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Healthcare access for Asylum Seekers in the Netherlands

If you are seeking asylum in the Netherlands, you are entitled to necessary medical care while your asylum request is being processed. The Dutch government ensures that everyone, regardless of legal status, has access to essential healthcare services.

Healthcare for asylum seekers is organized through a special system called the Regeling Medische Zorg Asielzoekers (RMA), coordinated by the Centraal Orgaan opvang Asielzoekers (COA)  which is the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers.

How healthcare is organized

If you are staying in a COA reception centre (AZC):

  • You will be registered with a general practitioner (huisarts) linked to the centre.

  • You can visit the GP for regular health issues or medical advice.

  • The RMA Healthcare Office (managed by Zorginstituut Nederland) pays for most medical care directly.

  • You do not need to pay for medical visits, prescriptions, or hospital treatment.

Asylum seekers have access to the same basic healthcare services as Dutch residents, including:

  • General practitioner (GP) consultations

  • Specialist and hospital care

  • Maternity and postnatal care

  • Mental-health care (including trauma support)

  • Prescription medicines

  • Emergency and urgent care

Mental health and well-being

The Dutch healthcare system recognizes the importance of mental well-being, especially for people who have fled difficult circumstances.

  • You can discuss emotional or psychological problems with your GP, who can refer you to a psychologist or therapist.

  • Several NGOs and mental health organizations (like ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre and GGZ Centra) specialize in trauma care for refugees and asylum seekers.

  • Access to psychological support is included under the RMA.

After you receive a residence permit

Once your asylum request is approved, you will transition to the regular Dutch healthcare system. This means:

  1. You register with a municipality and receive your BSN (citizen service number).

  2. You must take out Dutch health insurance within four months.

  3. You choose your own general practitioner (GP), pharmacy, and dentist in your new community.

You will then pay the standard monthly premium for health insurance, like all residents, and can apply for zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) if eligible.

If your asylum request is denied

If your asylum request is rejected, you still have the right to medically necessary care. This includes emergency treatment, maternity care, and essential mental health services.

Healthcare providers are reimbursed for these costs by the CAK (Centraal Administratie Kantoor) through the Regeling Onverzekerden (Uninsured Persons Scheme). You will not be denied care if you are unable to pay.

If you are in a return or emergency shelter, you can continue to access healthcare via local GPs and hospitals participating in this scheme.

Language support

  • COA healthcare teams and partner clinics can arrange interpreters for medical appointments.

  • Hospitals and mental-health professionals also have access to 24/7 telephone interpreting services for urgent cases.

  • Many medical forms and information leaflets are available in Arabic, Tigrinya, Farsi, English, and French.

  • The organization Pharos provides translated health guides and visual materials for better understanding of care procedures.