Health

Overview As a non-Dutch student, you are required to have health insurance if you live and study in the Netherlands. You are required to have Dutch insurance if you start working for a Dutch employer, only then can you apply for the health allowance. If you do not work, it is not possible to have Dutch insurance, and you also cannot apply for the health allowance. In this scenario, you then need to be insured either by a policy in your home country or by an insurance policy like AON student insurance. Here are five different scenarios that could determine what type of insurance you need: If…

If you have Dutch healthcare insurance, the Dutch government provides a healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) for everyone up to a certain income. To read more about the eligibility requirements go here⁠⁠⁠⁠. How to apply for health allowance: Similar to the housing allowance, the health allowance is applied for via Mijntoeslagen⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow this link for more information.

Finding a doctor/GP in the Netherlands can be tricky. In the Netherlands, the GP is your first point of contact, and you need to be registered with a GP before you can make an appointment. Most GP’s will only register you as their patient if you live in the service area of their practice. That is because your GP must be able to reach your home address within 15 minutes in emergencies. As soon as you know where you will be living, you need to register with a GP practice. You may find a suitable practice by asking other students, checking out the Rietveld/Sandberg FB page, or by using websites…

Accessing mental health care in the Netherlands can be difficult, as there are often long waiting lists for care, however here are some resources and organisations that can help you in the process: You can speak with your GP, who will refer you to a mental health practitioner. In the Netherlands, so long as you have a referral from your GP, your psychological treatment will be covered by your health insurance (but it is important to always check with your healthcare provider what is and is not covered, and to what extent mental health care is covered). Once you have been issued a referral,…

There are a range of services and support organisations concerned with sexual health, such as: Pregnancy: Are you unexpectedly pregnant? Support is offered by FIOM⁠⁠⁠⁠, an organisation that provides neutral information about your options in the case of unplanned pregnancy. Abortion: Abortion is legal in the Netherlands and is covered by the Dutch basic health insurance. Before you go to an abortion clinic, you need a referral from your general practitioner. There is also a five-day waiting period, which begins after you receive the referral from…

Urgent Care If you are in an emergency, life-threatening situation then call 112, the emergency number. For non life-threatening medical emergencies you can either call your GP, the Huisartsenpost (you can find the number for your district on this website⁠⁠⁠⁠), or the Central Doctors’ Service on +31 (0) 20 592 34 34.