Health Insurance Assistance

Disclaimer: The guidance on this page provides a general overview of the Dutch healthcare insurance system for students. It does not constitute personal financial or legal advice. Your legal obligations depend on your specific employment and residency status.

Navigating the Dutch healthcare system as an international student can be challenging. With unfamiliar terms, mandatory rules, and various policy types, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. This assistance guide breaks down the process into four clear steps, helping you figure out if you legally need Dutch insurance and how to choose the right policy for your budget.

Step 1: Do You Legally Need Dutch Insurance?

The biggest mistake international students make is assuming they can choose whether or not to enter the Dutch system. Your obligation is determined by your daily activities.

Study-Only Students

• If you reside in the Netherlands exclusively to study and do not have a paid job, you are generally not allowed to take out a Dutch basic health insurance policy (basisverzekering).
• 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 (even just a few hours) or a paid internship earning minimum wage, you fall under the health insurance rules for working students.
• Dutch basic insurance becomes legally mandatory from your first working day.

Warning: The CAK is the Dutch regulatory body that enforces insurance laws. If you work without a Dutch basic policy, you risk receiving retroactive premium bills and administrative fines that can easily exceed €400.

Step 2: Choosing Your Basic Policy Type

If you determine that you need Dutch basic insurance, you must choose a provider. The government decides exactly what medical care is covered in the basic package, meaning the medical quality is identical across all insurers. However, premiums differ based on the type of policy you select.

Budget and In-Kind Policies (Naturapolis)

These are the most common and affordable policies for students. The insurer contracts specific hospitals and healthcare providers. If you visit a contracted provider, the bill is paid directly by the insurer at 100%. If you visit a non-contracted provider for non-emergency care, you may have to pay a portion of the bill yourself (usually 20% to 30%).

Refund Policies (Restitutiepolis)

A refund policy offers total freedom of choice. You can visit any healthcare provider, and the insurer will reimburse the costs up to the average Dutch market rate. Because of this flexibility, refund policies carry a higher monthly premium. You may also need to pay the bill upfront and claim the money back later.

Step 3: Managing Costs and Allowances

Healthcare is a major expense for students, but understanding how deductibles and subsidies work can help you keep costs manageable.

The Mandatory Deductible (Eigen Risico)

Every Dutch basic policy includes a mandatory deductible (eigen risico). For 2026, this is legally set at €385 per year. You must pay the first €385 of most specialized medical costs (such as hospital visits, blood tests, or prescribed medications) out of pocket before the insurance covers the rest. General Practitioner (GP) visits are exempt from the deductible.

You can voluntarily increase this deductible up to €885. This will lower your monthly premium by approximately €15 to €20. However, only do this if you have sufficient savings to pay an €885 medical bill immediately in an emergency.

Healthcare Allowance (Zorgtoeslag)

If you have a Dutch basic policy and a low student income, you can apply for the healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) via the Dutch Tax Administration (Belastingdienst). In 2026, this monthly subsidy can be up to approximately €123 for a single person. This allowance covers the vast majority of standard student health insurance premiums.

Step 4: Do You Need Supplementary Insurance?

Supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering) is entirely optional. It covers care that is excluded from the basic package. Insurers may ask health questions or apply waiting periods for extensive supplementary packages, particularly for orthodontics.

Dental Care

Routine dental care is only covered by the basic package for individuals under 18. If you are older, you must pay for dental check-ups out of pocket or take out dental insurance. Evaluate your teeth carefully: a basic check-up often costs less than a year’s worth of dental insurance premiums.

Physiotherapy and Alternative Care

If you play high-risk sports or prefer alternative medicine (like acupuncture), consider a supplementary module. The basic package only covers physiotherapy for specific, government-approved chronic conditions.

Common Student Scenarios

How do these decisions look in practice?

• The Working Student: Lucas works weekends at a bar. He must take out Dutch insurance. He chooses a cheap naturapolis for €145 a month and keeps his deductible at €385. He applies for the €123 zorgtoeslag. His net premium is only €22 a month.
• The EU Exchange Student: Clara is studying in the Netherlands for six months and does not work. She uses her EHIC. She is not allowed to take out a Dutch policy and does not have to deal with the Dutch deductible or CAK fines.