Expat health insurance in The Netherlands

Expats living or working in the Netherlands are generally required to obtain Dutch health insurance to cover healthcare costs.

• The average basic Dutch health insurance premium in 2026 is about €150 to €160 per month.

Some expats and emigrants are not eligible for Dutch insurance, for example because they pay tax outside the Netherlands. They may need private expat health insurance.

Who needs Dutch health insurance

Whether you are eligible for Dutch health insurance depends on your personal situation.

Four situations cover most expats:

1. Expats from inside the EU/EEA
2. Expats from outside the EU/EEA
3. Family members
4. Students

Tip: Check our informational video about health insurance in the Netherlands.

1. Expats from the EU/EEA

If you are from the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), you must take out Dutch health insurance when:

• You have a (part-time) job and/or pay income tax in the Netherlands

Or:

• You are 30 years or older and your stay in the Netherlands is not temporary

Family members usually have to take out Dutch health insurance as well (more info here).

In other cases, you may not be eligible for Dutch health insurance. You can then opt for private expat insurance to cover medical care in the Netherlands.

2. Expats from outside the EU/EEA

If you are not from the EU/EEA, the type of permit you hold matters less than what you actually do here. Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is legally obliged to take out standard health insurance. So if you work here, that obligation applies even when your residence permit is temporary, for example a study permit, a working holiday scheme or a cultural exchange.

One exception: as long as no decision has been taken on your residence permit application, you cannot take out Dutch health insurance, not even with an authorisation for temporary stay.

You must take out Dutch health insurance within four months of your permanent residence permit coming into force.

Dutch Government (Rijksoverheid)

You are not qualified for Dutch health insurance if:

• You are here for study purposes only and do not work
• You are working for an employer outside the Netherlands
• You are paying income tax in another country

If you are not eligible for Dutch health insurance, you could take out expat health insurance.

Flowchart: Dutch health insurance for expats

3. Family members

If you are required to take out health insurance in the Netherlands, the family members who live with you usually have to take out Dutch health insurance too.

The exception to this rule is when a family member works outside the Netherlands. They will not qualify for the Dutch scheme.

If you work in the Netherlands but your family lives abroad, they can sometimes be co-insured with you. This depends on your situation and on the rules in their country of residence.

Follow these steps:

If you are an expat and live with your family in the EU/EEA:

1. Request an S1 document for every family member through www.hetcak.nl.
2. Send the documents to their current insurance company or national health service.
3. Their current insurance company or health service organization will decide if your family members can be insured. They will contact the CAK about this.
4. You will receive a confirmation from the CAK about your family’s insurance status.

If you live with your family in another treaty country:

1. Request a form 109 from your Dutch health insurance company.
2. Send the documents to their current insurance company or national health service.
3. Their current insurance company or health service organization will decide if your family members can be insured. They will contact the CAK about this.
4. You will receive a confirmation about your family’s insurance status from the CAK and/or your current insurance company.

Treaty countries (besides EU/EEA): Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cape Verde, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey.

4. Students

Special rules apply to students who are in the Netherlands for study purposes only and do not have a (part-time) job. They usually do not have to take out Dutch health insurance.

Start working alongside your studies, including volunteer work you get paid for, and you may become insured under the Wlz scheme. From that moment on, Dutch health insurance is compulsory for you as well.

Check our guide for information about mandatory health insurance for students.

Checking your eligibility

Not sure whether you need Dutch health insurance?

• Contact Zorgverzekeringslijn (English service)

Expats can also do an assessment with the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) to find out whether they are insured under the Dutch Wlz (Wet langdurige zorg) scheme and must take out Dutch health insurance.

What happens if you stay uninsured?

Skipping the obligation gets expensive. If you should be insured and you are not, the CAK sends you a letter. From the date of that letter you have three months to take out basic insurance or to request a Wlz assessment. Miss that deadline and the CAK fines you: €529.74 in 2026, an amount that is adjusted every year. Keep doing nothing after that and the CAK arranges insurance for you and collects the premium itself.

What basic insurance covers

The basic Dutch health insurance covers essential medical care in the Netherlands, such as:

• Visits and treatments by a GP
• Prescribed medication
• Hospital stays and treatments
• Care provided by medical specialists and other specialised practitioners

Basic coverage

Although ‘basic’ may suggest otherwise, the basic health insurance cover is already quite substantial.

It includes:

• Midwifery (birth-care)
• Certain medical aids and health programs
• Psychological and mental health care
• Physiotherapy for people with chronic diseases/conditions
• Basic dental care (under the age of eighteen)
• Speech-language pathology
• Emergency medical care abroad (up to the Dutch tariffs)

Everyone with Dutch health insurance has the same basic coverage, whichever insurance company they choose. The government sets that package by law, so insurers cannot compete on what is in it.

Optionally, supplemental insurance, such as coverage for dental care and physiotherapy and orthodontics, is available at a higher monthly premium.

International coverage

The Dutch health insurance only covers urgent medical care abroad. As an expat you could therefore opt for international expat health insurance that also covers you worldwide.

Several insurance companies offer an international cover or cover in a specific country for non-urgent medical care.

Cost of Dutch health insurance

The average basic Dutch health insurance premium in 2026 is about €150 to €160 per month, however there are several options that are available for less than that.

Premiums are paid directly by each person to the chosen health insurance company. The amount depends on the chosen healthcare policy, deductible excess and selected supplemental coverages (if applicable).

Besides the mandatory premium, healthcare in the Netherlands is also funded by other means:

• Income tax
• Deductibles

Income tax

Employers pay a percentage of their employees’ income to the tax authorities: 6.10% in 2026, over a maximum income of €79,409.

Employees and people receiving a benefit or a pension have 4.85% withheld from their income, up to that same maximum. Freelancers and people with their own company pay the same 4.85%, but through their tax assessment. On top of that, everyone pays 9.65% of their income to fund long-term care, up to €38,883 in 2026, or €41,123 if you were born before 1 January 1946.

Deductible excess

Everyone with basic health insurance has a standard, compulsory deductible excess of €385 in 2026. You pay this amount yourself when you incur medical costs.

The deductible excess stacks up during a year and resets at the start of a new year. The health insurer will start to reimburse when the deductible excess is fully paid for. In some cases direct reimbursement is applicable, for example, when consulting a GP, for midwifery, supplemental care and health care for those below eighteen years old.

You can raise the deductible excess voluntarily by up to €500. That lowers the monthly premium by about €15 to €25 depending on the insurance company, but it also means your excess becomes €885 instead of €385.

Choosing an insurer

When comparing and choosing a health insurance as an expat, it is recommended to study the following things carefully:

• Premium
• Reviews
• Coverage and policy terms and conditions
• Choice of healthcare providers

Zorgwijzer offers comparisons in different languages:

• English
• Deutsch
• Français
• Español
• Polski
• Română

Need help?

If you need help in English, Zorgverzekeringslijn is the official place to ask. You can also contact us by email or phone:

• +31 (0) 10 34 000 20
• info@zorgwijzer.nl

Healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag)

You may be eligible for a healthcare benefit towards your premium if your income in 2026 stays below €40,857, or below €51,142 for you and your benefit partner together. This is called ‘zorgtoeslag’ in Dutch.

Your savings and investments count as well. On 1 January 2026 they may not exceed €146,011, or €184,633 together with a benefit partner. Above that limit you get nothing, however low your income is. Expats run into this more often than they expect, because savings held in another country count too.

How much you receive depends on your income, and the maximum went down slightly in 2026. The Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst) has a calculation tool that gives you the exact amount for your situation.

How the healthcare system works

The Dutch healthcare system consists of several compartments:

1. Short-term medical care, for example, consulting a GP, hospital treatments, medication, certain therapies and mental care
2. Long-term care for the elderly, people with disabilities and people with chronic conditions
3. Supplementary health care, for instance, physiotherapy, dental care and alternative medications/treatments

Compartment 1 is what the compulsory basic health insurance covers. Compartment 2 is covered by a separate national scheme, the Wlz, which has its own premium: the 9.65% mentioned above. Compartment 3 you pay out of pocket, or you insure it through a supplementary private health insurance.

General Practitioner (GP)

The GP is the first contact point when you become ill or other health problems arise. The GP will provide an examination and may prescribe medication that can be collected at the pharmacy. If this does not suffice, the GP can refer to specialists, institutions and hospitals for further examinations, treatments and care.

After taking out health insurance, register with a GP practice nearby. Finding one once you are already ill is often difficult. When your GP is not available, you can contact an out-of-hours GP service (huisartsenpost) for matters that can be resolved without hospital care.

Medication

Registering with a local pharmacy is also highly recommended as prescription medications can only be collected there.

Information about the reimbursement of medication can be found on Medicijnkosten.nl (in Dutch).

Hospitals

Hospitals in the Netherlands are usually nearby and provide a high level of care. Some hospitals are specialized in certain treatments or areas.

The GP will refer you to the right hospital except if emergency medical care is required. In that case hospital care will be immediately available by calling 112.

Healthcare providers

Health insurance companies sign contracts with healthcare providers, such as hospitals, clinics and therapists. Healthcare providers that have a standing agreement with the health insurance company are referred to as ‘contracted healthcare providers’.

Reimbursements may be lower when care or treatment is supplied by a healthcare provider that does not have a standing agreement with the insurer. The reimbursement percentage mainly depends on the chosen policy. Three types are on offer:

• Naturapolis: the insurer contracts providers and settles the bill with them directly. You choose freely within that network.
• Combinatiepolis: contracted care for some types of treatment, free choice of provider for others.
• Budgetpolis: the cheapest option, with the smallest network of contracted providers.

Most healthcare providers have a standing agreement with the insurer. If you deliberately go to one that does not, the share you get back depends on your policy and your insurer, so read the policy conditions before you book a treatment.

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