Moving to the Netherlands? If you live or work here, Dutch basic health insurance is mandatory and you have four months to arrange it. Compare insurers online, understand what you pay, and be covered from the day you arrive.
The Dutch system is different from most countries: insurance is private, but the government decides what the basic package covers and everyone is obliged to have it. This is the route almost every newcomer follows.
Register your address at the town hall (gemeente). You receive a citizen service number (BSN), which insurers, doctors and the tax office use to identify you. You have to register even if you have not arranged health insurance yet.
Arrange your basic policy (basisverzekering) as soon as possible and no later than four months after you arrive, start working or your residence permit comes into force. If you are on time, the policy is backdated to that start date: you are covered from day one and pay the premium from that date as well. Insurance from your home country or an EHIC card does not replace it.
In the Netherlands your general practitioner is your first point of contact for almost everything. You need a referral from your GP to see a specialist or go to hospital, except in emergencies. Practices can be full, so register with one near your home before you need it.
Depending on your income, the government pays part of your premium: in 2026 up to €129 a month if you are single and up to €246 a month with a partner. You apply through the tax office (toeslagen.nl) and can receive it from the date your insurance obligation started.
Insurers publish their new premiums in mid-November. You can switch until the end of December, and your new policy starts on 1 January. Your new insurer has to accept you for the basic package, whatever your age or health.
The rule of thumb: if you live or work in the Netherlands, yes. These are the situations we see most often.
You pay Dutch income tax, so basic health insurance is compulsory from your first working day. This also applies to a side job or paid internship.
Family members who live with you usually need Dutch health insurance too. Children under 18 are free, but you must add them to your policy yourself.
Even with a foreign policy or an EHIC card you need a Dutch basic policy once you live or work here. The EHIC only covers temporary stays.
If you only study, you usually keep your home or student insurance. As soon as you take a job next to your studies, Dutch health insurance becomes compulsory.
You can only take out Dutch basic insurance once your permit is granted. Bridge the gap with temporary international cover and switch as soon as the permit comes into force.
If you are posted here temporarily or work for a foreign employer, different rules can apply. Call us and we check your situation with you, free of charge.
You pay a fixed monthly premium to your insurer, plus a deductible only when you actually use care. These are the numbers for 2026.
Your policy is no longer backdated, so medical bills from the uninsured period are yours to pay. The CAK also checks who is uninsured: after their letter you have three months to arrange cover, otherwise you receive a fine of €529.74 (2026), followed by a second one. After that the CAK takes out a policy for you and deducts a higher premium from your income.
The government decides what is in the basic package, so the cover is the same at every insurer. The differences are in the premium, the service and which care providers are contracted.
For most expats a basic policy is sufficient. Add supplementary cover only for care you expect to use. Not sure? Our advisors help you decide.
Compare health insuranceYes. Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must have a Dutch basic health insurance policy, even if you are already insured in another country.
As quickly as possible and no later than four months after you arrive. With a residence permit, the four months start on the date your permit comes into force.
If you apply within four months, your policy starts on the date your obligation began, usually the day you arrived or started working. You are covered from that date and also pay the premium from that date. If you apply later, you are not insured retroactively.
No. For the basic package insurers must accept everyone, without medical questions and at the same premium for everyone on the same policy.
It is the amount of care costs you pay yourself each year before the insurer pays: €385 in 2026 for everyone aged 18 and over. Visits to your GP are never charged to your deductible.
Children under 18 are insured for free and pay no deductible, but you have to register them on your policy. Register a newborn within four months after birth.
Possibly. Healthcare benefit (zorgtoeslag) depends on your income and is up to €129 a month for singles and €246 a month with a partner in 2026. You apply at toeslagen.nl.
Once a year. New premiums are published in mid-November and you can switch until the end of December. Your new policy then starts on 1 January.
Yes. European Insurance specialises in expats in the Netherlands. You can compare and apply online, and our advisors speak English.
Compare health insurance in the Netherlands, apply online in English and be covered from the day you arrived.
Prefer personal advice? Call 085 169 5990 or make an appointment. Free of charge.
Figures apply to 2026 and are based on information from Government.nl, Rijksoverheid and the CAK. This page is for general guidance only; your personal situation can be different and the policy terms of the insurance you choose are leading.
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