Insurance in the Netherlands: the 2026 guide for expats
Which insurance is mandatory in the Netherlands and which is optional? An overview of Dutch health, car, liability, home and legal insurance, what each costs in 2026, and where to arrange it.
Moving to the Netherlands means sorting out insurance, and the first thing to know is that only two types are genuinely compulsory: health insurance for everyone who lives or works here, and car insurance if you own a vehicle. Everything else is optional — though a few are so standard that Dutch households treat them as a given. This page explains which is which, what each costs in 2026, and where to arrange it.
Which insurance is mandatory in the Netherlands?
| Insurance | Required? | Typical cost in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance (zorgverzekering) | Yes — within 4 months of registering | €147–€159 per month |
| Car insurance (autoverzekering) | Yes — for every registered vehicle | From €40 per month |
| Liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering) | No, but near-universal | A few euros per month |
| Contents insurance (inboedelverzekering) | No | €5–€15 per month |
| Buildings insurance (opstalverzekering) | No, but required by your mortgage lender | €30–€40 per month |
| Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering) | No | €8–€20 per month |
Health insurance (zorgverzekering)
Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must have basic health insurance. The government fixes exactly what is in the basic package, so the cover is identical at every insurer and you are choosing purely on price, contracted hospitals and service. Children under 18 are insured free on a parent's policy, and if your income is below a threshold you may qualify for healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) to offset part of the premium.
Car insurance (autoverzekering)
If you own a car here, third-party liability cover (WA-verzekering) is the legal minimum. Above that you can choose limited comprehensive (WA+) or fully comprehensive (allrisk), depending on what your car is worth. The single biggest lever on your premium is your number of claim-free years — and if you drove abroad before, many Dutch insurers will recognise that record if you get a statement from your previous insurer.
Home insurance (woonverzekering)
Home insurance splits in two. Buildings insurance (opstal) covers the structure and is effectively required if you buy with a mortgage. Contents insurance (inboedel) covers your belongings and is worth having whether you own or rent — as a tenant the building is your landlord's problem, but your possessions are not.
Liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering)
Almost every Dutch household has liability insurance, and it is the cheapest peace of mind you can buy — usually a few euros a month. It covers damage you accidentally cause to other people or their property: your child breaks a neighbour's window, you knock over someone's laptop, your dog bites a passer-by. It is not mandatory, but landlords and Dutch households treat it as standard.
Where to arrange liability insurance
A family policy usually costs a few euros a month. Each link goes straight to the insurer's premium calculator.
InShared
Fully digital, and leftover claims reserves go back to customers.
- Leftover claims reserves are returned to customers each year
- Everything arranged digitally, around the clock
- No offices or advisors, so a low cost base
InShared operates without offices or advisors, which keeps its cost base low. Whatever is left of the money set aside for claims is not kept as profit but paid back to policyholders through its annual JaarBalans.
When to pick this one
If you want it arranged online in five minutes
Calculate your premiumThe quote form itself is in DutchCentraal Beheer
One of the largest Dutch insurers, part of the Achmea group.
- Broad range, so you can keep every policy with one insurer
- Part of Achmea, the largest insurance group in the Netherlands
- Has an English page explaining car insurance
Centraal Beheer has been insuring Dutch households since 1909 and belongs to Achmea, the biggest insurance group in the country. Its strength is breadth: buildings, contents, car, liability and legal cover can all sit with one insurer and one point of contact.
When to pick this one
If you want to bundle it with your home insurance
Calculate your premiumThe quote form itself is in DutchUnivé
A cooperative with 1.8 million members and around 100 local branches.
- Cooperative without a profit motive, 1.8 million members
- Around 100 local branches for face-to-face advice
- Covers home, car, legal and health insurance
Univé is a cooperative without shareholders. Having no profit motive means the result goes back to its members, as Univé puts it. It is the only insurer in this list with a physical network: roughly 100 branches where you can sit down with an advisor — useful if you would rather not arrange everything through a website in a language you are still learning.
When to pick this one
If you are taking several policies and want the package discount
Calculate your premiumThe quote form itself is in DutchFBTO
Build your own package — you only pay for the modules you pick.
- Modular: you only pay for the cover you actually choose
- Fully online, no advisor appointment needed
- Part of the Achmea group
FBTO is Achmea's online brand. Instead of fixed packages it sells separate modules, so you can insure your contents without also buying cover you will never use. Everything is arranged online.
When to pick this one
If you want liability cover on its own
Calculate your premiumThe quote form itself is in DutchAllianz Direct
The online arm of Allianz, and the only insurer here with English product pages.
- English product pages for car and home insurance
- Part of the international Allianz group
- Arranged entirely online, no intermediary
Allianz Direct is the direct-to-consumer brand of Allianz, one of the largest insurance groups in the world. For English speakers it is the easiest place to start in this list: it has English pages for both car and home insurance. The premium calculation and the application itself are still in Dutch.
When to pick this one
If you are taking it alongside their home cover
Calculate your premiumThe quote form itself is in Dutch
We compare on published facts — cover, service model and price — and we say who suits which situation. That is general information, not personal advice tailored to you. These are affiliate links: we earn a commission if you take out a policy, at no extra cost to you and with no effect on your premium.
Legal expenses insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering)
Legal insurance covers the cost of legal advice and representation in a dispute — with an employer, a landlord, a retailer, or after a traffic accident. Most policies are modular, so you pay only for the areas you want covered. Note the waiting period: most policies will not cover a dispute that started in the first three months.
Social insurance (sociale verzekeringen)
If you are employed in the Netherlands, social insurance is arranged for you — contributions for unemployment, long-term illness and state pension are withheld from your salary automatically. There is nothing to arrange and nothing to compare.
Self-employed people are the exception. You are not covered for illness or disability by default, so an income protection policy (arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering, AOV) is something you have to arrange yourself if you want that safety net.
Only two. Basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is compulsory for everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands, and third-party car insurance (WA) is compulsory for every registered vehicle. Everything else is optional, though buildings insurance is required by mortgage lenders and liability insurance is close to universal.
Within four months of registering with your municipality. The policy is backdated to your arrival date, so arranging it late means paying premiums for the months in between, and a fine is possible.
Generally no for health insurance — if you live or work in the Netherlands you must take out a Dutch basic policy, even if you are covered elsewhere. For travel or contents cover from abroad, check whether the policy still applies once your main residence is Dutch.
Very few. Most Dutch insurers have Dutch-only websites and quote forms; a couple have English product pages but still run the application itself in Dutch. It is worth having a Dutch speaker beside you, or choosing an insurer with local branches where you can go in person.
In 2026, expect €147–€159 for basic health insurance, from €40 for car insurance, €5–€15 for contents cover, €30–€40 for buildings cover, €8–€20 for legal expenses and a few euros for liability cover.
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