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Exemptions Dutch Medical 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, getting hospital treatment or obtaining prescription medication. However, one may be able to keep one’s health insurance from another country under certain conditions and thus be exempt from having Dutch health insurance

Student Exemption

Foreign Bachelor’s or Master’s students who under the age of 30 living temporarily in the Netherlands solely on account of their studies are exempt from the obligation to take out Dutch health insurance. This includes bursary students. These students are advised to take out supplemental private insurance (for example from a company such as AON). The website Student Insurance can also help you find other insurance companies.

However, international Bachelor’s or Master’s students who study in the Netherlands but also have a part-time job or paid internship (note: even a zero-hour (casual) contract will count as a job) are NOT exempt and must have Dutch public medical insurance (basisverzekering).

Regular PhD students paid by their university as employees must have Dutch public medical insurance.

PhD Scholarship Program students should check at this link from the SVB to determine if they are required to have Dutch public medical insurance.

Additional information can be found at these links:

  • Nuffic produces this flow chart for students to help determine your health insurance obligations.
  • Euraxess Netherlands also has a flow chart and more information at this link for researchers.
  • The zorgwijzer.nl and  the Zorgverzekeringslijn websites also  have more information on determining if you are obligated to have Dutch medical insurance as a student, as well as information on obtaining proper medical insurance.

Posted EU/EER Worker Exemption

You are a posted worker if your employer sends you to work and live in another country on a temporary basis but you are still being paid by your home company. More information on insurance rules for posted workers can be found here. Since 1 May 2010, the period of the posting is 24 months (earlier, it was 12 months) or less. If you are a posted worker, you have certain rights as follows:

Social insurance

As a posted worker, you generally will continue to pay your social security contributions in your home EU country. You should apply for an A1 (formerly E101) certificate which states that you are insured for social security purposes in your home EU country. This will exempt you and your employer from paying social insurance in the country to which you are posted. At least 4 weeks before you leave you or your employer should apply for the AI certificate. You can find useful forms here.

Health entitlements during short-term stay

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) replaced forms such as the E111 and the E128, making it easier for you to get medical care quickly and easily. The EHIC is a free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 28 EU countries, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country.  It is evidence that you are part of a health insurance scheme administered by another state in the EEA/Switzerland. Cards are issued by your national health insurance provider in the country where you are registered. This may work well with people who work across the border. Important – the European Health Insurance Card:

  • is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
  • does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment,
  • does not guarantee free services. As each country’s healthcare system is different services that cost nothing at home might not be free in another country.

Health entitlements during long-term stay

An S1 portable document (formerly E106) ensures that you have the same health entitlements in the state to which you are being posted, as are available to nationals of that state. When you move your habitual residence to another country, you should register with the S1 form instead of using the EHIC to receive medical care in your new country of habitual residence.

You should register for the Verdragspolis from CZ. CZ is the only company authorized by the Dutch government for this registration. The ‘Verdragspolis’ entitles you to healthcare services both in the Netherlands and in the country in which you are insured (through your health insurance in that country), at no additional cost. Your healthcare in the Netherlands is reimbursed under the ‘Verdragspolis’. You can apply using this application form. The S1 form and the application form should be sent either by post to:

CZ
Afdeling Verdragspolis
Postbus 90152
5000 LD Tilburg

or by email to:  verdragspolis@cz.nl

Since you already pay a premium to your foreign health insurer, you do not need to pay a premium for the ‘Verdragspolis’. However, you do need to pay the compulsory deductible that applies in the Netherlands. This has been determined by the Dutch government.

Family members

If your family members live and work in the Netherlands, they are required to take out Dutch health insurance.
If they live with you but have income from outside the Netherlands, then they should be insured under the “Verdragpolis“.
If they live with you in the Netherlands but do not work, then they can either take out Dutch health insurance or be insured under the ‘Verdragspolis’ from CZ.

Posted non-EU/EER Worker Exemption

You are a posted worker if your employer sends you to work and live in another country on a temporary basis but you are still being paid by your home company. If there is a social security treaty between the Netherlands and a non-EU/EER country, the posted non-EU/EER worker may be exempt from the obligation to take out Dutch health insurance.

Treaty countries

Apart from the Member States of the EU and the EEA, the Netherlands also has social security agreements with the following countries:

  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Belize
  • Bosnia Herzegovina
  • Canada (including Quebec)
  • Cape Verde
  • Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Herm, Jethou)
  • Chile
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • Hong Kong
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Israel (except for the Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan)
  • Japan
  • Jordan
  • Kosovo
  • Macedonia
  • Man
  • Morocco
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • New Zealand
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Philippines
  • Serbia
  • Suriname
  • Thailand
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • United States of America
  • Uruguay
  • South Africa
  • South Korea

To avoid a fine from not having Dutch health insurance

You should test if you are exempt from taking out Dutch health insurance. As of 1 January 2015, the AWBZ has been changed so that what was covered under the old AWBZ is now covered in other insurance acts (see here). To determine if one would be exempt from the mandatory health insurance law or not, please see this link. By filling in the questionnaire, either online using your DigiD or submitting a printed form, the SVB will judge if one is required to have medical insurance from a Dutch company or not.

Other useful information:
Info on Netherlands cross-border health care (For example, if you want to be treated in a different EU country than where you are insured).
Health insurance information
Zorg Institute Nederland (Information in Dutch)