Health insurance
Health insurance is mandatory
All international students are required by law to have appropriate health insurance for the duration of your stay in the Netherlands.
You are also advised to take out an appropriate general third-party insurance (liability insurance). For non-EEA/EU students requesting a residence permit through the UvA, liability insurance is mandatory.
Please check before you come to the Netherlands whether your insurance will cover the complete period of your stay abroad, and what type of coverage it consists of.
Financial penalty
- If you do not take out health insurance, you risk having to pay a penalty of around 130% of the nominal premium for each month that you are uninsured, plus a fine of around €375 if you do not pay on time.
- The Dutch government organisation Zorginstituut Nederland will initially contact you with a letter in Dutch, stating that you are not insured and will be fined, even if you have already arranged insurance for your stay in the Netherlands private health insurance or a European Health Insurance Card. You can find a translation of the letter here.
- If you receive such a letter, you always will need to take action. By taking action you will prevent a lot of bureaucratic hassle and financial penalties for yourself. Please use this Objection form (PDF, 2 p.).
Another document, prepared by Nuffic, contains further instructions on how to appeal (PDF, 1 p.).
- If you, however, received such a letter, and did not take action, you need to submit a form called ‘AWBZ insurance position’ to the SVB (Social Security Bank). Read the translation of the letter carefully for information on what you should do.
Types of health insurance
Private health insurance
If you are not employed, private health care agreements for international students will most likely suffice for you.
European Health Insurance (EHIC)
If you are a citizen from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you can apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can obtain the European Health Insurance Card free of charge by contacting your local health authority. EHIC will cover the most basic and emergency healthcare costs.
Basic health insurance (Basisverzekering)
From the moment you start a (part-time) job, or an internship that pays more than €150 per month, you are required by law to take out basic health care insurance, even if you are covered by another health insurance provider.