Your health is the most important thing you have. Register with a doctor and make sure you are insured.
Health insurance
Every person who lives or works in the Netherlands is legally obliged to take out standard health insurance to cover the cost of, for example, consulting a general practitioner, hospital treatment and prescription medication. It will give you the peace of mind needed while you are studying that if something happens to you, you will be taken care of. International students who are privately insured in their own country should bring along a statement (in English) with details about their health insurance coverage. Useful information on how to arrange your health insurance as an international student in the Netherlands can be found on the website.
International students who are privately insured in their own country should bring along a statement (in English) with details about their health insurance program.
Find below useful information on how to arrange your Health insurance as an international student in The Netherlands.
If you are from the EU/EEA, you may be eligible to receive a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) (see also: https://www.zorgwijzer.nl).
This should cover medical costs that you may inquire during your stay. However, what is covered and for how much can differ per EU-member state.
Please make very sure to check exactly what your insurance covers while you are in The Netherlands and for how long. Check the date that is mentioned in the Section ‘Valid until …’.
With the EHIC, it depends on how you are insured in your home country, how much for certain treatments, and for how long coverage is provided abroad. If it is not covered through the EHIC, and there is no additional insurance that would pay for the costs, you will have to pay for it out of your own pocket. Depending on the treatment or situation, this could possibly result in bills worth thousands of euros. In addition, coverage of the deductible is not included. If you do not have dental coverage through your EHIC, you have to pay for dental treatment yourself. Finally, please take into account that the EHIC does not provide coverage for liability, accidents, legal assistance, repatriation, household effects, and travel.
If your home country insurance does not offer any or enough coverage, please check out the InsureToStudy package we recommend to non-EU/EEA students.
One of the conditions for obtaining a residency permit in the Netherlands, as stated by the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), is that you are insured for healthcare costs in the Netherlands.
The options:
InsureToStudy is one of three companies that offer different health insurance packages to international students who do not have a paid job or internship during their stay. The other two are AON and OOM.
Since we take your health, wellbeing and safety very seriously we have made a deal with the insurance company called InsureToStudy. They offer our students a package that covers all the necessary areas and meets the requirements of the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). It is called the Master Plan Plus.
Master Plan Plus - InsureToStudy
Master Plan Plus covers:
- All medical expenses, including dental costs
- Accidents
- Luggage
- Household goods and valuables
- Emergencies
- Personal liability
- Legal assistance
- Travel
It is the only package for international students that covers pre-existing conditions (physical conditions like asthma, diabetes, rheumatism, or mental-emotional conditions like AD(H)D, PTSS, autism, etc).
For more information click here. In order to purchase the package, click here.
If you are planning to work while you are here, it is worth mentioning the following:
If you have a paid job, even if it is for one hour a month, you are obliged by law to purchase Dutch basic health insurance. If there is no paid work in the next month or their contract gets is terminated, you have to switch back to a commercial insurer like InsureToStudy (ItS). In practice, having to switch results in many questions and sometimes even fines for students.
Master Plan Plus offers a service to arrange the administration of switching from this private commercial health insurance to a Dutch basic health insurance, with a very attractive low rate (up to 30% cheaper than regular basic health policies). In addition, they will pay for your mandatory deductible of € 385,- per year, when you need medical or therapeutic care.
ItS provides both kinds of insurances and offers to take care of the paperwork for you. Students can opt in and out per day through ItS. This can save you a lot of money (and definitely a lot of hassle and headache).
As for the Dutch health insurance that you have to pay for when you have a paid job, there are too many to mention them all, here’s a link to Having a Dutch health insurance while working means you might be eligible for healthcare allowance. Please keep in mind that the Tax Office will decide this.
Everyone in the Netherlands who has a basic Dutch healthcare insurance policy (basiszorgverzekering) is entitled to apply for a healthcare allowance or also known as health care benefit (zorgtoeslag). This is a monthly payment from the Dutch government to help people with the cost of their healthcare premiums. Whether they are entitled to receive the healthcare allowance depends on their income. Generally speaking, students only have a modest income and, just like low-income groups, they will therefore be entitled to the maximum healthcare allowance. International students may also apply for the healthcare allowance. Applications for the healthcare allowance must be made through the Dutch tax and customs administration (belastingdienst).
For more information and to apply, visit the website of the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration:
Health services
Where can you get medical care you need?
For all non-emergency situations, you consult a General Practitioner. Find more info about the GP listed below.
In cases where acute medical care is needed you can visit a hospital emergency room. Check Zorgkaart Nederland for hospitals in The Hague.
You can only see a specialist after having consulted your General Practitioner. The GP will give you a letter of reference (verwijsbrief) for the specialist. With this letter, you can claim reimbursement from your health insurance.
Dental care is privatised in the Netherlands. It is not covered by basic insurance policies (except for children under 18 and specialist dental care, such as surgery), so please check the conditions of your health insurance before you make an appointment.
If you are not insured for dental care, you will need to pay the dental bill yourself. There are many dentists all over the city. You are free to choose your own dentist. Several practices have dentists who speak English and other foreign languages. Check out tandarts.nl to search for a conveniently located dentist.
In case of accidents or sudden illness requiring immediate medical attention, you can go to the emergency room of any hospital (bring insurance information) or call the general emergency number: 112.
General Practitioner/doctor (GP)
It is important to register with a general practitioner when you arrive in the Netherlands. If you become ill when you have not registered with a GP, you may have difficulty finding a nearby doctor who is taking patients, as their practice may already be full. You need a health insurance to make use of a GP. The first point of contact for getting healthcare in the Netherlands is to register with a doctor (huisarts in Dutch) or general practitioner (GP).
The medical system in the Netherlands is currently running at near maximum capacity and there are longer waiting times for referred care, including mental healthcare. Therefore, if you have a pre-existing mental or physical condition that requires immediate medical care/assistance, please plan with these waiting times in mind.
The Dutch general practitioner (GP) or family doctor (huisarts) is the main link to any specialist or hospital. Students are advised to choose a family doctor practicing in their neighbourhood and to inquire whether the GP can take you as a new patient, even before they need to see one. Please note that not all doctors are able to take new patients!
Strong medicines are only available on prescription and are prepared at a drug store (in Dutch: apotheek). Chemists (in Dutch: drogisterij) sell ‘over the counter’ medicines, such as aspirin and cough medicine that do not require a prescription.
We are in contact with a General Practitioner (family doctor) who is happy to take on international students as clients. In fact, he has set up a practice with two other young doctors especially for students. If you live in The Hague and are looking for a GP, feel free to register via their website, www.thestudentdoctors.nl. There is no registration fee. Visits to a GP are generally covered by your health insurance.
To search for a local doctor, go to the ZorgkaartNederland website (in Dutch) and enter your postal code.
Your GP may wish to have a consultation appointment with you to go over your medical history. This is a good opportunity to have any questions about healthcare in the Netherlands answered. Click here for more information.
You can call your GP directly to make an appointment, or many practices have a spreekuur (consultation hour), usually early in the morning, where you can speak to your doctor without an appointment. You may also be able to consult the doctor (or assistant) over the phone in the case of simple questions. Some GPs also make house calls, usually after hours or during a specifically allotted time.
If your practice is closed, there will be an automated message if you call them with the number of another doctor and the emergency medical facility that is available. This doctor may be different from one area to another, so the service will give you the name and number of a doctor on duty near you, or have the doctor call you.
The other option is to call your local huisartsenpost (general practitioners center) where there is always a doctor on call. For more see emergency numbers.