Do I need to take out a Dutch health insurance if I am studying?

Different rules apply depending on whether you are under the age of 30 or older.

Students under the age of 30

If you are a student under the age of 30 and you are in the Netherlands for study purposes only (and don’t have a part-time job or paid internship), you are not required to take out a Dutch health insurance. Keep in mind that everybody in the Netherlands must be insured for medical care expenses. Therefore, you will have to make alternative arrangements for healthcare insurance. See below some of the arrangements you may have to do in order to be insured:

• Stay insured for your medical care through a national health system in your home country. If this is the case, make sure this provides adequate coverage during your stay in the Netherlands. If you are from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you are probably eligible to receive a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card provides coverage for necessary medical care costs while in the Netherlands. Check with your insurance company if that is an option. You can apply for the EHIC in your home country. More information is available on the European Commission website
• Take out a private insurance policy. There are private health insurance packages on the market especially for international students

If you have a paid internship and/or a part-time job next to your study, you are required to take out a basisverzekering (basic health insurance) with a Dutch health insurer. Some companies offering special health insurance packages for students who don’t need to take out a Dutch health insurance are :

www.loonzorg.nl , /www.aonstudentinsurance.com/students/en/ and /www.oominsurance.com/to-the-netherlands/oom-studying-in-the-netherlands-insurance/

Criteria for students aged 30 years or older

If you are 30 years of age or older, the following two criteria determine if you need to take out a Dutch healthcare insurance:

• If you are employed, you will need to take out Dutch public healthcare insurance
• If your stay is classified as a permanent stay, you will need to take out Dutch healthcare insurance

Your stay is classified as a permanent stay if your social, economic and legal base is in the Netherlands. This is generally considered to be the case if your stay lasts longer than one year.

Stays of less than one year are generally considered to be temporary. However, to assess whether your stay is permanent or temporary, the Social Security Office (Sociale Verzekeringbank – SVB) takes a range of factors into consideration. Circumstances that may lead to your stay in the Netherlands being classified as temporary include regular return visits to your home country (including holidays), having a partner in your home country and maintaining a residence in your home country. In other words, your particular situation will always be taken into account.

If you want to be sure where you stand, you can always submit your case to the SVB.