Moving to NL

Guide

Mandatory health insurance and healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag)

Who this is for: Anyone coming to live or work in the Netherlands who needs to know whether Dutch health insurance is compulsory for them, how to take it out on time, and whether they can get zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) towards the cost.

In 60 seconds

If you live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) is compulsory, with only limited exceptions. You must take it out within 4 months of becoming liable — for most non-EU/EEA nationals that means within 4 months of your residence permit taking effect — and cover is not backdated if you're late, so a gap means unpaid bills and a risk of being fined. You can't apply for Dutch insurance before a decision has been made on your residence permit. Everyone 18 or older with basic insurance also pays a mandatory annual deductible (eigen risico) before the insurer starts paying — €385, as stated on the government.nl page checked on 2026-09-17 — except GP visits, which are always free. Once you have Dutch insurance, you can apply for zorgtoeslag, a contribution towards your premium and deductible: for 2026 your income must not exceed €40,857 alone or €51,142 with a toeslagpartner, and your assets on 1 January 2026 must not exceed €146,011 alone or €184,633 combined, with a maximum of €129/month (single) or €246/month (with partner) at the lowest incomes, tapering to zero as income rises.

Step by step

  1. 1 Check whether Dutch health insurance is compulsory for you

    Anyone coming to live or work in the Netherlands is legally required to take out Dutch health insurance, with limited exceptions (for example, some people employed by an employer outside the Netherlands, or EU civil servants covered by the EU's own JSIS scheme). If you still need a residence permit, you cannot take out Dutch health insurance until a decision has been made on that application.

    Where
    No visit needed — this is a self-check before you apply for a policy.
    How long
    Immediate — this is a self-check, not an appointment.
    Cost
    Free.

    What to bring

    • Your employment/residence situation
    • Your residence permit decision, if applicable

  2. 2 Take out a basic policy (basisverzekering) within 4 months

    Choose a Dutch insurer and take out the basisverzekering — the standard package every insurer must offer, covering GP care, hospital treatment and prescription medication — within 4 months of becoming liable. For non-EU/EEA nationals this generally means within 4 months of your residence permit coming into force, and cover must start from that same date. If you take out insurance after the 4-month window, cover is not backdated: you are not reimbursed for care received in the meantime, and you may be fined. The monthly premium itself is set by each insurer, not by the government, so no figure is given here.

    Where
    Directly with a Dutch health insurer of your choice (the basic package is the same everywhere; insurers differ on premium and optional extras).
    How long
    Within 4 months of becoming liable (e.g. your residence permit taking effect); as quickly as possible is safer, since cover is not backdated.
    Cost
    The monthly premium is set by your chosen insurer, not the government, so it is not stated here; see the next step for the one government-set cost that applies to everyone.

    What to bring

    • BSN
    • Proof of your residence permit decision (non-EU/EEA nationals)
    • Your Dutch address

  3. 3 Know your mandatory deductible (eigen risico)

    If you are 18 or older, you pay a mandatory annual deductible for care covered by the basic package: the first part of your healthcare costs each calendar year comes out of your own pocket before your insurer starts paying. Visits to your GP are excluded — you never pay towards the deductible for those.

    Where
    Applied automatically by your insurer; no separate visit or application needed.
    How long
    Applies per calendar year (resets every 1 January).
    Cost
    €385 per year for anyone 18 or older, as stated on the government.nl page checked on 2026-09-17 (the page itself does not name a specific year — confirm it is still current before relying on it for a later year).

  4. 4 Apply for zorgtoeslag if your income and assets are within the limits

    Once you have Dutch health insurance, you can apply for zorgtoeslag — a contribution towards your premium and mandatory deductible — via Mijn toeslagen on the Dienst Toeslagen (Belastingdienst) website; you cannot apply before your insurance is in place. For 2026: your annual income must not exceed €40,857 if you have no toeslagpartner, or a combined €51,142 if you do; your assets on 1 January 2026 must not exceed €146,011 alone or €184,633 combined. At the lowest incomes (up to €29,500) the maximum is €129/month for a single person or €246/month combined with a partner; the amount decreases as income rises, reaching zero at €41,000+ (single) or €51,500+ (combined).

    Where
    Mijn toeslagen, on the Belastingdienst / Dienst Toeslagen website.
    How long
    You can request zorgtoeslag for a given year up to and including 31 December of the following year (e.g. 2025 zorgtoeslag can still be requested up to 31 December 2026).
    Cost
    Not stated by the official sources checked — no belastingdienst.nl page fetched mentions a fee for applying.

    What to bring

    • Your Dutch health insurance policy details
    • An estimate of your (and your toeslagpartner's, if any) income and assets for the year

Common mistakes

  • Waiting past the 4-month window — cover is not backdated, so any care received before your policy starts is not reimbursed and you risk a fine.
  • Trying to take out Dutch health insurance before a decision has been made on your residence permit application — you have to wait for that decision first.
  • Forgetting the mandatory €385 deductible exists on top of the monthly premium, and being surprised by a bill for care that is not your GP.
  • Assuming zorgtoeslag is automatic — you have to apply for it yourself via Mijn toeslagen, and only after your Dutch insurance is already in place.
  • Missing the zorgtoeslag deadline for a given year — you can no longer request it once 31 December of the following year has passed.

When this does not apply to you

  • You work for an employer based outside the Netherlands and remain covered under that country's scheme — check with government.nl or your employer whether you are exempt.
  • You are an EU civil servant covered under the EU's own JSIS health scheme — you are not required to take out Dutch insurance.
  • Your income or assets are above the 2026 zorgtoeslag limits in this guide — you are still required to have Dutch health insurance, but you will not receive zorgtoeslag towards it.

Not covered here

This guide deliberately says nothing about dental insurance, travel insurance, liability insurance, car insurance, dutch passport. Those are separate procedures with their own rules; guessing about them would do more harm than staying silent.

This guide gives general information, not legal or tax advice. Health insurance rules, the deductible and zorgtoeslag amounts change from year to year — always confirm current figures at government.nl and belastingdienst.nl before you rely on them.

Facts last checked against their sources on 2026-09-17.