’ll have to pay the same amount in extra taxes.

Who must register for Dutch health insurance?

All Dutch citizens are required by law to register for health insurance in the Netherlands. The same applies to most foreign residents and their dependent family members; it all hinges on their sustainable (economic) ties to the country (i.e., ingezetenschap).

You have demonstrable ties when you live in the Netherlands for more than three months and:

• Are a tax resident
• Have a regular (self)employment in the Netherlands
• Work as a volunteer at a Dutch organization
• Have (close) family in the Netherlands
• Have children who go to a Dutch school
• Follow a Dutch-language course, integration course, or (vocational) degree at a Dutch institute of higher learning

Again, there are exceptions. If you have a residence permit related to study, working holiday, or cultural exchange, you don’t need Dutch health insurance. Instead, you can continue to use your foreign insurance.

Expat residents who don’t have sustainable ties (niet-ingezetenen) to the country or the economy may use international health insurance for up to one year.

Summary of who must have Dutch health insurance

Here’s a quick overview of who needs what type of health insurance if you are a foreign national:

What is your status?	Do you need Dutch health insurance?	Do you require other health insurance?
Employee of a Dutch company	Yes	Only if you want 100% coverage
Employee of a foreign company	It depends on your situation; posted workers do not, others do	It depends on your situation
Job seeker	Yes	It depends on your situation
Student	It depends on your situation; students do not, working students do	It depends on your situation
Retiree	Yes	Only if you want 100% coverage
Asylum seekers	Yes	Only if you want 100% coverage

(Unemployed) job seekers and retirees

When you move to the Netherlands, you must have health insurance coverage as a part of your visa application:

• Expats from the EU or EFTA (European Free Trade Association – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland) can use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC – Europese zorgverzekeringspas)
• People from the UK can access public healthcare with their Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
• EU/EFTA/UK residents without an EHIC/GHIC may fill out an S1 form to use their home country’s public healthcare rights in the Netherlands
• Others must have international health coverage from a company like Allianz Care or Cigna Global

Newcomers – including job seekers and pensioners – must register for Dutch health insurance within four months of their arrival.

Foreign expats who had a job in the Netherlands but have since become unemployed can keep their current health insurance policy. Dismissals do not affect public healthcare rights (though they do influence your right to stay!). You can learn more about moving to the Netherlands for work by reading our articles on visas and immigration, and work permits.

Health insurance for minor children and students

Minor children in the Netherlands receive free basic healthcare and are automatically insured under the policy of their parent or guardian. Adult members of your family – including children over 18 – must each register for Dutch health insurance in their own right.

International students cannot take out Dutch health insurance and must continue to use their foreign coverage in the Netherlands. However, if they’re employed during their studies – even on a zero-hour contract – they must register for Dutch insurance.

Health coverage for tourists and short-stay visitors

EU/EFTA/UK tourists and short-stay visitors can use their EHIC or GHIC to access medical help in the Netherlands. Be sure to check with your country’s public healthcare provider; you may need additional travel insurance for non-urgencies.

Short-stay visitors from other countries must take out international health insurance that offers coverage in the Netherlands.

Asylum seekers and refugees

Asylum seekers and refugees in the Netherlands automatically have access to basic healthcare. Nearly all reception centers have in-house healthcare centers where you can get medical help.

What does basic health insurance cover?

Each year, the Dutch government reevaluates and determines what is covered by basic health insurance (basispakket). It typically contains essential medical services such as doctor visits, vaccinations, medication, hospital and emergency care, and cancer prevention screenings.

Primary care treatments require you to pay an annual deductible (eigen risico). In other cases, you are asked to pay a personal contribution (eigen bijdrage). Our article on the Dutch healthcare system explains both in more detail.

While the essential levels of care are the same for all insurance providers, the coverage also depends on your policy plan and insurer. Yes, certain treatments are 100% covered, but only if your insurance company has contracted the healthcare provider.

Contracted healthcare providers and insurance policies

Basically, Dutch insurers negotiate and form contacts with a number of healthcare providers based on quality and price. Each year, these contracts change. While most are renewed, some are canceled. As such, it’s vital you check which healthcare service is contracted before you get settled with a hefty medical bill.

If you want to have more say in which healthcare provider you can go to, you may adjust the type of insurance policy you have.

The Netherlands has four types of policies:

• Budget (budgetpolis) – while often the cheapest policy available, you can only go to a select group of medical care providers.
• Natura (naturapolis) – this plan covers 100% of the medical costs when you go to a contracted care provider, and only 60–80% of the costs when you go to a non-contracted provider
• Restitution (restitutiepolis) – this policy covers 100% of your medical costs, regardless of whether the healthcare provider is contracted or not
• Combination (combinatiepolis) – this is a combination of the natura and restitution plans. The coverage of medical costs differs per insurance provider.

So, as a practical example, if you have a natura policy and you visit a non-contracted healthcare service, you get 60–80% back from your insurer, and you pay 40–20% yourself. If you have a natura plan and you go to a contracted provider, you get 100% back from your insurer.

For official 2025 coverage and healthcare costs in the Netherlands, please visit the National Healthcare Institute’s website.

How to apply for public health insurance in the Netherlands?

What to do before your move

If you do not have an EHIC or GHIC card, your first step – before you even move to the Netherlands – is to contact your country’s public healthcare authority. They can advise you on your specific situation and your rights to access Dutch healthcare. If you are an EU/EFTA/UK national, you may also have to fill out an S1 form with your current health insurance provider.

Citizens from non-EU/EFTA/UK countries will need to take out private health insurance to qualify for a Dutch visa.

How to register once you are in the Netherlands

Health insurance registrations are linked to Citizen Service Numbers (burgerservicenummer – BSN). You will receive one when you register with your local municipality.

After that, you are free to choose the insurance company you want to go with. By law, insurers cannot refuse your application, even if you have pre-existing conditions.

You can contact the insurance company directly to sign up. They will be more than happy to walk you through the process. Beware of pushy salespeople, though! You might walk away with a completely different plan than you had in mind.

What documents do you need to register?

The most essential documents to present when you want to register for Dutch health insurance are a valid passport or ID, BSN, proof of address, and bank account.

Once your application has been processed, you’ll receive a confirmation and your health insurance policy by mail or email.

Dutch health insurance card: De zorgpas

After registration, you may receive a physical (plastic) health insurance card (zorgpas). Most insurers, however, have a phone app where the card is stored digitally.

Because your insurance is linked to your BSN and address, you don’t actually need one to use healthcare services in the Netherlands. However, you can apply for an EHIC if you plan to go to one of the EU member states.

Getting reimbursed for medical care

In most cases, payment for healthcare is directly settled between health services and insurers. When you visit a contracted provider, they will send the bill to your insurance company, and that’ll be the end of it.

However, when you go to a non-contracted healthcare provider, you must pay the medical bill first and can ask for reimbursement afterward.

The restitution process is similar across the board. You take a photo of the bill, upload it online or in the app, and will receive your money back within two weeks.

The whos and whats of private health insurance

It is very common for Dutch residents to take out additional coverage. In 2024, 81.6% of the population had complimentary insurance for their secondary care needs.

Some insurance companies cater to students, working parents, or pensioners, and others to internationals with global coverage and special English- or other foreign language services.

The advantages of private insurance

Private insurance covers health services that are excluded from the essential benefits package, such as dentistry, physical therapy, and vision care (i.e., eyeglasses). Aside from that, other benefits include:

• Additional coverage in the Netherlands and abroad
• Tailored services for special groups (e.g., pregnant people and pensioners)
• Wider range of providers
• Shorter waiting times
• Higher levels of comfort and privacy in hospitals and health clinics

International health insurance for expats in the Netherlands

Depending on their situation, some foreigners moving to the Netherlands may better benefit from an international health insurance plan:

• Non-EU/EFTA/UK expats and immigrants will need to prove that they have valid health insurance coverage before they can enter the country.
• Unlike those coming on a work visa with a contract in hand, most internationals will not have healthcare coverage during the first leg of their stay.
• Cross-border workers will want to have global coverage to make sure they don’t pay double. Expats who move around a lot will want to have global coverage, as these policies often cover you in multiple countries.
• Some expats don’t qualify for Dutch health insurance at all.

How do you apply for private medical insurance?

With the number of health insurance options in the Netherlands, it makes sense to look around and compare plans at a site like Independer or UnitedConsumers. Aside from the cost, things you could consider include:

Consideration	Questions to ask
Does the policy plan suit your needs	Are you able to select what you need and remove what you don’t?
Payment process	Will your insurer settle bills directly or do you have to pay first and then claim reimbursement? How complicated and/or time-consuming is the process?
Options for deductible	Can you lower your premium by increasing your deductible?
Overseas coverage	Is travel insurance offered and do you need it?
Customer feedback	How does the company score on consumer ratings websites?
Special offers and incentives	What additional benefits are offered? For example, do they offer a savings program or discounts on other services?
Ethics	How does the company fare on ethics and sustainability rating sites, such as: – CSRHub – Standard Ethics – Corporate Knights

Once you’ve decided on an insurance plan, you can contact the company directly to sign up. It’s worth noting that insurance companies are not legally obliged to accept your application for additional healthcare coverage.

Private health insurance providers in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has 20 Dutch health insurance providers to choose from, as well as a number of international insurers. Some of the most popular health insurance companies that cover expats are:

• Allianz Care
• APRIL International
• a.s.r. Zorg
• Cigna Global
• FBTO Zorg
• ONVZ
• Zilveren Kruis

Whichever you go for, choose wisely because you can only change policies in the Netherlands once a year in December. If you need help choosing one, you can also use our Directory to find affordable medical care options.

How much does Dutch health insurance cost?

In the Netherlands, residents pay for the healthcare system through social security contributions and mandatory health insurance.

Usually, employers and pension providers withhold a percentage of your gross monthly salary or pension in social security contributions. Freelancers and self-employed workers are responsible for making their own contributory payments. Our articles on the Dutch tax system and social security system explain the rates and workings of these structures in more detail.

Public (basic) health insurance

While basic insurance policies cover the same essential services everywhere, the prices vary a lot depending on the insurer. Costs also differ on the type of policy (e.g., naturapolis vs restitutiepolis).

In 2025, the average premium of health insurance (zorgpremie) will be €1,904.64 per year (or €158.72 per month). Premiums range from €145.95 to €177.50 per month.

You can choose to top up your own risk deductible in exchange for a discount on your premium, known as the vrijwillig eigen risico. Depending on your insurance company, you can increase your copayment by €100-500 a year. This will get you a discount of up to €300 a year (or €25 a month). However, you take the gamble that you have to pay up to (€385 + €500 =) €885 a year when you do have medical bills.

Low-income households can apply for a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) from the Dutch Tax Office. Likewise, patients with exorbitant medical costs (e.g., due to chronic illness) can deduct their expenses from their income tax return.

See our article on the Dutch tax system for more information.

Private or international insurance

Most insurers have different supplementary policy levels, ranging from basic to comprehensive. Premiums usually depend on:

• Extra coverage (e.g., dental care or physiotherapy)
• Coverage location (i.e., whether the policy extends overseas)
• Personal information, such as age, health conditions, and lifestyle

Depending on the extra coverage, you’ll pay an extra €240-960 per year (or €20-80 per month).

Again, it’s always smart to research and compare insurance policies to get the best healthcare coverage.

Useful resources

• Rijksoverheid Zorgverzekering – official government website with information about the Dutch healthcare system
• SVB – official government website where you can ask if you should have mandatory health insurance
• Zorgverzekeringslijn – government-backed helpline for questions related to health insurance in the Netherlands