Compare Dutch health insurance
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- Bespaar tot € 450,- op je premie
- 15 jaar onafhankelijk vergelijken
Compare health insurance in the Netherlands
If you’re looking for a quick way to find Dutch health insurance fitted to your needs, you’ve come to the right place. At Overstappen.nl we don’t just help you pick the best insurance, we help you save some money in the process as well. Here, you can easily compare almost all Dutch health insurers (zorgverzekering vergelijken) on both coverage and pricing. Before you do, however, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Dutch health insurance is mandatory
Dutch law states that all residents, however temporarily, should have at least basic health insurance (basisverzekering). Basic insurance coverage is the same across all insurance companies and is set yearly by the Dutch government. Failing to comply will lead to up to a fine of € 496,74. After being uninsured for 12 months, Dutch authorities (CAK) will give you a mandatory health insurance.
Standard health insurance (basisverzekering):
The “basisverzekering” is the standard healthcare insurance that everyone in the Netherlands is required to have. It covers most essential medical care, such as general practitioner visits, hospital admissions, medications, and emergency services. The coverage of the standard insurance is determined by the government and is the same across all health insurers. Its purpose is to provide everyone access to essential healthcare.
Additional insurance (aanvullende verzekering):
Additional insurance is optional and covers healthcare costs not included under the standard insurance, such as physiotherapy, dental care for adults, and alternative medicine. The specific coverages vary per insurer and package, and you pay an additional premium for it.
Additional insurance is optional, and you are not required to obtain both the standard package and additional insurance from the same insurer.
Insurance companies are not required to accept all applicants for additional insurance. An insurer may decline your application or inquire about your health status before agreeing to cover you.
Health insurance act (Zorgverzekeringswet):
The health insurance act (Zorgverzekeringswet, ZVW) is a Dutch law that has been the foundation of the Dutch healthcare insurance system since 2006. Its aim is to ensure everyone has access to necessary health care at affordable costs. The law mandates all residents to obtain basic insurance and dictates what this insurance should minimally cover. Every person who lives or works in the Netherlands is insured under the Healthcare Insurance Act (ZVW) and the Long-Term Care Act (Wlz).
All set
So, there you go. Time for you to get some health insurance. A quick read of the following steps should get you all set for a proper comparison. The terms in parentheses refer to Dutch terms you’ll encounter.
Health insurance Netherlands comparison in 5 easy steps
In the roadmap below you will find the most important steps that you need to follow in order to get Dutch health insurance.
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Step 1
Pick your basic plan
There are three different plans for basic health insurance (basisverzekering) in the Netherlands. They differ in the way they limit your choice in healthcare providers (keuzevrijheid zorg). With beperkte keuze (naturapolis) your choices are limited and even certain hospitals are excluded from coverage. Of course, this is the cheapest option. Ruime keuze (combinatiepolis)offers wider coverage. Most hospitals will be included and limitations are mostly set for special care, such as physical therapy.
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Step 2
Determine your excess level
Basic health insurance in the Netherlands comes with a certain amount of ‘excess/deductible/own risk’ (eigen risico), set by the Dutch government. Currently this amount is set at a minimum of € 385,- up to a maximum of € 885,- a year. This is the amount you have to pay for healthcare yourself before the insurance company starts covering.
Note that some basic healthcare (e.g. seeing your general practitioner) is excluded from your eigen risico and therefore always paid by the insurer. Medicine (not all, here you can check if your medicine is covered: medicijnkosten.nl)or consulting a medical specialist in the hospital, for example, is not.
It’s up to you to decide how much you want to increase your excess. If you don’t expect to use a lot of healthcare, it’s probably wise to set your excess level a bit higher. Doing so can drastically reduce your monthly payment. -
Step 3
Check if you need dental care
Dental care is not covered by basic health insurance. If you plan on visiting a dentist or if you expect dental problems, it’s wise to get additional dental insurance (tandartsverzekering). You can choose how big a percentage of your bill will be paid by the insurance company and up to what amount.
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Step 4
Consider an additional coverage plan
Basic healthcare is covered by basic health insurance. If you have special needs, however, you can choose additional coverage plans (aanvullende verzekering). These cover care such as physical therapy (fysiotherapie), alternative healthcare (alternatieve geneeswijzen), glasses or lenses (brillen en lenzen) and world coverage (buitenlanddekking). Additional coverage can greatly increase your monthly payment, so make sure to consider whether it’s actually profitable.
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Step 5
Make a comparison
That’s it! You’re all set. Compare health insurance and get the best health insurance for your needs and, of course, at the best price. Just fill in your gender (geslacht) and your date of birth (geboortedatum) and we’ll show you the cheapest options. Do you want to take out insurance for your entire family? Then you have to select the “Gezinsleden meeverzekeren” option. Once you’ve filled in your details, you will find some filters on the left that let you pick and choose between the different attributes of coverage you’ve read about so far.
Top 5 cheapest healthcare premiums for 2025
This is an overview of the top five cheapest healthcare premiums in The Netherlands for 2025.
Compare Dutch health insurers
- Compare all 57 insurances
- Save up to € 350,- a year
- Switching is completely free
Basic insurance
In the Netherlands you pay a fixed, nominal premium to your insurance company for a basic health plan. A standard Dutch health insurance costs around 156 euro a month in 2025. However, if you are on a low income you may be eligable for healthcare allowance to help you pay for health insurance. Below you will find a list of medical care that is covered by your basic insurance plan:
- visits and treatments by a general practitioner;
- prescribed medication;
- hospital and other medical care, such as operations;
- mental healthcare, such as face-to-face/online counselling and therapy;
- physiotherapy (only for some chronic conditions);
- dental care (until the age of 18);
- pregnancy and birth care;
- emergency transport;
- emergency medical care abroad (according to Dutch standards and tariffs);
- certain medical aids and health programs
- speech-language pathology
- home-based nursing and personal care.
In The Netherlands everyone has a basic health insurance plan, regardless of their chosen health insurance company. This is because the basic healthcare package is set up by the government and bound by health laws and regulations.
Healthcare allowance Netherlands
Do you have a low income, are you at least 18 years old and do you live in The Netherlands? Then you may be eligible for the healthcare allowance. This is a financial aid that can help you manage your healthcare costs. Do you want to know if you are eligable? You can find all the eligibility requirements for the healthcare allowance on the Tax and Customs Administration website.
Compare health insurance Netherlands
Are you looking for a decent and affordable Dutch health insurance? If your answer is yes, then it is important to compare all your options. You can easily do this by using our comparator and you can even save money by switching to another insurer. Fill in your details and start comparing now. It will only take a few minutes!
Useful information
Frequently asked questions
Do you still have some unanswered questions about your Dutch health insurance? No problem, we are here to help you out. Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions.
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