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Healthcare for Expats and Highly Skilled Professionals in the Netherlands

If you live or work in the Netherlands as a highly skilled migrant or expat, you are legally required to have Dutch health insurance (zorgverzekering). This ensures access to the same high-quality healthcare system as Dutch residents.

You must take out Dutch insurance within four months of registering with the municipality or starting work, even if you already have private insurance abroad. The exact rules depend on where you come from and why you’re staying.

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Expats from the EU/EEA

If you are from an EU or EEA country, you are obliged to obtain Dutch health insurance when:

  • You have a (part-time) job and/or pay income tax in the Netherlands, or

  • You are 30 years or older and your stay in the Netherlands is not temporary.

If one of these applies, you must register for the basic Dutch health insurance (basisverzekering) within four months.

In other situations, you might not be eligible for Dutch health insurance. For example, if you are staying short-term, not working, or still paying taxes elsewhere. In that case, you can take out private expat insurance to cover medical care while in the Netherlands.

💡 Tip: If you’re from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) may temporarily cover emergency or necessary medical care before your Dutch insurance starts.

Expats from outside the EU/EEA

If you are a non-EU/EEA national, you are eligible for Dutch health insurance only when you have a valid Dutch residence permit that allows you to live and work here.

You must take out health insurance within four months of your residence permit coming into force.

You are not eligible for Dutch insurance if:

  • You are in the Netherlands solely for study purposes.

  • You work for a foreign employer outside the Netherlands.

  • You pay income tax in another country.

If any of these apply, you can instead choose expat health insurance, which offers international coverage including the Netherlands.

Family members

If you are required to take out health insurance in the Netherlands, your family members who live with you must also obtain Dutch health insurance, unless one of them works abroad and pays taxes there.

If your family lives abroad, they might sometimes be co-insured with you, depending on your home country’s regulations and agreements with the Netherlands.

Here’s how to check their insurance status:

If your family lives in an EU/EEA country

  1. Request an S1 document for each family member via CAK.nl.

  2. Send the documents to their current health insurer or national health service.

  3. Their insurer will contact the CAK to determine eligibility.

  4. You’ll receive confirmation from the CAK once approved.

If your family lives in a treaty country

(Examples: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cape Verde, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey)

  1. Request a Form 109 from your Dutch health insurer.

  2. Send it to your family’s current insurer or health service.

  3. They will coordinate with the CAK to confirm co-insurance eligibility.

How to arrange Dutch Health Insurance

To get covered, follow these steps:

  1. Register at your local municipality and obtain your BSN (citizen service number).

  2. Choose a health insurer and apply for the basic insurance package (basisverzekering).

  3. Optionally add supplementary insurance (for dental, physiotherapy, or alternative care).

  4. Make sure your insurance starts from your first day of residency or employment.