Health insurance when you work in the Netherlands

The short answer

For ordinary employment with a Dutch employer, Dutch basic health insurance is generally required. Arrange it promptly and check the start date with the insurer. The usual deadline is four months after the insurance obligation begins; this is not a reason to wait.

A monthly insurance premium is different from tax or an employer’s healthcare contribution. Budget for the policy you actually choose. Cross-border workers, posted workers and people with an overseas employer may have different social-insurance rules. SVB can investigate whether you are insured under the Wlz.

First establish the correct insurance route

Ordinary Dutch employment, posting under an A1 certificate, multi-country work and temporary protection can lead to different healthcare arrangements. A nationality or an EHIC card alone does not settle the question. Ask the responsible institution when the facts are unclear and keep its written assessment.

Then compare cost and access

For ordinary basic insurance, consider premium, compulsory and voluntary deductible, covered care and access to providers. Register with a GP rather than waiting until you are ill. If income is low, check healthcare-benefit conditions separately. The cheapest monthly premium is not always the lowest total cost for your expected care.

What to do next

First establish which system covers you: ordinary Dutch insurance, a cross-border arrangement, or RMO under temporary protection.
For ordinary insurance, compare coverage and contracted providers, confirm the start date and keep the policy.
Register with a local GP and check the official conditions for healthcare allowance separately; do not automatically add it to your salary.

A practical example

If you have confirmed RMO coverage as a displaced person from Ukraine, do not automatically enter a standard monthly Dutch insurance premium in a budget. Check the actual arrangement and any voluntary policy first.

For people with temporary protection from Ukraine

Ukraine: work, temporary protection and RMO

Explore this topic

Zorgtoeslag: help with Dutch health insurance costs
Check whether you can receive healthcare benefit, which income to estimate and what to change when your wages rise.
Eigen risico: the Dutch health insurance deductible
Understand the 2026 deductible, why a GP visit differs from a laboratory bill and how to budget for treatment.
Registering with a GP in the Netherlands
Arrange a huisarts before you need one, prepare your details and understand what to do when a practice is full.
EHIC or Dutch health insurance when you start work?
An EHIC is useful for temporary stays, but it does not by itself decide where a worker must be insured.
A1 certificates for posted workers
Check which country’s social-security rules apply while you work temporarily in the Netherlands.

Questions people ask

Does a foreign insurance card settle the question?

Not always. An EHIC is not a substitute for checking insurance obligations when you start work or move. Ask the insurer or SVB about your actual residence and work situation.

Can agency workers receive zorgtoeslag?

Employment through an agency does not itself exclude you. The insurance, income, assets and other benefit conditions still have to be met.

Do I pay €385 every year automatically?

No. You pay deductible charges when you use care to which the deductible applies. Unused deductible is not a separate yearly invoice.

Do I need a BSN to start looking for a GP?

You can contact a practice to discuss registration and care while sorting out documents. Explain missing details; do not postpone urgent medical care because paperwork is incomplete.

Can I keep using my home-country EHIC after starting a Dutch job?

Do not assume so. Confirm which country is responsible for your insurance and whether Dutch basic insurance is required.

Sources

Last verified: 4 October 2026. Sources are in Dutch or English.