Best Health Insurance Add-Ons Netherlands 2026

The Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) covers a broad package: GP, hospital, specialists, most medicines and mental health care (Rijksoverheid). But some care that expats commonly use is not, or only partly, included. For adults, routine dental care is the biggest gap; physiotherapy and glasses are others.

This guide covers the main supplementary insurance options (aanvullende verzekering), what the basic package already includes, and how to decide which extras are worth buying.

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Quick answer: For adults, the basic package does not cover routine dental care, physiotherapy before the 21st treatment (and then only for chronic conditions), or ordinary glasses and lenses. Mental health care is in the basic package. Supplementary insurance can cover these gaps; whether it pays off depends on what you expect to use compared with the annual premium.

How Dutch Health Insurance Works

Before getting into add-ons, it helps to know the structure:

Basisverzekering (basic insurance): compulsory if you live or work in the Netherlands. The government decides what is in the basic package, so every insurer covers the same care (Rijksoverheid). Insurers differ in premium, in the type of policy (for example a naturapolis or a combinatiepolis; restitutiepolissen have not been offered since 2025, according to the NZa) and in which care providers they contract. The average basic premium in 2026 is €157 a month (Rijksoverheid).

Aanvullende verzekering (supplementary insurance): optional. Each insurer designs its own packages, with different cover and prices. You do not have to take it from the same insurer as your basic policy, although a separate supplementary policy can come with different conditions, such as a higher premium (Rijksoverheid).

Tandartsverzekering (dental insurance): sometimes part of a supplementary package, sometimes sold separately.

Compare both basic and supplementary options on the insurers’ own sites.

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

What the Basic Package Doesn’t Cover (That Matters for Expats)

According to Rijksoverheid’s overview of the basic package:

• Dental care for adults: only surgical dental care, X-rays and removable dentures are covered from age 18; the periodic check-up is not
• Physiotherapy for adults: only from the 21st treatment, for conditions on the chronic list; you usually pay the first 20 yourself
• Glasses and contact lenses: ordinary glasses and lenses are not covered; medically necessary lenses and special glasses often are
• Medical aids such as hearing aids are covered, but with a co-payment that depends on the aid
• Maternity home care (kraamzorg) is covered without deductible, but with a statutory contribution of €5.70 per hour

Mental health care (basic ggz for mild to moderate conditions and specialist ggz) is in the basic package, with the deductible applying.

Dental Insurance (Tandartsverzekering)

What it can cover

Dental policies typically reimburse normal treatments such as check-ups, cleaning, fillings and anaesthesia, often as a percentage up to an annual maximum. Higher levels raise the percentage and the maximum. Orthodontics and implants are in the basic package only as special dental care for severe abnormalities of the mouth (Rijksoverheid); otherwise they depend on your supplementary cover.

What dental care costs

The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) sets the tariffs dentists may charge (nza.nl). Ask your dentist for a cost estimate (begroting) before larger treatments, and compare that with what your policy reimburses.

An example: a.s.r.

Some insurers do not put dental in the supplementary package at all. a.s.r. states that dental care is not insured through its aanvullende verzekering, and sells it as a separate tandartsverzekering in five levels for adults (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/tandartsverzekering, checked 5 October 2026):

a.s.r. dental cover starts at €10 a month. Its supplementary packages (ZorgBasis, ZorgBewust, ZorgGoed, ZorgBeter and ZorgBest, from €4.95 a month) cover the non-dental extras, with cover abroad (urgent care) and glasses/lenses as separate modules (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/aanvullende-verzekering, checked 5 October 2026). An unbundled dental policy is easier to drop or upgrade on its own, but it means a headline supplementary price at a.s.r. is not comparable to one that already includes dental cover.

Worked example: if TandBewust, the lowest level, costs the €10 a month starting price (€120 a year; check your own quote), its 75% reimbursement pays back more than its premium once your normal treatments cost more than €160 in a year (75% × €160 = €120). The reimbursement stops at €250, which you reach at €333 of treatment costs.

Check a.s.r. health insurance →

Is it worth it?

If you expect regular check-ups, cleaning or fillings, run the calculation above with your insurer’s actual premium and percentage. If you know larger treatment is coming, check the waiting periods first: Rijksoverheid notes that insurers can use a waiting period for supplementary cover, for example for a new crown.

Physiotherapy (Fysiotherapie)

What the basic package covers

For adults, the basic package covers physiotherapy and exercise therapy from the 21st treatment for conditions on the chronic list. Specific rules apply for a few conditions, such as pelvic physiotherapy for urinary incontinence (up to the 9th treatment), exercise therapy for hip and knee arthrosis (up to the 12th) and COPD (no maximum). Children under 18 get up to 18 treatments (Rijksoverheid).

For a typical sports injury or short-term back pain, you pay yourself unless you have supplementary cover.

What physio add-ons cover

Supplementary packages give a number of treatments per year. At a.s.r., for example, that is 3 (ZorgBasis), 6 (ZorgBewust), 9 (ZorgGoed), 12 (ZorgBeter) or 18 (ZorgBest) treatments a year, each plus 3 extra online appointments via its app; on ZorgBeter and ZorgBest you pay €5 per treatment from the 10th treatment (asr.nl, checked 5 October 2026). Other insurers may cap the reimbursement per treatment, so check both the number and any maximum per session.

Is it worth it?

Compare the number of treatments you expect, at your physiotherapist’s actual rate, with the extra premium for the package that covers them.

Mental Health Coverage

What the basic package covers

The basic package covers basic ggz (for mild to moderate psychological conditions, for example sessions with a psychologist or online treatment), specialist ggz for severe and complex conditions, and the first 3 years of stay in a ggz institution (Rijksoverheid). The deductible applies.

What supplementary packages offer

Some supplementary packages include coaching, courses or other support outside the basic ggz. a.s.r.’s packages, for example, list contributions for preventive courses and coaching. Check what a package offers and whether the provider you want qualifies.

English-speaking therapists

If you want a specific English-speaking therapist, check whether that provider is contracted by your insurer. With a naturapolis, the insurer chooses and contracts providers, and may reimburse less if you go to a provider without a contract; how much is in the policy (Rijksoverheid, types of policy).

For our broader guide on finding community, see Lonely Expat Netherlands: Finding Community.

Glasses and Contact Lenses

What the basic package covers

Ordinary glasses and contact lenses are not covered. Medically necessary contact lenses and special glasses often are (Rijksoverheid).

What add-ons cover

Supplementary packages may give a contribution towards glasses or lenses, often once per one or more years. At a.s.r., glasses and lenses are a separate module.

Is it worth it?

Compare the extra premium over the reimbursement period with the contribution, and check which opticians qualify.

Travel Insurance and Vaccinations

Travel add-ons

Some supplementary packages include cover for urgent care abroad (at a.s.r. it is a separate module). The basic policy reimburses care abroad up to what the treatment would cost in the Netherlands, and repatriation is only covered by travel insurance or supplementary insurance (Rijksoverheid). Compare a supplementary module with standalone travel insurance.

Travel vaccinations are not in Rijksoverheid’s list of basic package care. Some supplementary packages give a contribution; otherwise you pay yourself at a travel clinic.

How to Choose

The right combination depends on your situation:

Single expat, good health, few dental issues: a basic policy, plus dental cover if you visit the dentist regularly, and physiotherapy if you play sports.

Family with children: children under 18 are insured without premium and without deductible, and their dental care (check-ups, fillings and more) is in the basic package (Rijksoverheid). For the adults, consider dental cover; for the children, check orthodontic cover if braces are likely.

Expat with a chronic condition or ongoing mental health care: check contracted providers, and if you want to keep a specific provider, check what the policy reimburses for care without a contract.

Expat who wants as much covered as possible: compare the highest supplementary packages on reimbursement per category, not only on the total premium.

The Annual Switching Window

Insurers publish next year’s premiums and policy terms before 12 November. To switch, cancel by 31 December (a new insurer you join by then does this for you), and for the basic policy take out the new one by 1 February, backdated to 1 January (Rijksoverheid). You can also change to a different policy with your current insurer by 31 December.

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

The Own Risk (Eigen Risico)

The basic policy has a compulsory annual deductible of €385 in 2026 for adults. It does not apply to GP care, midwife care and kraamzorg, among others (Rijksoverheid). You can voluntarily raise it by up to €500, to €885 in total, in exchange for a lower premium. That only pays off if you expect to use little care beyond the GP.

The deductible belongs to the basic policy; supplementary cover does not reduce it.

Alternative Medicine Coverage

Alternative therapies such as acupuncture or homeopathy are not in Rijksoverheid’s list of basic package care. Some supplementary packages give a contribution for therapists that the insurer recognises. Check whether your therapist and discipline are covered under the specific package before you sign up.

Fertility Treatment and Pregnancy

According to Rijksoverheid, IVF is only carried out on medical indication, and you usually get the first 3 treatments reimbursed through your health insurance; this differs per insurer and policy. Most clinics do not treat women older than 43. Ask your insurer how your policy covers fertility treatment before you start.

For pregnancy, midwife care is covered without deductible and without contribution, and kraamzorg at home is covered without deductible but with a statutory contribution of €5.70 per hour (Rijksoverheid). Some supplementary packages, including a.s.r.’s, list a contribution towards kraamzorg.

What to Do When You Arrive in the Netherlands

If you are choosing health insurance for the first time:

Step 1: Note the deadline. The insurance deadline is tied to your arrival, not to your gemeente registration: you have four months from arrival, and a policy taken out in that window covers you from the day you arrived (Government.nl). If you stay uninsured, the CAK sends a letter, can fine you and, after two fines, registers you with an insurer and withholds 110% of the standard premium (Rijksoverheid).

Step 2: Register with the municipality. You must register even if you have not yet taken out health insurance (Government.nl). The municipality issues your BSN.

Step 3: Compare before you pick. Compare premiums and policy types for the deductible you want and the supplementary cover you need.

Step 4: Choose your basic policy and add-ons together. That way you see the total premium and avoid gaps; you may take them from different insurers.

Step 5: Register with a GP. This is separate from insurance: find a huisarts who accepts new patients in your area. Your insurer does not do this for you.

Switching Insurance: Waiting Periods

Insurers hardly apply medical selection for supplementary insurance any more, but they can use a waiting period when you switch, so that certain costs, such as a new crown under a dental policy, are not reimbursed straight away (Rijksoverheid).

If you are in the middle of a treatment when you switch, the provider bills the insurer you were with when the treatment started (Rijksoverheid). If you know larger dental work is coming, check the new insurer’s waiting periods before you switch.

Comparing Supplementary Options: What to Actually Look At

When you compare supplementary packages on insurer websites, check:

1. The annual dental maximum. At a.s.r., for example, the maximum ranges from €250 to €750 a year.

2. The percentage vs the maximum. Some policies reimburse 75%, others 100%, up to the maximum. Work out which fits your expected use.

3. Physiotherapy treatment count and any cap or contribution per treatment. a.s.r. ZorgBest, for example, has 18 treatments, with €5 per treatment from the 10th.

4. Glasses contribution and frequency.

5. Alternative medicine. Check whether your discipline is on the insurer’s list.

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

A collective discount on the supplementary layer

One route prices this layer differently. UnitedConsumers says it makes fixed costs cheaper “door samen groot in te kopen” (by buying in bulk together), and that it has worked with VGZ since 2006. Its member benefit is 20% off every aanvullende verzekering and off the tandartsverzekering, a discount on exactly the layer this article is about; the basic policies it sells under that partnership are listed at €147.40 to €154.25 a month (unitedconsumers.com/zorgverzekering, checked 5 October 2026). So the comparison to run is the discounted supplement at VGZ against the undiscounted supplement at whichever insurer won on cover. The obstacle is language: UnitedConsumers publishes no English-language information (checked 5 October 2026), and a policy document you cannot read is a bad purchase whatever the discount.

Check UnitedConsumers →

Hearing Aids and Other Medical Aids

Medical aids for treatment, nursing, rehabilitation or a specific disability, such as a hearing aid or orthopaedic shoes, are in the basic package, with a co-payment that depends on the aid; simple walking aids such as rollators are not (Rijksoverheid). Hearing aids also carry a statutory contribution. Some supplementary packages add a contribution. Contact your insurer before you buy an aid: approval requirements and amounts vary.

Using Your Insurance When Visiting Your Home Country

Your Dutch basic policy covers urgent care abroad, but not always in full (Rijksoverheid):

• You are reimbursed what the treatment would cost in the Netherlands, never more than Dutch providers may charge. In a private clinic you may have to pay a lot yourself, “soms wel duizenden euro’s”.
• In Europe, take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for medically necessary care that cannot wait until you are back; the deductible applies.
• Repatriation is only covered by travel or supplementary insurance.

In countries where care is much more expensive than in the Netherlands, such as the US, the difference can be large. A supplementary module for care abroad or a travel insurance policy can cover it. Some expats buy travel medical insurance such as SafetyWing for specific trips; check whether it covers the countries you visit, because SafetyWing says US coverage is extra.

Add-Ons for Expats With Children

Children under 18 must be insured, but you pay no premium and no deductible for them (Rijksoverheid). Supplementary considerations for families:

Dental care: for children under 18 the basic package covers dental care such as periodic check-ups, scaling, fillings and surgical dental care (Rijksoverheid).

Orthodontics: braces are in the basic package only as special dental care for a severe abnormality; otherwise you need supplementary cover. a.s.r., for example, lists orthodontics up to age 18 as a supplementary benefit. Check the maximum and any age limit.

Physiotherapy: children under 18 get up to 18 treatments from the basic package (Rijksoverheid).

Speech therapy: logopedie is in the basic package for adults and children alike when the treatment has a medical purpose (Rijksoverheid).

Injuries: treatment is covered by the basic package, and because children pay no deductible, their care does not count towards a parent’s deductible.

The Insurance Calculation

For every supplement, the test is the same: the reimbursement you expect for care you would buy anyway, compared with the extra annual premium.

• Dental: with a.s.r. TandBewust at the €10 a month starting price (75% up to €250), the policy pays off once your normal dental treatments cost more than €160 a year.
• Physiotherapy: count the treatments you expect beyond what the basic package covers, multiply by your physiotherapist’s rate, and compare with the extra premium of a package with enough treatments.
• Nothing used: if you use none of the cover, the whole premium is a cost.

Internal Resources

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• Lonely Expat Netherlands: Finding Community
• Retiring in the Netherlands: Expat Guide
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• Netherlands vs Japan for Expats 2026
• Dutch Utilities Explained for Expats 2026
• Finding a Mortgage Broker Netherlands: Expat Guide

How to Read an Aanvullende Verzekering Policy Before Buying

The polisvoorwaarden (policy conditions): the full conditions, including exclusions and waiting periods.

The vergoedingenoverzicht (reimbursement overview): most insurers publish an overview per package of what is reimbursed, up to which amount and under which conditions. For dental cover, it shows the percentage and annual maximum.

Wachttijden (waiting periods): check how long you must be insured before specific treatments are covered.

Gecontracteerde zorgaanbieders (contracted providers): if you want to keep a specific dentist or physiotherapist, check whether they are contracted and what you pay if they are not.

When comparing two supplementary packages, open the actual policy documents rather than relying on summary tables. The summary shows maximum amounts; the full conditions show waiting periods, session limits and provider restrictions.

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

Making Your Annual Insurance Switch Decision: A Checklist

Insurers publish new premiums before 12 November, and you have until 31 December to cancel or change.

Step 1: Note your actual healthcare use in the past year. How many physiotherapy treatments, dental appointments or specialist visits did you have? Your insurer’s online portal shows your claims.

Step 2: Check whether your current package fits. If you used far fewer treatments than covered, you may be over-insured; if you hit the dental maximum, you may be under-insured.

Step 3: Work out the total annual cost. For each option, add the premiums to your expected own costs.

Step 4: Check your providers. Verify that the GP, dentist, physiotherapist or specialist you want to keep is contracted with the new insurer, and whether the insurer has a cap on treatments agreed with providers (zorgplafond), which Rijksoverheid advises checking.

Step 5: Act before 31 December. If you take out a new policy by then, the new insurer cancels the old one for you.

A sound basic policy plus the supplements you will actually use is the combination to aim for. Review it each November against what you claimed the previous year.

External source: Zorgverzekeringslijn — onafhankelijke info — independent information on this topic.