Health Insurance for Students in the Netherlands: Who Needs Dutch Cover

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Health insurance in the Netherlands works differently from most European countries, and it surprises many students. The Dutch government says that everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is legally obliged to take out standard health insurance. For international students, though, the answer depends on why you are in the country. Study alone does not put you in the Dutch system, while a paid job usually does. The rules below follow the official pages consulted in October 2026; the details of your case are decided by the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), so confirm there if in doubt.

If you only study

According to Study in NL, the official information site for international students, if you come to the Netherlands for study purposes only, you are not allowed to take out Dutch public health insurance. The site tells you to use health insurance from your home country with enough coverage, or to take out private health insurance. EU and EEA students may be eligible for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); the site advises checking with your home insurer, because this differs between member states.

The Dutch tax authority says the same from the other side: a student who only studies, with no part-time job and no paid internship, stays insured for healthcare in the home country. Private policies for students who study abroad exist, and the government notes that some insurers offer policies to people moving to the Netherlands to study, but they are only open to people who do not hold Dutch health insurance and do not have a permanent residence permit.

Whichever route you choose, arrange cover before you travel. Your university or your residence permit procedure, described in the student visa guide for the Netherlands, may ask you to show it.

When a job or internship changes the rule

Study in NL states that you must have Dutch public health insurance if you have a (part-time) job. The same page describes internships:

• Students from outside the EU, the EEA, Switzerland and treaty countries: you are insured under the Wlz scheme, and therefore need Dutch insurance, if you are paid at least the Dutch minimum wage for the internship. Expenses count as pay, and room and board may count too.
• Students from the EU, EEA, Switzerland and treaty countries: you are insured if you are also insured under an employee insurance scheme. The site notes that the rules for this group changed on 1 September 2025, without describing the change, so check the SVB before accepting an internship.
• Self-employed students can ask the SVB for a Wlz assessment, which decides whether Dutch insurance is required.

Work during your studies is covered in working while studying in the Netherlands.

How to take out Dutch insurance

Study in NL lists the order of steps:

1. Register with your municipality first.
2. Choose a Dutch insurer and send the application form.
3. Your registration is complete when you receive the policy sheet (polisblad).
4. If you stop working or leave the country, cancel the insurance and deregister from the municipality.

The government states that the basic package covers things like visits to a general practitioner, hospital treatment and prescription medication. Extras such as dental care are optional additions. For the current premium, compare the insurers' own websites.

Healthcare allowance

The tax authority says you can get healthcare benefit (zorgtoeslag) only if you must take out Dutch health insurance. In practice, according to the page for new students:

• studying plus a paid part-time job: Dutch insurance is required, so the benefit is possible;
• an internship paid at or above the Dutch minimum wage: Dutch insurance is required, so the benefit is possible;
• studying only, or an internship with no pay or pay below the minimum wage: you stay insured at home and cannot get the benefit.

Temporary visitor health insurance does not qualify. Take out Dutch insurance first, then apply to the Belastingdienst. The amount depends on your situation, and we do not quote it here.

The CAK letter

If the authorities think you should have Dutch insurance and you have none, the CAK sends a letter. Study in NL says to act within three months or face a fine; the page gives EUR 529.72. You can ask the SVB for a free Wlz investigation, which can take 6 to 8 weeks, and send the decision to the CAK. The CAK closes your file if the assessment says you are not insured. The page says to react even when the letter was sent in error.

After your studies

If you stay and start working, you must apply for Dutch insurance then. During an orientation year on a search permit, Study in NL says you cannot take out Dutch public insurance until you start working, and that you can take international health insurance instead. While your residence permit application is undecided, the government says you cannot take out Dutch insurance at all. See working after graduation in the Netherlands.

Where to look next

• Health insurance for students in Europe
• How much it costs to study in the Netherlands
• Bachelor's programmes in English in the Netherlands: our catalogue lists 381 English-taught programmes among 1,303 programmes at 158 institutions.

Official sources

• Study in NL: Healthcare insurance: study only, work, internships, CAK
• Belastingdienst: Healthcare benefit if you come to study
• Government of the Netherlands: Health insurance
• Government of the Netherlands: Health insurance and residence permit

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.