🇳🇱 Healthcare in the Netherlands
How the Dutch health insurance system works for students, when you must take out basisverzekering, and the emergency contacts every student should have.
🚨 Emergency numbers
The Netherlands has a high-quality but rules-heavy health system. Getting your insurance right on arrival is essential — the fines for going uninsured are significant.
The healthcare system
Dutch healthcare is built on mandatory private health insurance regulated by the government. Every resident of the Netherlands who works or pays income tax is legally required to take out a basisverzekering (basic health insurance) from a Dutch insurer within four months of registering as a resident. The basic package is identical across all insurers by law; competition happens on price and supplementary (aanvullende) cover.
Who must take out basisverzekering:
- Students who work in the Netherlands (including student jobs / bijbanen), even part-time.
- Students who receive Dutch student finance (studiefinanciering) — DUO pays a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) only if you are insured under basisverzekering.
- EU/EEA students staying longer than four months and registered with the municipality (gemeente).
Who may use their home-country coverage instead:
- Non-EU students who do not work and do not receive Dutch state benefits may be able to retain home-country or university-arranged international student insurance. Check with your institution's international office.
- EU/EEA students with a valid EHIC can use it for medically necessary care, but it does not replace Dutch insurance for long-term residents.
The eigen risico (annual deductible) under basisverzekering is €385 (2024). GP visits are exempt from this deductible. Insurers include Zilveren Kruis, CZ, VGZ, Menzis, and others; compare on independer.nl or zorgwijzer.nl.
Finding & registering with a doctor
The cornerstone of Dutch primary care is the huisarts (GP). You must register with a huisarts in your area — without one, access to specialists and prescriptions is severely restricted.
- Register as soon as you arrive. Most practices require proof of address and a BSN (citizen service number, obtained at the gemeente when registering as a resident).
- Search for practices accepting new patients on huisartszoeker.nl or ask your university's student health service.
- The huisarts acts as gatekeeper: virtually all specialist referrals, prescriptions, and diagnostic tests require going through them first.
- Outside office hours, call your local huisartsenpost (out-of-hours GP cooperative) — the number is usually printed on your practice's voicemail. Do not go to the hospital emergency department (spoedeisende hulp) for non-emergencies; in the Netherlands this is actively discouraged and may not be covered.
Tip: Register with a huisarts within your first week, even if you feel healthy — without one, a sudden illness means navigating the after-hours system under pressure.
Pharmacies & prescriptions
Pharmacies (apotheken) are found in most town centres and are typically linked to your registered huisarts. Prescription medicines are dispensed on a doctor's prescription and are largely covered by basisverzekering (after the eigen risico is met). Over-the-counter medicines (paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamines) are available in pharmacies and drogisterijen (drugstores such as Etos or Kruidvat). If you take regular medication, bring a supply and a letter from your doctor at home; your huisarts can continue the prescription once registered.
Emergencies & urgent care
| Situation | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Life-threatening (chest pain, stroke, unconsciousness) | Call 112 — ambulance dispatched immediately |
| Urgent out-of-hours illness (high fever, injury, severe pain) | Huisartsenpost (GP out-of-hours cooperative) — call first |
| Urgent care during office hours | Call your huisarts — same-day urgent slots (spoedconsult) exist |
| Routine illness | Your registered huisarts (appointment required) |
Going straight to a hospital spoedeisende hulp (A&E) without a referral is permitted for genuine emergencies but will result in a bill that may not be fully covered by your insurer if the urgency cannot be justified. Always call first when in doubt.
Mental health support
Mental health services in the Netherlands are primarily accessed via your huisarts, who can refer you to a psychologist (GGZ) or a psychiatrist. Short-course psychological care (generalistische basis GGZ) is covered by basisverzekering after the eigen risico. University counselling services (studentenpsychologen) offer free or low-cost sessions for enrolled students and are a good first step without needing a GP referral. The national 113 Zelfmoordpreventie helpline is available 24/7 by phone or online chat at 113.nl for anyone in crisis. Mind Korrelatie (0900-1450) offers telephone counselling for general psychological difficulties.