When living or working in the Netherlands, you usually need Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) from a Dutch insurer. Health insurance from your country of origin or a private international expat policy is often not enough. The Dutch government says you must take out Dutch health insurance as quickly as possible, and no later than 4 months after arriving, with coverage from the day you arrive.
Attention! The values on this page have been updated to 2026.
If you do not get Dutch health insurance, CAK can start the uninsured procedure:
If you take out insurance within the first 4 months after arriving, the insurance should cover you retroactively from your arrival date. If you wait longer, you may not be covered retroactively for care you already received. Do not wait for CAK to find you; get this sorted when you register in the Netherlands.
The basic package is set by law. Insurers compete on price, service, contracted providers and reimbursement conditions, but they must accept everyone for basic insurance.
The basic package covers care such as GP care, hospital care, specialist care after referral, prescription medicines, and several other forms of care. The exact list changes from year to year. In 2026, for example, the basic package includes changes such as more reimbursement opportunities for stop-smoking programmes and some specialist advice routes no longer counting toward the eigen risico.
The eigen risico is the amount you pay yourself each calendar year before the insurer starts paying for many types of care from the basic package. In 2026 the mandatory eigen risico is still 385€ for everyone aged 18 or older.
Some care does not count toward the eigen risico. Important examples are:
Many other costs, such as hospital treatment, blood tests, X-rays and medicines, often do count toward the eigen risico.
You can voluntarily increase your eigen risico in steps of 100€, up to an extra 500€. This means the maximum total eigen risico is 885€ in 2026. In return, your monthly premium is lower. This can be a good deal if you expect very little healthcare use, but it is risky if you suddenly need care.
The eigen bijdrage is different. It is a co-payment for specific types of care, such as some medicines, hearing aids or patient transport. You may have to pay an eigen bijdrage even after your eigen risico is used up.
The basic health insurance coverage by law is broadly the same for all insurers. However, there are still differences in the number of contracted hospitals and healthcare providers, the procedure to pay the costs, customer service, and how much is reimbursed if you go to a non-contracted provider.
In practice, the cheapest policy is not always the cheapest outcome. If your favourite hospital, clinic, mental healthcare provider or physiotherapist is not contracted, a cheaper policy can become expensive.
In the Netherlands the health system can feel a bit weird at the beginning. You normally register with a GP (huisarts) before you need care. The GP is the first point of contact and usually the gatekeeper for referrals to specialists.
GP visits are covered by the basic package and do not count toward the eigen risico. Tests, medicines, hospital care and specialist treatment requested after the GP visit may still count toward the eigen risico.
Something similar happens with the pharmacy: in many cases your GP sends prescriptions to a specific pharmacy, although you can usually choose or change your pharmacy. Your insurer may also have preferred-medicine or preferred-pharmacy rules, so check this if you use regular medication.
Dutch insurers offer many optional supplementary packages. For instance, you can choose extra coverage for physiotherapy, dental care, glasses, alternative medicine, travel vaccination or care abroad. The insurer must accept you for basic insurance, but it can refuse you for supplementary insurance or ask health questions.
The main difference with the basic insurance is that supplementary packages are private add-ons. Many costs from supplementary insurance do not count toward the eigen risico, but limits and conditions can be strict.
For dental, there are several options depending on the provider. Some providers insure up to a yearly maximum but only reimburse a percentage of the bill. Others reimburse 100% of some treatments but have a lower yearly cap. Beware that dental insurance may cover simple treatments differently from implants, crowns or orthodontics. To avoid surprises, check the exact terms and use an insurance comparator such as Independer when getting your insurance.
Beware that even with extra coverage, some costs may still be limited by reimbursement tables, medical necessity rules, waiting periods or maximum yearly amounts.
If your income is not too high, you may be entitled to healthcare benefit (zorgtoeslag), which is a monthly contribution from Dienst Toeslagen toward your health insurance.
For 2026, the income limits are:
There is also a wealth limit. On 1 January 2026, your assets may not be higher than 146.011€ without a benefit partner, or 184.633€ together with a benefit partner.
The amount of zorgtoeslag depends on your income and partner situation. In 2026, someone without a benefit partner can receive up to 129€ per month at lower incomes. With a benefit partner, the maximum can be up to 246€ per month together. If your income changes, update it quickly in Mijn Toeslagen to avoid paying money back later.
There are expat-oriented and international insurance products, but be careful with the word “expat”. If you are required to have Dutch basic insurance, an international private policy is usually not a replacement for the Dutch basisverzekering.
Some products are designed as add-ons for expats, for example extra coverage abroad, repatriation, dental, physiotherapy or cover for the eigen risico. These can be useful, but compare them like any other supplementary package:
For many expats, the simplest setup is a normal Dutch basic insurance policy plus only the supplementary modules you expect to use. Paying for broad extra packages is often not worth it unless you have a specific need.
If you are interested in comparing health insurances, do it from this link
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