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When you are coming to the Netherlands make sure you are properly insured. There are certain rules concerning your healthcare insurance which you have to comply with. Also it is highly advisable to take out a liability insurance.

Before you come to the Netherlands, make sure that you have made arrangements to be properly insured against the costs of medical treatment. Here you can read which insurance applies to your situation.

There are three healthcare insurance possibilities:

1. You have to take out a Dutch public healthcare insurance.
2. Your insurance policy in your home country covers your stay in the Netherlands.
3. You take out a new or special insurance policy for your stay in the Netherlands.  

1.  You have to take out a Dutch public healthcare insurance

In certain circumstances, for example when you take on a part-time job next to your studies, or when you do a paid internship, you have to take out a Dutch public healthcare insurance. If this obligation applies to you, you can take out such an insurance with every Dutch public healthcare insurance company.

Most schools and employers have a contract with an insurance company which offers a discount. It is worth it to find out if you can join these schemes.

The Dutch public healthcare insurance can be rather expensive, but people below a certain income level can receive a financial contribution towards their costs through the Healthcare Allowance (zorgtoeslag).

To find out if the Dutch public healthcare insurance applies to you, read the following factsheet:

Download "Healthcare insurance for international students in Holland" (91 kB).

If you are still unsure whether you are obliged to take out a Dutch public healthcare insurance, you can fill in the form "Do I need statutory basic healthcare insurance?"* and send it to the Social Insurance Bank (SVB), who can clear things up for you.

* please note that the SVB can only tell you whether or not you are taking part in the Dutch social security system (volksverzekeringen). When you do take part in the Dutch social security system, you also have the right and the obligation to take out a Dutch public healthcare insurance.

Download the form "Do I need statutory basic healthcare insurance?" (59 kB)

2. Your insurance policy in your home country covers your stay in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has treaties regarding health insurance with a number of countries, including most European ones.

If you are insured under the national health insurance scheme of one of these countries, your insurance company can provide you with either an international declaration form or with a European Health Insurance Card. Make sure to bring this with you to the Netherlands. You will need it when you go to see a doctor in the Netherlands.

If your insurance does not cover your stay in the Netherlands, and if you cannot make use of the international treaty described above, then you will have to take out a private insurance policy. 

3. You take out a new or special insurance policy for your stay in the Netherlands

If you are not covered under the public healthcare insurance of the Netherlands or of your homecountry, than you will have to take out another healthcare insurance. There are special policies available for international students in the Netherlands.

Nuffic has checked the policies and conditions of the following two recommended companies. 

• Lippmann: http://www.ace-ips-nl.com/
• AON: http://www.students-insurance.eu/ 

Insurance documents in common European language

Whichever type of insurance you have, make sure that the insurance documents are written in one of the more common European languages.

When you are obliged to take out a Dutch public healthcare insurance (zorgverzekering) you can apply for a financial contribution for the cost of this insurance.

As the costs of a Dutch public healthcare insurance can weigh heavily on a small budget, the Dutch government provides a healthcare allowance to people with a low income.

If you have a Dutch public healthcare insurance you can apply for this healthcare allowance.

Health allowance and residence permits

Applying for a health allowance has no effect on your right of residence. 

Applying for the health allowance

Application form translated

The application form of the healthcare allowance is only available in Dutch. In order to apply for this allowance you will need to hand in this Dutch form. To help you fill in this form here you can find a translation of both the form and the explanatory notes. Please note that you are not to fill in this English application form, you can only use it as a tool to help you fill in the original Dutch form.

Download the English translation of the application of the healthcare allowance (56 kB).
 

When to apply

You can apply for the healthcare allowance for 2008 until April 1, 2009.

Experience has shown that it is not always easy to judge whether a foreign visitor to the Netherlands needs to have healthcare insurance in order to qualify for a visa or residence permit. The situation is explained below.

Short-stay visa, or ‘Schengen visa’ (visum kort verblijf)

If a foreign national intends to apply for a short-stay visa (visa sticker C), they must have travel insurance that covers medical costs for the entire duration of their stay in the Schengen area.

The insurance policy must provide cover for repatriation on medical grounds, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment. Cover must be provided up to at least € 30.000.

D visa

No healthcare insurance is required when applying for a ‘provisional residence permit’ (MVV, visa sticker D). 

D+C visa

Healthcare insurance is required when applying for a D+C visa (i.e. a ‘provisional residence permit’ that also allows travel under the same terms as a short stay visa). The C portion of the sticker is subject to the same conditions as applicable to a short stay visa, including the medical insurance cover. 

The insurance policy must provide cover for repatriation on medical grounds, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment. Cover must be provided up to at least € 30.000

First application for a residence permit

When making their first application for a residence permit, foreign nationals must take out healthcare insurance. It is not necessary to take out the healthcare insurance in advance of the application. The insurance may be taken out afterwards. In other words, an application for a residence permit can be granted even if the applicant does not yet have the necessary healthcare cover.

However, after obtaining a residence permit, the holder will be under an obligation to arrange healthcare insurance as soon as possible.

Because insurance companies only provide healthcare cover to foreign nationals on presentation of a valid residence permit, this approach means that applicants will never end up in the Catch 22 situation that could otherwise occur.

Renewing the residence permit

When renewing a residence permit, foreign nationals must show that they have suitable healthcare insurance.

The cover provided must be at least equivalent to the cover provided under the public healthcare provision in the Netherlands (zorgverzekering). The cover must be current at the time the foreign national submits the renewal application.

The resulting claim for damages could be very expensive. You are therefore strongly urged to have a good liability insurance. You can arrange for such insurance either in your own country or through your host institution in the Netherlands.

In addition, you can be held responsible for damage that occurs in the line of duty-while you are engaged in professional activities. People who work in the health sector, for example, can be sued if something goes wrong.

In the Netherlands, damage that a person causes on the job is ordinarily covered by the liability insurance of the employer. Student interns are covered in the same way that regular employees are covered.

To be certain, however, you should check with the company or organization where you will be working to make sure that their liability insurance covers you.

Repatriation insurance
Insurance to cover the costs of repatriation is also strongly recommended. This means that if you should become seriously ill or die, a family member can be flown to the Netherlands to take you back home.

Household content and luggage
Insurance to cover undoings to your possessions. For example if your possessions get stolen or destroyed through water or fire damage the insurance will cover the costs. It is important to check the cover provided.

Travel
Insurance to cover your belongings and your healthcare when you are traveling.

Insurance package
Several insurance companies can provide you an insurance package which includes most or all of these insurances.

Nuffic has checked the policies and conditions of the following two recommended companies.

• Lippmann: www.ace-ips-nl.com

• AON: www.students-insurance.eu