Dutch Health Insurance: A Comprehensive Guide for International Students

Securing sufficient health insurance is an important task to manage as an international student in the Netherlands. Hospi Housing provides a helpful guide.

Without a doubt, studying abroad is a process that requires a lot of consideration and effort. You probably had your share of difficulties before you even moved to the Netherlands, such as preparing your applications to get accepted to the university of your choice, finding a household to accommodate this new challenge in your life and when you have finally moved in, you are faced with a new beginning

Now you are here, we're happy to simplify unfamiliar processes for you, such as ensuring you have the necessary information about health insurance. Let’s break down the information together:

Are you required to apply for Dutch health insurance?

It is required by law to have health insurance. However, it depends on your personal situation what kind of insurance you need:

1) Your only purpose is to study in the Netherlands

If you only plan to study in the country, then you don’t need a Dutch health insurance and you are actually not legally eligible for one. In this case, it is really important to have sustainable insurance from your home country with enough coverage. If you are from the EU/EEA, you may be eligible to receive a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which covers your necessary medical costs during your stay. Please make sure you check this with your health insurer in your home country as this might differ per EU-member state.

2) Your studies require from you to do an internship

In case you are also doing an internship while studying, you will need to have a Dutch health insurance. It is important to be clarified that you need to be paid at least as much as the Dutch minimum wage in order for this to be applicable.

3) You are a student who is also planning to work in the Netherlands

Having Dutch health insurance is mandatory if you wish to work in the Netherlands, whether it’s a part-time job alongside your studies or employment after graduation. All international students (EU and non-EU) must have Dutch health insurance to work.

Coverage

If either situation 2 or 3 is applicable to you, it is important to know what the Dutch health insurance does and does not cover:

Covered

Standard health insurance in the Netherlands covers essential health care such as visits to a doctor/general practitioner (GP), maternity care and hospital care. This also includes emergency medical care and essential medicines.

Not covered

Standard Dutch health insurance does not cover dental costs if you are over 18. Make sure your insurance company at home covers dental care costs abroad or take out a supplemental health insurance that includes dental care. Paramedical services such as physiotherapy, chiropractic services are also not covered.

Applying to Dutch health care

Now that you have a clear understanding of how insurance works lets dive into how you can get a Dutch health insurance in case you need it.

First and foremost, you need a BSN number, which means that you need to be registered in the municipality. For more information on how to get your BSN number check our blogpost How To Register as an International Student in the Netherlands?

Secondly, you need to choose an insurance company. Choosing health insurance requires careful consideration of your individual needs and circumstances. For example, if the standard health insurance coverage does not encompass conditions that are typically relevant to your medical history, it is smart to explore supplemental health insurance options. Since there are so many health insurances packages to choose from in the Netherlands, we advise you to use this tool which can guide you to make the best choice for you.

Last steps

The registration is complete once you have received an insurance policy (in Dutch: polisblad). If you stop working or if you leave the Netherlands, cancel your insurance, and do not forget to deregister from the municipality.

To conclude

We understand that matters like insurance might be complicated, however, we hope that this article helped to make the situation clearer for you. To summarize: You will need to apply for a Dutch health insurance only if you are planning to do a paid internship or concurrently work while studying in the Netherlands. Keep in mind that the term ‘’paid internship’’ only applies if you are paid at least as much as the Dutch minimum wage. If you are a student planning to simply study in the country, then your home health insurance is sufficient.

Did you find this article interesting, and you want to find more information? Then take a look at some of our other blog posts:

- Hospi Housing: the best matchmaker between tenant and host

- Renting out a room in your home: Zwannet and Marc's story

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