⚠️ Informational article. Amounts and rules change: check with an insurer or the Dutch government (Zorgverzekeringswet).
Mandatory health insurance
If you live or work in the Netherlands, you must in principle take out basic health insurance (basisverzekering) with a private insurer, generally within 4 months of your arrival / obtaining resident status. The insurance is then backdated to the date you became insurable.
Be careful: failing to insure yourself in time exposes you to reminders and penalties. This is not a step to put off.
How it works (and what differs from elsewhere)
- Private insurers, a care package defined by the State: the content of the basic insurance is set by law, but you take it out with a private company (Zilveren Kruis, CZ, VGZ, Menzis…).
- A monthly premium: expect generally around €140–185/month for the basic insurance (variable by insurer and year).
- The annual excess (eigen risico): each year, part of the costs is yours to cover (around €385/year for the basic insurance) before the insurance takes over. The general practitioner (huisarts) is generally excluded from it.
- The general practitioner (huisarts): the pivot of the system. You need to register with one near you; they refer you to specialists.
Supplementary insurance
Beyond the basic, you can take out supplementary cover (aanvullende verzekering) for dental, physiotherapy, etc. — optional, to choose according to your needs.
Possible support
Depending on your income, you might be entitled to a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) that reimburses part of the premium. Check with the tax authority (Belastingdienst).
The link with your move
As with the bank, health insurance kicks in after your registration: you generally need a BSN and an address to take it out and receive reimbursements. It's the last step in the chain housing → inschrijving → BSN → bank → insurance (see our settling-in checklist).
The steps to be compliant
- Get your BSN (after inschrijving).
- Compare insurers (price, supplementary cover, service in English).
- Take out cover within the deadline.
- Register with a huisarts near your home.
Organising your arrival in Amsterdam? Book a free discovery call: we'll first secure your home (with inschrijving) so the BSN, bank and zorgverzekering follow on time.
In summary
The zorgverzekering is mandatory, to be taken out within ~4 months, with a monthly premium (~€140–185) and an annual excess (eigen risico, ~€385). Like everything else, it depends on your BSN and your address: secure your registered home, and the health steps follow.