Health insurance
Dutch law requires all international students to be properly insured by an internationally recognised insurance agency for the duration of their stay which covers all of the Dutch health care costs. For a general overview on how it works in the Netherlands, check Study in the Netherlands.
What health insurance do I need? This depends on your particular situation:
Please check with your current insurance company whether you have a valid insurance that covers you for the duration of your stay in the Netherlands. Please inform yourself about what coverage you have, for example, does it cover: Repatriation, mental health issues, etc.? You want to be prepared for every unforeseen situation.
EHIC: for EU/EEA nationals only
Are you an EU national? Then you can apply for a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from your own insurance company. Medical costs like physiotherapy, dental care or treatments that can be reasonably postponed until you return to your home country, are NOT covered by EHIC.
In most cases it will be wise to add an extra insurance or get a complete package which covers also lost luggage, repatriation, home insurance (in case of fire or burglary), accidents, legal aid and a dentist insurance. For students these packages are not expensive and worth the investment. Check for available student packages.
You can choose from different insurances for international students staying in the Netherlands. On this website you can find the Dutch public health insurers.
If you are planning to take on a job next to your studies, you need to get a Dutch health insurance. This is more expensive than the student insurance packages. It’s wise to check here what you need to arrange before you start a job and sign a contract.
Two important tips:
- If you quit your job, make sure you are still covered by your health insurance.
- If you get a letter from the Central Administration Office, CAK (Centraal Administratie Kantoor) about insurance obligation, please take action straight away to avoid extra cost.
Note: You can apply for health care allowance (Zorgtoeslag) if you are eligible for a Dutch public health insurance via the Dutch Tax Office (Belastingdienst).