Guidance: Healthcare for UK nationals living in the Netherlands

You must have health insurance cover to live in the Netherlands.

You have to pay for your medical care up to a fixed limit.

UK nationals usually access the Dutch healthcare system in one of these ways:

• taking out insurance with a Dutch health insurance provider
• using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for temporary stays when studying, or as a ‘posted’ (detached) worker
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with the health insurance fund called ‘CZ’ (see ‘UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in the Netherlands’ below)

Healthcare if you live and work in the Netherlands

If you are planning on moving to the Netherlands, see the guidance on Living in the Netherlands for more information about visa and residency requirements.

You must show proof of healthcare cover:

• before you can register as a resident
• when you apply for a visa

For details about the healthcare cover required for residency applications, contact local authorities in the Netherlands or the appropriate Dutch embassy or consulate in the UK.

You need to find a health insurance scheme to join.

You must get health insurance within 4 months of arriving. If you do not do this, you could be fined more than 400 euros.

There are around 60 health insurance providers that you can take out insurance with. You pay a premium each month.

If you’re employed in the Netherlands, your employer may offer you a discount with its chosen health insurance.
You can add your dependants to your insurance plan.

You may be entitled to a Dutch EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension (see ‘UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in the Netherlands’ below).

How to register for healthcare

First, register as a resident.

Then contact your chosen insurance provider directly.

You’ll need:

• your citizen service number (burgerservicenummer)
• proof of your address, by registering in the Personal Records Database (Basisregistratie Personen)
• proof that you have a Dutch bank account

Once you’ve registered with an insurance provider you can register with a GP.

You’ll be given a health insurance card. Show this card and your ID when you register with a doctor.

You’ll also be entitled to a Dutch EHIC. Request this from your chosen insurance provider.

How to access healthcare services

Find your nearest hospital on the Zorgkaart Nederland website.

Find your nearest GP surgery on the Zorgkaart Nederland website.

How much you’ll pay

You’ll pay around 100 euros a month for your insurance premium.

Emergency care is included in your policy.

Some medical care is free – for example, GP appointments and maternity care.

You’ll need to pay for other medical care, but you will not have to pay more than your insurance excess that year, which is usually around 400 euros.

The excess is set by the government each year. You can increase your excess and pay a lower monthly premium.

There’s no fixed cost for prescription medicines. It depends on the medicine and where you buy it.

You can take out extra insurance on top of the basic level insurance to cover things that are not usually covered, such as dentistry and physiotherapy.

If you have treatment in a hospital not covered by your insurance policy, you usually have to pay 25% of the cost.

If your UK employer has sent you to the Netherlands temporarily (‘posted workers’)

A posted worker, also known as a ‘detached worker’, is someone who is employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in the Netherlands using an EHIC, GHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in the Netherlands

There’s different guidance if you have an S1 as a ‘posted worker’ (see ‘If your UK employer has sent you to the Netherlands temporarily (‘posted workers’)’ above).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you’re a resident in the Netherlands and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit. See Planning your healthcare abroad on the NHS website for more information about eligibility.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you’re a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you’re eligible.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register with the Dutch insurance provider CZ.

This shows that you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in the Netherlands on the same basis as a Dutch citizen.

You’ll also get:

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in the Netherlands than the UK.

Check with the insurance provider CZ when you register your S1 form.

If you’re entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.

You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.

You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).

How to use an S1 form in the Netherlands

You must register your S1 form with the insurance provider CZ. This is the only insurance provider that deals with S1 forms.

Once registered, you will be issued with a CZ insurance card. This will mean you’re entitled to healthcare in the Netherlands on the same basis as a Dutch citizen.

Studying in the Netherlands

You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in the Netherlands, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you’ll get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as a Dutch citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

If you already hold a valid Student EHIC you can use this until the card expires.

Read more about eligibility and how to apply

If you work, intern or volunteer alongside your studies, you need to pay for Dutch health insurance.

Getting treatment in the UK

Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.

If you are a UK national and move to the EU, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live, or another exemption applies.

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:

• UK war pensioners
• UK government employees
• UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1

Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see ‘UK nationals who no longer live in the UK’ in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).

If you return to live in the UK you’ll be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.

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