Quick answers: healthcare in Netherlands
- How much does health insurance cost in Netherlands for expats?
- Indicative international health insurance for a 32-year-old living in Netherlands (inpatient and outpatient, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA) typically costs £215 to £285 a month, with a median of £247 and the cheapest at £102, based on 13 plan quotes from the 14 insurers on our panel, taken in 2026-09. Your price depends on your age, medical history, plan and deductible, and is only confirmed by the insurer.
- How much does expat health insurance cost by age in Netherlands?
- Indicative median monthly premiums in Netherlands (inpatient and outpatient, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA): age 25 US$230, age 35 US$322, age 45 US$421, age 55 US$652, age 65 US$1,114. Quotes taken 2026-09; the insurer confirms the final price. Shown in US$. Other HealthiNomad prices are in GBP.
- Do foreigners need health insurance in Netherlands?
- It depends on the visa. Anyone who lives or works in the Netherlands (including work permit and highly skilled migrant holders): Must take out Dutch basic health insurance with a Dutch insurer, even if already insured in another country. Residence permit holders: Dutch health insurance must be taken out within 4 months of the residence permit coming into force and must run from the date the permit takes effect. Employees of an employer outside the Netherlands: Where the employer is based outside the Netherlands, insurance from the country the worker came from is enough; Dutch basic insurance is not required. International students (study only): Students in the Netherlands only to study are not allowed to take out Dutch public health insurance and must keep home-country cover or buy private insurance. Countries that require travel insurance to enter
- Can foreigners use public healthcare in Netherlands?
- Residents access care through their basic insurance, usually starting with a GP (huisarts) who refers on to hospital specialists. GP care, including the out-of-hours GP post, is not subject to the compulsory excess, which is 385 euros in 2026. Care for chronic conditions through coordinated programmes, midwifery and maternity care are also excluded from the excess.
- Do hospitals in Netherlands ask foreigners to pay upfront?
- Patients with Dutch basic insurance are billed through their insurer. Uninsured patients and visitors pay the published passanten rates, and hospitals may ask for payment in advance before some planned treatments are scheduled. The out-of-hours GP post charges set consultation fees and asks patients to bring identity documents.
- What is the emergency number in Netherlands?
- Call 112 for an ambulance in Netherlands.
What health insurance costs in Netherlands (indicative)
These are indicative prices, based on 13 plan quotes from the 14 international insurers on our panel, for one standard profile: a 32-year-old living in Netherlands, inpatient and outpatient cover, mid-level plan, worldwide excluding the USA. The typical monthly price is £215 to £285, with a median of £247 and the cheapest at £102. Your actual price depends on your age, medical history, the plan, your deductible and where you want cover, and is only confirmed by the insurer. Snapshot 2026-09-24. See the Health Insurance Cost Index.
Indicative prices: the 5 lowest of 13 plan quotes, monthly in GBP, cheapest mid-level plan in each insurer's range. Quotes taken 2026-09-24.
See the figures
| Age | Cheapest | Median | Higher end | Plans quoted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | US$112 | US$230 | US$268 | 14 |
| 35 | US$159 | US$322 | US$367 | 14 |
| 45 | US$192 | US$421 | US$441 | 14 |
| 55 | US$250 | US$652 | US$717 | 14 |
| 65 | US$374 | US$1,114 | US$1,224 | 13 |
Indicative. Single adult, inpatient and outpatient, cheapest mid-level plan per insurer, worldwide excluding the USA. Quotes taken 2026-09-29. The insurer confirms the final price. Shown in US$. Other HealthiNomad prices are in GBP.
How healthcare works for expats
Healthcare in the Netherlands is funded through compulsory private basic health insurance (basisverzekering) that everyone who lives or works in the country must hold. The basic package covers GP visits, hospital care, mental health care and pharmacy costs, and insurers sell optional supplementary cover on top. Hospital prices are set per care product (DBC), and every hospital publishes its own list of rates for patients without a contracted insurer.
Public care and state schemes
Residents access care through their basic insurance, usually starting with a GP (huisarts) who refers on to hospital specialists. GP care, including the out-of-hours GP post, is not subject to the compulsory excess, which is 385 euros in 2026. Care for chronic conditions through coordinated programmes, midwifery and maternity care are also excluded from the excess.
Private hospitals
There is no separate private hospital system in the usual sense: hospitals and independent treatment centres (ZBCs) all charge set tariffs per care product. Patients who are uninsured or whose insurer has no contract with the hospital pay the hospital's published passanten (walk-in) prices, which vary between hospitals.
Paying up front
Patients with Dutch basic insurance are billed through their insurer. Uninsured patients and visitors pay the published passanten rates, and hospitals may ask for payment in advance before some planned treatments are scheduled. The out-of-hours GP post charges set consultation fees and asks patients to bring identity documents.
Typical medical costs in Netherlands
Published prices, mostly from private hospitals. Pound figures are approximate conversions.
| Treatment | Price | About |
|---|---|---|
| GP consultation for a non-registered patient (passant), 5 to 20 minutes up to 20 minutes or longer, NZa maximum tariff5 Nationwide, per consultation | €34 to €68 | £29 to £58 |
| Out-of-hours GP post consultation, Huisartsenpost Amstelland7 Amstelland region (Amsterdam area), per consultation (from 1 February 2026) | €214 | £184 |
| Specialist outpatient care product covering 1 or 2 outpatient visits (e.g. inguinal hernia or gallbladder), OLVG1 Amsterdam, per care product (passanten rate) | €450 | £387 |
| MRI scan, single region (lumbar spine to cardiac MRI), Deventer Ziekenhuis3 Deventer, per scan (passanten rate, imaging item) | €288 to €484 | £248 to £416 |
| CT scan (facial skull to abdomen), Deventer Ziekenhuis3 Deventer, per scan (passanten rate, imaging item) | €167 to €232 | £144 to £200 |
| Blood test order fee including blood draw, Anna Ziekenhuis (individual tests extra, e.g. haemoglobin 2.21 euros, TSH 6.23 euros)4 Geldrop, per order | €17 | £14 |
| Spontaneous (normal) birth, hospital care product, OLVG1 Amsterdam, per birth (passanten rate) | €4,752 | £4,089 |
| Outpatient hospital birth without medical indication, hospital charge without and with delivery assistance, Deventer Ziekenhuis2 Deventer, per birth | €753 to €884 | £648 to £760 |
| Caesarean section, hospital care product, OLVG1 Amsterdam, per birth (passanten rate) | €8,434 | £7,257 |
| Hip replacement for osteoarthritis during hospital admission, OLVG1 Amsterdam, per care product (passanten rate) | €17,647 | £15,186 |
| Cataract operation, standard to complex, OLVG1 Amsterdam, per care product (passanten rate) | €2,413 to €3,690 | £2,077 to £3,175 |
| Inguinal hernia repair, one side, open to keyhole, OLVG1 Amsterdam, per care product (passanten rate) | €4,550 to €5,353 | £3,916 to £4,606 |
| Appendix removal (appendectomy), OLVG1 Amsterdam, per care product (passanten rate) | €10,279 | £8,845 |
| Prescription example: amoxicillin 500 mg tablets or capsules, medicine price8 Nationwide, per pack, medicine price only (excludes pharmacy dispensing fees) | €4 to €5 | £3 to £4 |
Health insurance rules for foreigners
Anyone who lives or works in the Netherlands (including work permit and highly skilled migrant holders)
Must take out Dutch basic health insurance with a Dutch insurer, even if already insured in another country. There are 4 months to do so; a policy taken out after 4 months is not backdated.10,12
Residence permit holders
Dutch health insurance must be taken out within 4 months of the residence permit coming into force and must run from the date the permit takes effect. It cannot be taken out before a decision on the permit application.11
Employees of an employer outside the Netherlands
Where the employer is based outside the Netherlands, insurance from the country the worker came from is enough; Dutch basic insurance is not required.10
International students (study only)
Students in the Netherlands only to study are not allowed to take out Dutch public health insurance and must keep home-country cover or buy private insurance. EU/EEA students may be able to use a European Health Insurance Card.13
International students with a job or paid internship
A student with a (part-time) job must take out Dutch public health insurance. Non-EU/EEA paid interns are covered if paid at least the Dutch minimum wage.13
Short-stay Schengen visa applicants
Travel insurance must cover at least 30,000 euros in medical expenses, including hospital admission, emergency treatment, prescription medicine and repatriation, valid in all Schengen countries for the whole stay.14
Holders of Dutch basic insurance
The compulsory excess (eigen risico) is 385 euros in 2026. GP care, the out-of-hours GP post, midwifery and maternity care are exempt.9
Tips before you buy cover
- Register with a local GP soon after arrival: registered patients pay the standard NZa consultation tariff (13.18 euros for 5 to 20 minutes in 2026), while non-registered patients can be charged the higher passanten rate.
- Hospital prices for uninsured patients differ between hospitals, so check the passanten price list of the specific hospital before planned treatment.
- Dutch hospital prices cover a whole care product (DBC), which can include several visits, tests and the procedure, rather than a single appointment.
- Bring a valid identity document and a current medication overview to the out-of-hours GP post.
- If you start working while studying, arrange Dutch basic insurance, as private student cover is no longer enough.
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Sources
- 1.Passantenprijslijst zorgproducten 2026 OLVG, versie 1-1-2026, OLVG (January 2026)
- 2.Tarieven en vergoeding, Deventer Ziekenhuis (accessed September 2026)
- 3.Passanten tarieven 2026 Deventer Ziekenhuis, Deventer Ziekenhuis (2026)
- 4.Standaard prijslijst Overige producten Laboratorium schadejaar 2026, Anna Ziekenhuis (January 2026)
- 5.NZa-maximumtarieven huisartsenzorg 2026, Huisartsenpraktijk van Eerd (reproducing NZa maximum tariffs) (2026)
- 6.NZa-tarieven 2026 bekend, Landelijke Huisartsen Vereniging (LHV) (July 2025)
- 7.Costs, Huisartsenpost Amstelland (February 2026)
- 8.Medicijnkosten.nl: amoxicilline, Zorginstituut Nederland (accessed September 2026)
- 9.Wanneer betaal ik een eigen risico voor mijn zorg?, Rijksoverheid (accessed September 2026)
- 10.I am coming to live or work in the Netherlands. When do I need to take out compulsory health insurance?, Government of the Netherlands (accessed September 2026)
- 11.Health insurance and residence permit, Government of the Netherlands (accessed September 2026)
- 12.Taking out compulsory health insurance, Government of the Netherlands (accessed September 2026)
- 13.Healthcare insurance, Study in NL (Nuffic) (accessed September 2026)
- 14.What kind of insurance do I need when applying for a visa for the Netherlands?, NetherlandsWorldwide (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) (accessed September 2026)
- 15.Emergency number 112, Government of the Netherlands (accessed September 2026)
- 16.Prijslijsten, Ziekenhuis Rivierenland (accessed September 2026)
- 17.Euro foreign exchange reference rates (25 September 2026: GBP 0.86045, ZAR 18.5798 per EUR), European Central Bank (25 September 2026)
Costs and rules change. Always check with the hospital, the insurer or the relevant authority before relying on a figure.