Healthcare for UK nationals living in the Netherlands
How to get healthcare if you live, work or study in the Netherlands.
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This guidance will be updated if anything changes to how you get healthcare in the Netherlands.
This information is about living in the Netherlands. There are different rules if you’re visiting the Netherlands - find out how to get healthcare cover abroad with a UK-issued Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) on the NHS website.
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 UK-issued GHIC or EHIC 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 a GHIC, EHIC 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.
Not all UK benefits that can be claimed while abroad entitle you to UK-funded healthcare. Read more about claiming benefits if you move abroad or contact Jobcentre Plus to ask about a benefit.
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:
- a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for travel
- planned treatments in other EU countries
You can find out more about using your GHIC or EHIC abroad and the rules on planned treatments in other EU countries on the NHS website.
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.
NHS Overseas Healthcare Services
Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 3pm
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.
If you are experiencing delays registering your S1 with local authorities and require emergency or urgent treatment, contact the Overseas Healthcare Services on 0044 191 218 1999.
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 on the NHS website.
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.
Last updated 21 October 2021 + show all updates
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Updated 'Healthcare if you live and work in the Netherlands' to include information about how to find your nearest hospital or clinic. Updated 'UK-funded healthcare' to include information for S1 dependants who begin claiming a UK State Pension, and guidance for S1 holders who are experiencing delays in registering their S1. Updated 'Studying in the Netherlands' to include more information on Student GHIC and Student EHIC cards. Updated 'Getting treatment in the UK' to provide additional detail about NHS access when visiting the UK.
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Updated posted worker section as the Netherlands has confirmed posted workers can continue working and accessing state healthcare in the Netherlands, and added detail to ‘getting treatment in the UK’ section about healthcare when you no longer live in the UK.
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Updated sections on living and working in the Netherlands, using an S1 form in the Netherlands, posted workers and studying in the Netherlands. Changes reflect healthcare arrangements for people moving to the Netherlands under the new rules of the UK’s deal with the EU.
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Updated 2 sections: ‘Healthcare if you’re using an S1 form in the Netherlands' and ‘Healthcare if you’re studying in the Netherlands’. Students and people with a registered S1 in the Netherlands can now apply for a new UK European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that will remain valid from 1 January 2021.
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First published.