Home country healthcare insurance

Possibilities to keep your home country healthcare insurance

When you come to the Netherlands as an international student you have to be well insured. Especially since everybody that lives or pays income taxes in the Netherlands is legally obliged to have a health care insurance. But when do you need to apply for a Dutch health care insurance and when can you keep your current health care insurance from your own country? That main question and other important points of attention will be answered and explained to you in this article.

When can I keep the healthcare insurance from my home country?

The Netherlands participates in several healthcare insurance treaties within the European Union. Therefore it is possible, in certain cases, to keep your home country healthcare insurance. You can keep the insurance from your home country if you meet the following requirements:

  • You are an EU/EEA or Swiss national that studies in Holland;
  • You are not working or doing a paid internship;
  • Your home country insurance covers your stay in the Netherlands.

To be able to prove that you are insured in your home country you’re insurance company can issue you an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can receive this card free of charge from your insurance company. The EHIC card entitles you to the same medical care as residents of The Netherlands. You are not obliged to take out any supplementary insurance.

When do I need to get a Dutch healthcare insurance?

Dutch citizens are obliged to have a basic healthcare insurance. For international students different rules apply, that means that in some cases you can be exempted from this obligation. You are obliged to get a Dutch health care insurance in the following cases:

  • You are a student with a (part time) job in the Netherlands;
  • You are doing a paid internship in the Netherlands;
  • You are aged 30 years or older;
  • You are staying in Holland for more than a year.

If any of the above mentioned applies to you, you are required to take out a Dutch healthcare insurance. You will not be able to keep your own insurance from your home country. If you have the obligation to take out an insurance but you do not, you risk a fine from the ‘Zorginstituut Nederland’. You can get the basic healthcare insurance with any Dutch insurance company. The insurance companies are obliged to accept you. For the insurance you pay a fixed premium directly to the insurance company. This premium will be around €90,- a month. The exact price depends on the insurance company and the amount of deductible excess you choose. Allowance If you are obliged to get a Dutch healthcare insurance, you might be entitled to compensation for your insurance costs. This is called health care allowance. Read more about the health care allowance.

What if I’m a student from outside the European Union?

If you are a student from outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland and you are not going to work or do a paid internship in The Netherlands, again different rules apply. Always check if your actual insurance covers your stay in The Netherlands. If this is not the case, you will have to get a private healthcare insurance for your stay in the country.

You can get this special private healthcare insurance from the following insurance company: Allianz Global Assistance

The insurance will cover the costs for medical care in The Netherlands, liability and luggage. Trips back to your home country (with a maximum of 21 days) are also covered. For more information considering the premium and coverage we refer you to our page ‘private healthcare insurances‘.

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