In the Netherlands a valid health insurance is compulsory. There are three different types of health insurances. It depends on your personal situation which type of healthcare is applicable to you.
- Private insurance for non-EU/EEA students
- Health Insurance Card for EU/EEA and Switzerland (EHIC)
- Dutch public healthcare insurance (basic health insurance) when having a job or doing an internship and when staying permanent
If you are
- coming to the Netherlands for study purposes only
- your stay is not permanent
- you will not work next to your study nor you will do an internship
you need to check whether your current insurance covers your stay in Holland.
Please inquire at your insurance agent at your home country and check whether there is a health insurance treaty between your home country and the Netherlands.
If your current insurance does not cover, you need to take out a private healthcare insurance for you and ,if applicable, your family members as well (as long as they neither will have a job nor do an internship).
We recommend you take out an adequate private student insurance, covering many other things as well. Please note that repatriation and liability are included but existing medical conditions and pregnancy are excluded.
We can provide you with a brochure about this insurance, please inquire at the International Office (contact form below).
This insurance is also valid when traveling from the Netherlands into many other European countries. But traveling to Canada or USA will require a supplement!
If pregnancy should be included, we can provide you with a private basic health insurance. This is an expensive insurance, while you are not entitled to apply for a health care allowance. Still interested? Please contact us.
You are not entitled for healthcare allowance when you have a private insurance.
If you are
- an EU/EEA or Swiss national studying in Holland
- not working or doing an internship here
in general your national health insurance policy in your home country covers your stay in Holland.
Check thoroughly whether you are indeed sufficiently insured (also dentist’s costs!) or supplementary insurance is needed (for instance by a travel insurance). And check if your insurance is valid in the Netherlands.
Your insurance company can provide you with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). As long as you do not work or take up a paid internship in the Netherlands, you are not obliged to take out a Dutch public health insurance.
However you will need to take out a separate liability insurance. This is not covered by your current health insurance! At the TUK a liability insurance is compulsory. We will help you in taking out a liability insurance.
Be aware that also repatriation is excluded from your current health insurance!
If you still have any questions, please contact the International Office (contact form below).
When you have a job or do an internship, or you will stay here permanent you must take out a basic health insurance, this is compulsory! This is a more expensive insurance, but children up to 18 years of age are insured on their parents’ policy for free. Pregnancy is included. Should the basic public health insurance not be sufficient, you can take out supplementary insurance too. For example, for specific dental care.
Please note that a Dutch public healthcare insurance only covers your medical expenses. You will also need to take out a separate liability insurance which is compulsory at the TUK. We can refer you to an insurance company that can provide you with an adequate health insurance and liability insurance.
Be aware that a public healthcare insurance does not cover repatriation!
If you take out a Dutch public health insurance, you may be eligible for compensation for your health insurance costs. This compensation is called healthcare allowance or healthcare benefit (zorgtoeslag). We can help you in applying for this allowance.
You can only take out a basic health insurance once you are in the Netherlands. In order to take out health insurance, you need a Citizens Service Number (BSN number). You will receive this number a few days after your registration at the local municipality.
To cover the period between arrival and concluding the health insurance, the TUK will take out temporary insurance for you.
If you need any help, please contact the International Office (contact form below).
- Liability Insurance for private persons (compulsory at TUK) for covering damage you inflict to another person (like personal injury). Low premium for a maximum coverage. We can help you in taking out.
- When traveling abroad you will need a Travel Insurance as long as you don’t have a Student Travel Insurance. Especially when you travel to North-American countries, Switzerland, Japan or a few South-American countries you have to arrange supplementary health insurance, for the costs of health care in those countries are much higher than in the Netherlands. In some European countries tourists who need health care are sometimes brought to private health clinics, who will charge higher rates! For instance: Greece, Spain and specific ski areas in Austria. Costs exceeding the Dutch rates are at your own expense!In that case a Travel Insurance can be helpful.
- If you furnish your house by yourself and you invest much private money, you can consider to take out an Insurance for Household Contents.
- When you buy a car in the Netherlands you have to take out a Car insurance including a motor liability insurance (compulsory!). In that case we highly recommend a Non-life Insurance Occupants (Schadeverzekering Inzittenden) too.
- In case of accident involving just yourself and there is no other party, personal damage (permanent disability or death) will be reimbursed with a coverage to a maximum amount. This is called Personal Accidents Insurance (ongevallenverzekering).When taking out, be sure that coverage applies to your whole family 24/7.
Specific conditions apply for all those other insurances.
Kampen has good medical care available. If necessary, specialist treatment in the hospital in Zwolle is possible. This is arranged through a GP. Even though there is not a possibility to register at the GP you can still visit if something happens.
We recommend that you check, before departure to the Netherlands, whether any required medication is available in the Netherlands.
If you have any questions, please contact the International Office.