Health Insurance

Everyone who comes to work or study in the Netherlands is legally required to have health insurance.

If you plan to work in the Netherlands, your health insurance must come from a Dutch provider. This also applies to internships that pay above the Dutch minimum wage. Details on how to do take out Dutch health insurance.

Even if you do not plan to work, you must still have health insurance. This may come from your home country's state provision if you are a member of the EU, or from a private company.

See below the options avalable to you depending on your situation, and what steps you must take in order to be adequately covered in the Netherlands.

Study purposes

If you are here only to study and do not plan to do a paid internship or otherwise work, there are several options you can choose based on your nationality:

Students with a nationality within the European Union, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland

There are three possible options for health insurance, please read them all carefully:

1. EUROPEAN HEALTH INSURANCE CARD (EHIC):
   If you do not plan to work alongside your studies you can obtain an European Health Insurance Card and your home country’s insurance will cover your medical costs. EHIC has coverage for the most basic and emergency health care costs. Read more information on EHIC here(opens in new window).
2. PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
   If you do not plan to work along your studies you can take out private health insurance particularly intended for international students. This insurance must cover medical expenses (without a limit), urgent dental treatments, psychological care. Third party liability is strongly advised in addition to the requirements mentioned before. We advise AON Insurance since their plan meets all requirements. Go to Aon Insurance(opens in new window) to take out their plan.
3. HEALTH INSURANCE FROM YOUR HOME COUNTRY:
   Check whether your health insurance from your home country covers the Netherlands and the Schengen area. This must cover medical expenses (without a limit), urgent dental treatment and psychological care. Third party liability is strongly advised in addition to the requirements mentioned before. Please contact your insurance company to find out the specific conditions of your current plan.

Students with all other nationalities (except Dutch)

There are two possible options for health insurance, please read them all carefully:

1. PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:
   If you do not plan to work along your studies you can take out private health insurance particularly intended for international students. This insurance must cover medical expenses (without a limit), urgent dental treatment and psychological care. Third party liability is strongly advised in addition to the requirements mentioned before. We advise AON Insurance since their plan meets all requirements. Go to Aon Insurance(opens in new window) to take out their plan.
    
2. HEALTH INSURANCE FROM YOUR HOME COUNTRY:
   Check whether your health insurance from your home country covers the Netherlands and the Schengen area. It must cover medical expenses (without a limit), urgent dental treatment and psychological care. Third party liability is strongly advised in addition to the requirements mentioned before. Please contact your insurance company to find out the specific conditions of your current plan. In a lot of cases your health insurance from your home country does not cover all requirements.

Students with the Dutch nationality

Student with the Dutch nationality need to take out health insurance plan from a Dutch insurance company. More general information about insurance can be found on our information page about Dutch health insurance.

Study and work

From the moment you start a part time job you will need to take out a Dutch public health insurance. You cannot take any other insurance policy. Check our page about Dutch public health insurance for more info.

Work as an entrepreneur/ on a self-employed basis?

If you will work as an entrepreneur and thus on a self-employed basis, please contact the SVB, a governmental insurance organisation and request assessment to see whether you need to take out a Dutch public health insurance or not. This assessment will check your ‘Wlz position’. Please use this link(opens in new window) to request the assessment. If you do need to take out Dutch public health insurance go to this page for more information. If you don’t need to take out Dutch public health insurance please select an option under ‘study purposes only’ on this page.

Study and internship

If you do a paid internship during your studies it depends on the amount of money you receive whether you need to take out private health insurance. If you receive more than the minimum wage in the Netherlands you need to take out Dutch public health insurance. If you earn less than the minimum wage you are not allowed to take out Dutch Public Health Insurance and you need to select an health insurance option under ‘study purposes only’ on this page.

If you are not sure if you make more than the minimum wage you can ask for a free assessment here(opens in new window).