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Netherlands · Health System

Healthcare in Netherlands

Verified data Last verified June 15, 2026 Reviewed by Henry van de Vorming

Before you move to Netherlands, the question that matters isn't "is the healthcare good" — it's "can I, on a temporary visa, actually use it, and what happens in an emergency?" Here's how the system works for a nomad, and where private insurance fits.

At a glance

System
Social health insurance (Bismarck)
Public access (nomads)
No — private insurance needed
Emergency number
112
Private GP visit
—
Care in English
Widely available in English

How the system works

The Netherlands has universal coverage through mandatory health insurance that residents buy from competing private not-for-profit insurers, which must offer a government-defined standard package and accept all applicants. It is funded by income-related contributions pooled in a Health Insurance Fund and redistributed via risk equalisation, plus a flat nominal premium and a EUR 385 annual deductible; GPs act as gatekeepers to specialist care.

Dutch statutory cover is itself delivered by private insurers, but temporary or short-stay foreigners who cannot enter that system typically rely on private international or temporary expat health policies (offered by Dutch insurers and international providers) or on a home-country/EHIC policy that covers the Netherlands until they qualify for, and are obliged to take, Dutch insurance.

The OECD/European Observatory State of Health in the EU 2025 profile reports that government and compulsory insurance schemes funded 83% of current health expenditure in 2023, and that the Dutch treatable mortality rate was 34% below the EU average in 2022; it also notes that in 2024, 9% of people requiring mental healthcare reported unmet needs, exceeding the EU average of 7%.

Good to know

  • Universal coverage via a regulated, government-defined standard package; insurers must accept all applicants at the same premium
  • High-performing system: per-capita health spending over 25% above the EU average (EUR 4,848 in 2023) and treatable mortality 34% below the EU average in 2022 (OECD 2025)
  • Emergency number is 112, toll-free and usable across the EU
  • GP (huisarts) care is exempt from the annual deductible, and English is very widely spoken in Dutch healthcare

Watch out for

  • Short-stay nomads usually cannot join the Dutch public/statutory system: people with a pending residence-permit application cannot take out Dutch insurance, and those on study-only status are legally not allowed to take Dutch public insurance and must use private/foreign cover
  • Statutory insurance only becomes available (and compulsory) once you live or work in the Netherlands and have a BSN; holders of a residence permit must take it within four months of the permit coming into force
  • Insured adults pay a EUR 385 (2026) annual deductible on most curative care before cover applies; GP care, maternity care and some chronic-disease care are exempt
  • Access runs through GP gatekeeping: a huisarts referral is generally needed to reach specialist care

🩺 Insurance you'll need

Because temporary residents largely can't lean on the public system, and the DAFT requires cover, private health insurance is part of the move — not an afterthought. We list the plans that plausibly meet Netherlands's requirement, ranked by fit.

See qualifying plans for Netherlands →

Healthcare in Netherlands: FAQ

Healthcare in Netherlands: FAQ

Can I use public healthcare in Netherlands as a digital nomad?

In short — the public system is not open to temporary residents, so private health insurance is the route. Dutch statutory cover is itself delivered by private insurers, but temporary or short-stay foreigners who cannot enter that system typically rely on private international or temporary expat health policies (offered by Dutch insurers and international providers) or on a home-country/EHIC policy that covers the Netherlands until they qualify for, and are obliged to take, Dutch insurance.

What is the emergency number in Netherlands?

112. Call it for life-threatening emergencies; emergency departments will treat you regardless of insurance, but you may be billed afterwards if you're not covered.

Do I need private health insurance in Netherlands?

Yes — beyond being prudent, the DAFT requires it (required (explicit)). See the qualifying plans for Netherlands.

Sources