Health insurance for international students

If you are insured under a national health service in your own country and you are going abroad, then your own health insurance provider can provide you with EU Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that is valid in the Netherlands and other EU countries. Please note you will have to apply for this at your national health insurance provider.

The EHIC insurance does not include liability insurance, household-contents insurance or luggage insurance. You will be able to arrange these additional insurance packages at Aon, which we strongly recommend.

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Refund of medical costs with EHIC

You will not have to pay for treatment if the treatment is free for local residents. In the Netherlands, this includes consultations at a registered General Practitioner working under the Dutch public healthcare scheme. Follow-up treatment and rehabilitation are excluded from coverage.

In some cases, you have to pay for medical treatment, therefore you might be eligible for reimbursement. You cannot send the invoices to your own health insurance provider directly but you will have to send the invoices for medical treatment in the Netherlands to Zilveren Kruis, which is a Dutch health insurance company, with:

• a copy of your EHIC
• your address and
• bank account number,

in order to receive a refund of the costs.

You can send the documents to the following address:

Zilveren Kruis
Groep Buitenlands Recht
Postbus 650
7300 AR Apeldoorn

If you are unable to submit a claim for reimbursement during your stay, contact your national health insurance provider once you return home. Your national health insurer will contact Zilveren Kruis. You are entitled to reimbursement on the basis of the tariffs that Zilveren Kruis normally reimburses under the Dutch legislation.

If your insurance company does not cover you during your stay in the Netherlands, then you can apply for a private health insurance through Aon.

The private health insurance from Aon has different types of insurances and has most extensive coverage and you can pay monthly (approximately 40 euro per month). These insurances include liability insurance, household-contents insurance, and luggage insurance; you can apply for these online.

It is possible that the health insurance you currently have will cover your stay in the Netherlands. Be sure to check with your health insurance provider whether you are covered, and exactly how much coverage you have during your stay. Otherwise, you can apply for an additional health insurance package at Aon, which we strongly recommend.

If your insurance company does not cover you during your stay in the Netherlands, then you can apply for a private health insurance through Aon.

The private health insurance from Aon has different types of insurances and has most extensive coverage and you can pay monthly (approximately 40 euro per month). These insurances include liability insurance, household-contents insurance, and luggage insurance; you can apply for these online.

Starting 1 May 2019, Aon provides a Complete+ insurance package for Non-EU students and EEA students (who do not have an European Health Insurance Card) that will cover students during their stay in the Netherlands.

This insurance package includes medical and non-medical coverage: insurance health (including pre-existing conditions), household-contents insurance, repatriation insurance, luggage insurance, accident insurance, liability insurance and legal assistance insurance. In addition, this package provides you with worldwide insurance.

As an international student, you are able to work in the Netherlands. However, you are required to have a Dutch health insurance if you have a part-time job.

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How to take out a Dutch basic health insurance?

The basic health insurance is mandatory and covers, among other things, hospital treatment.

1. You must be registered at the municipality before you can take out a Dutch basic health insurance.
2. Choose your health insurance from one of the Dutch health insurers. Fill out the application form (online) and sent it to the health insurer.
3. The registration is complete once you have received an insurance policy (in Dutch: polisblad) and a health insurance card.
4. You can apply for healthcare benefit (in Dutch: zorgtoeslag) via the Belastingdienst. Please note that the website is only in Dutch.
5. You should terminate your Dutch public health insurance if you do not have a part-time job or if you are leaving the Netherlands. Please note, that when you leave the Netherlands, you must not forget to deregister from your municipality and to forward them your new postal address. In this way, you will avoid incorrect fines.

If you stay for an orientation year after your studies, as soon as you start working during this year you need to take out a Dutch basic health insurance.

You might need to take out a Dutch public health insurance if you are planning to do a paid internship. Therefore, fill out the checklist on the SVB website to determine if you need to apply for a Dutch public health insurance. In addition, it is important to contact the SVB to request an investigation of your insurance situation under the Wlz (Long-term Care Act) scheme.

You might receive a letter from the CAK about your insurance obligation. You need to take action within three months or you will receive a fine of approximately 380 euro.

Even if you incorrectly received the letter from the CAK. Please contact the ISD and make an online appointment with them so that they can assess your situation and advise what kind of action you can take regarding this matter.

Everyone residing in the Netherlands is required by law to have valid health insurance, so you will need to be properly insured by an internationally recognized insurance agency. International students are not automatically ensured. There are various types of health insurance: the kind of health insurance that will apply to you will depend on various factors, including your country of origin, age, whether you are employed in the Netherlands and the duration of your stay.