Insurance

Please check before you come to the Netherlands whether your insurance will cover the complete period of your stay abroad, and what type of coverage you have.

If you do not have adequate coverage, you may want to consider special student insurance with the following insurance companies whose policies have been checked by Nuffic:

• Insurance Passport for Students (IPS) - www.studentsinsured.com/ips/ 
• AON Students Insurance -  www.students-insurance.eu/ 

Liability insurance

It is necessary to take out a third party liability insurance that will cover you fully against costs that arise from accidental damage to other people's property. Both IPS and AON include this in their packages.

Health Insurance

You are required by law to have appropriate health insurance for the duration of your stay in the Netherlands.

Types of health insurance

• Private healthcare insurance
  If you are younger than 30, or if you are older than 30 but staying in the Netherlands for less than a year, and you are not employed, private healthcare agreements for international students will most likely suffice for you. Both IPS and AON will offer private healthcare insurance with cover provided at varying levels. Please check below whether you can benefit from other options.
   
• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
  If you are a citizen of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you can apply for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can obtain the European Health Insurance Card free of charge by contacting your local health authority. EHIC will cover the most basic and emergency healthcare costs.

More information is available at: European Health Insurance Card 

• Governmental Health Care Agreements
  The Dutch Government has signed Reciprocal Health Care Agreements with Australia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Cape Verde, Croatia, Tunisia and Turkey. International students from these countries are entitled to assistance with the basic cost of medical treatment in the Netherlands. For the specific assistance, contact your health insurance provider.
• Public healthcare insurance (Basisverzekering)
  International students aged 30 and older who are planning to stay in the Netherlands for one year or more are obliged under Dutch law to take out the so called public healthcare insurance. Furthermore, from the moment you start a (part-time) job, you will have to take out public healthcare insurance, even if you are covered by another health insurance provider.

More information on insurance is available on the Nuffic website at:  insurance

What should you do if you need a mandatory public healthcare insurance?

If you are older than 30 and planning to stay in the Netherlands for one year or longer, you are obliged under Dutch law to take out a Dutch public healthcare insurance. Furthermore, from the moment you start a (part-time) job, you will also have to take out public healthcare insurance.

a. arrange a Dutch public healthcare insurance via a Dutch insurance company. An option could be insurance company Zilveren Kruis who have a special student rate for students in higher education (HBO en WO studenten are considered a special member organization).

More information can be found on www.zilverenkruis.nl – top right corner for English or call 0900-8435 (local rate)

b. apply for a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag). Students who are obliged to take out the Dutch public healthcare insurance are very likely to be eligible for a compensation for the healthcare insurance because of their low income.

More information on how to apply for a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) can be found on the Nuffic site: healthcare allowance