Health insurance in the Netherlands (2026 guide for expats)

If you live or work in the Netherlands, basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is mandatory and you must arrange it within four months of registering. In 2026 the cheapest basic policy costs €147.40 per month and the most expensive of the major insurers €158.50, with a statutory deductible (eigen risico) of €385 that you pay yourself before most care is reimbursed.

Because the government fixes exactly what is in the basic package, the cover is identical at every insurer. That makes this an unusually simple decision: you are choosing on price, on which hospitals near you are contracted, and on service. Here is what each insurer charges in 2026.

Compulsory basic insurance for everyone

Key points about basic health insurance:

• Everyone living or working in the Netherlands is required to have it
• The Dutch government sets exactly what is in the basic package, so the cover is identical at every insurer
• Because the package is standardised, you choose mainly on price, service and contracted hospitals
• Children under 18 are insured for free on a parent's policy

The deductible (eigen risico)

In 2026 the statutory deductible is €385. This is the amount you pay out of your own pocket each year before your insurer starts reimbursing covered care.

• Visits to your family doctor (huisarts) are exempt — they are always free at the point of use
• You can voluntarily raise your deductible (to €485, €585, €685, €785 or €885) in exchange for a lower monthly premium, typically saving around €5–€9 per month per €100 of extra deductible — only worthwhile if you rarely need care
• After you have paid the deductible, your insurer reimburses the remaining covered costs

Supplementary insurance

How to choose your own health insurance

When selecting health insurance in the Netherlands:

• Compare the monthly premium and the contracted hospitals near you
• Decide whether you want a naturapolis (care from contracted providers) or a restitutiepolis (free choice of provider, usually pricier)
• Check whether any supplementary cover you need is offered and affordable
• If your income is below a threshold, you may qualify for healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) from the Tax Authority, which offsets part of the premium

How to arrange it as a newcomer

The order matters here, and getting it wrong is what causes the backdated bills people complain about.

1. Register with your municipality (gemeente). You get a BSN, the citizen service number. Almost no insurer can complete an application without it.
2. Take out basic insurance within four months of that registration. Your policy is backdated to the date you became insurable — usually your arrival — so a late start means paying for the months in between anyway, plus a possible fine.
3. Choose your policy type. A naturapolis reimburses care from providers your insurer has a contract with, and less from others. A restitutiepolis lets you go anywhere and costs more. If you have a hospital or clinic in mind, check it is contracted before you sign.
4. Apply for healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) at the Belastingdienst if your income is below the threshold. It is a monthly contribution towards your premium and a lot of people simply never claim it. You need DigiD for this.
5. Add supplementary cover in the same application if you want it. Insurers can refuse or set conditions on supplementary packages; they can never refuse you for the basic insurance.

Where to arrange health insurance

Because the basic package is fixed by law, the cover is identical at every insurer — so the only things worth comparing are the monthly premium, the contracted hospitals near you and the supplementary packages on offer. Around a dozen insurers operate in the Netherlands; the two below are the ones we work with.

Setting up the rest of your household admin too? Our overview of insurance in the Netherlands explains what is compulsory beyond health cover, and we have separate guides to home insurance, car insurance and legal insurance.