Compare, Switch, and Apply for Dutch Health Insurance

Disclaimer: This guide is updated for 2026 and provides a general overview of the Dutch health insurance system for international students. It does not constitute personal financial or legal advice. Deadlines and financial thresholds are determined by the Dutch government.

Compare, switch, and apply. These are the three essential steps to finding the Dutch healthcare insurance that best fits your student budget and medical needs. The Dutch healthcare system is highly regulated, meaning standard medical care is the same across all providers, but premiums, customer service, and contracted hospitals vary widely. Before you start comparing, you must first determine if you are legally required to enter the Dutch system.

Step 1: Do You Actually Need Dutch Health Insurance?

In the Netherlands, your obligation to take out a Dutch basic policy (basisverzekering) depends on your daily activities, not your nationality.

Study-Only Students

• If you are exclusively studying and do not have a paid job or a paid internship, you are generally not permitted to take out a Dutch basic policy.
• EU/EEA students should use their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Non-EU students must rely on private international student insurance.

Working Students and Interns

• If you take on a part-time job, you usually fall under the mandatory insurance rules for working students and must arrange Dutch basic insurance from your first working day. Paid internships need an SVB/Wlz check because payment, country group and employee-insurance status can change your obligation.
• You are legally required to take out Dutch basic insurance from your very first working day.

Warning: The Central Administration Office (CAK) actively monitors compliance. If you work without a Dutch basic policy, you risk severe retroactive fines of €529.74, plus mandatory back-payments for all missed premiums.

Step 2: Compare Health Insurances

If you need insurance, making a thorough comparison is vital. Every year, over a million Dutch residents switch insurers to save money or get better service. While the medical contents of the basic package are strictly defined by the government, insurers offer different policy structures.

Types of Basic Policies

• Natura Policy (In-kind): The most affordable and popular option for students. The insurer contracts specific healthcare professionals and hospitals. If you visit a non-contracted provider for planned care, you will have to pay a portion (usually 20-30%) of the bill yourself.
• Restitutie Policy (Refund): Offers complete freedom of choice. You can visit any hospital or specialist, and the insurer will reimburse 100% of the market rate. Because of this freedom, the monthly premium is significantly higher.
• Combinatie Policy (Combined): A mix of the two, offering contracted care for some treatments and free choice for others.

Supplementary Insurance (Aanvullende Verzekering)

The basic package does not cover everything. For adults (18+), routine dental care, glasses, and extensive physiotherapy are excluded. When comparing, you can choose to add supplementary packages. Evaluate your health carefully: paying a monthly dental premium is often more expensive than paying out of pocket for a single annual check-up.

Costs & Financial Help: Zorgtoeslag and Eigen Risico

When comparing prices, you must understand two crucial financial components of the Dutch system.

The Mandatory Deductible (Eigen Risico)

Every Dutch basic policy comes with a mandatory deductible (eigen risico), which is legally fixed at €385 per year (as of 2026). This is the amount you must pay out of pocket before your insurance starts covering specialized medical care, like hospital visits or prescription medications. Note: Visits to your General Practitioner (GP/huisarts) are always exempt from the deductible.

You can voluntarily increase your deductible by up to €500 (totaling €885) to receive a discount on your monthly premium. Only do this if you have the savings to pay €885 immediately in an emergency.

Healthcare Allowance (Zorgtoeslag)

To ensure basic insurance remains affordable, the Dutch government provides a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag). In 2026, eligible low-income working students can receive up to approximately €129 per month. This subsidy offsets the vast majority of your monthly premium, making the Dutch system highly affordable for students who properly apply for it.

Step 3: Switching Your Health Insurance

If you already have a Dutch policy and are unhappy with the premium or service, you can switch. However, you cannot switch whenever you want. The Dutch government enforces a strict annual switching window.

Important Deadlines for 2026/2027

• December 31st, 2026: This is the absolute deadline to cancel your old insurance policy. (If you use a comparison site to switch, the new insurer will automatically cancel the old one for you).
• January 31st, 2027: If you manually canceled your old policy by December 31st, you have until January 31st to apply for a new one. The new coverage will apply retroactively from January 1st, 2027.

If you forget to act before these deadlines, you are locked into your current policy for another full year.

Read more about switching to another health insurance company.

Policy Transitions: Graduating or Leaving the Netherlands

If you graduate and start full-time employment in the Netherlands, your basic insurance simply continues. However, if you leave the Netherlands permanently and deregister from your municipality, your legal obligation to hold Dutch insurance ends immediately. You must proactively contact your insurer to cancel your policy and inform the Belastingdienst to stop your healthcare allowance, preventing unwarranted debt.

Step 4: Apply Online

Once you have compared policies and checked your legal obligation, applying is simple. The easiest, fastest, and most transparent way is to apply online using your DigiD and Citizen Service Number (BSN).