Best Dutch Health Insurance for Expats 2026: 7 Insurers Compared

Why the Choice of Dutch Health Insurer Matters

The basic package (basisverzekering) is the same at every Dutch insurer, because the government sets it. What differs is the premium, the policy form (how much you get back from a provider without a contract), the supplementary cover and how much information the insurer offers in English. Those differences are what this guide compares.

How the Dutch Health Insurance System Works

Before comparing insurers, you need to understand what you are actually comparing, because much of it is identical regardless of who you choose.

Who Must Take Out Dutch Health Insurance?

The government says: if you come to live or work in the Netherlands, you must take out Dutch health insurance as quickly as possible and no later than 4 months after arriving, with cover from the day you arrive, even if you already have a medical policy in another country. If you wait longer, you are not insured retroactively and you may be fined. The exceptions it names are an employer outside the Netherlands (then your home insurance can be enough, under SVB rules), EU civil servants covered by JSIS, and some foreign students (government.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

Does Every Dutch Insurer Cover the Same Basic Package?

Yes. The government decides what is in the basic package (Rijksoverheid). A GP visit is covered the same way at Zilveren Kruis as at ONVZ. You cannot buy “better” basic coverage, only a different price, a different policy form and a different level of service.

What the 2026 basic package covers, according to the Rijksoverheid (checked 5 October 2026):

• GP visits (huisarts), without eigen risico
• Medical specialists, hospital stays, operations and emergency care in hospital
• Mental health care: basic ggz, specialist ggz, and the first 3 years of a stay in a ggz institution
• Midwife care and kraamzorg (maternity home care), without eigen risico; kraamzorg has a statutory own contribution per hour
• Most medicines
• Physiotherapy for adults only in specific cases: conditions on the chronic list from the 21st treatment, hip or knee osteoarthritis up to the 12th treatment, pelvic floor therapy for incontinence up to the 9th; children under 18 get up to 18 treatments (2 × 9)
• Speech therapy (logopedie) with a medical purpose
• Ambulance transport
• District nursing (wijkverpleging)
• Dental check-ups and treatment for children under 18; from 18, dental surgery and X-rays

What the basic package does not cover:

• Most adult dental care (check-ups, fillings, crowns)
• Ordinary glasses and contact lenses
• Physiotherapy for adults outside the cases above

The Eigen Risico: How the Deductible Works

The eigen risico is your annual deductible. In 2026:

• Mandatory: €385
• Voluntary increase: in steps of €100, up to €885 in total
• Premium discount: set by each insurer; CZ gives €3 a month per €100 step and €15 at €885, ONVZ €20 (Bewuste Keuze) or €22 (Vrije Keuze) with an increased excess

No eigen risico for: GP visits, midwife care and kraamzorg, district nursing, chain care for diabetes type 2, COPD and cardiovascular risk, and all basic-package care for children under 18 (Rijksoverheid).

Everything else in the basic package, such as hospital visits, specialist consultations, medicines and the physiotherapy the package covers, counts towards your eigen risico. Once you have paid €385 (or more if you raised it voluntarily), the basic insurance pays the rest of the covered care for that calendar year.

Should you raise your eigen risico? Compare the annual premium saving with the extra amount you could have to pay. At CZ, going from €385 to €885 saves €15 × 12 = €180 a year and adds up to €500 of risk. If you have a chronic condition, take regular medication or expect hospital care, keep it at €385.

Aanvullende Verzekering: Optional Supplements

Supplementary insurance is separate from the basic package and is not standardised: each insurer designs its own packages. Two examples from the insurers’ own sites (checked 5 October 2026):

For expats, the supplements most often worth comparing are:

• Dental: most adult dental care is outside the basic package. Dental policies have an annual ceiling; at a.s.r., for example, €250 to €750 a year.
• Glasses/lenses: not in the basic package; some supplements include an amount, for example €100 or €125 per 2 years in CZ’s Plus and Top packages.
• Physiotherapy: for adults, the basic package does not pay for physiotherapy for an ordinary back, knee or shoulder complaint; CZ’s packages, for example, include 9 (Basis) to 20 (Top) sessions.

Zorgtoeslag: The Government Subsidy

In 2026 the income limit for zorgtoeslag is €40,857 without a benefit partner and €51,142 jointly with one. Income is not the only condition: Dutch insurance and asset tests also apply. The maximum monthly amount without a partner is €129 (Belastingdienst).

Apply via toeslagen.nl using your DigiD. If you arrive mid-year, your Dutch income for that year may be low, so check whether you qualify.

Decision Tree: What Should You Look At?

1. Are you coming to live or work in the Netherlands? → Then you need Dutch health insurance within 4 months of arriving, with cover from day one. An international or travel policy does not replace it. If one of the government’s exceptions applies (employer outside the Netherlands, JSIS, some students), check your situation with the SVB or Studyinholland.nl.

2. Is English-language information your top priority? → Look at ONVZ (English site with premiums), Zilveren Kruis and CZ (English sections), and a.s.r. and Menzis (English terms and conditions 2026).

3. Is the lowest possible premium your top priority? → On 5 October 2026 the cheapest basic policies in this guide were a.s.r. (from €149.80), VGZ Basis Keuze (€149.90) and Menzis Basis Voordelig (€151.25); VGZ’s Bewuste Keuze via UnitedConsumers was €147.40. All are naturapolissen, so check that your providers are contracted.

4. Do you want to use providers without a contract? → Look at a combinatiepolis: Zilveren Kruis Basis Exclusief, CZ Zorgvariatiepolis, Menzis Basis Vrij, VGZ Eigen Keuze or a.s.r. Eigen Keuze.

5. Do you want collective insurance through your employer? → Ask your HR department whether there is a collective and what it gives. Since 2023 a collective can no longer give a discount on the basic insurance; discounts on supplementary insurance are still possible (Rijksoverheid). At CZ, the collective discount is on supplementary insurance.

Seven Dutch Health Insurers Reviewed for Expats

Premiums are 2026 premiums at the standard €385 eigen risico, from each insurer’s own site on 5 October 2026.

1. Zilveren Kruis

Basic policies (2026): Basis Start (naturapolis) €153.95, Basis Zeker (naturapolis) €159.25, Basis Exclusief (combinatiepolis) €176.45 a month Outside the network: 70% (Start) or 75% (Zeker) of the average contracted tariff; Basis Exclusief 100%, or 85% for non-contracted district nursing and mental health care English: the site has an English section (zilverenkruis.nl/en/consumenten)

Zilveren Kruis’s three basic policies cover the whole range from a naturapolis to a combinatiepolis, which makes it easy to compare what extra reimbursement outside the network costs you: from €153.95 to €176.45 a month.

2. CZ

Basic policies (2026): Natura Zorgbewustpolis €156.95, Natura Zorg-op-maatpolis €159.99, Combinatie Zorgvariatiepolis €177.50 a month (cz.nl) Outside the network: up to 70% (Zorgbewust) or 75% (Zorg-op-maat) of the contracted tariff English: cz.nl/en has an English section with a premium calculator from which you can take out a policy online

CZ’s supplementary packages run from Start (€2.15 a month) to Top (€49.95), with a separate Jongeren package that includes dental care. According to cz.nl, a collective arrangement with CZ gives a discount on supplementary insurance and extra services, not on the basic premium. For a full review, see our CZ health insurance review.

3. Menzis

Basic policies (2026): Menzis Basis Voordelig (naturapolis) €151.25, Menzis Basis (naturapolis) €156.25, Menzis Basis Vrij (combinatiepolis) €175.75 a month (menzis.nl) Outside the network: 65% to 100% (Basis Voordelig) or 70% to 100% (Basis), depending on the type of care English: Menzis publishes its 2026 terms and conditions, an “Overall Reimbursement Guide 2026” and an application form for people living abroad on its English pages

See our Menzis health insurance review for more.

4. VGZ

Basic policies (2026): VGZ Basis Keuze (naturaverzekering) €149.90, VGZ Ruime Keuze (naturaverzekering) €154.25, VGZ Eigen Keuze (combinatieverzekering) €171.65 a month (vgz.nl) Outside the network: 70% (Basis Keuze), 80% (Ruime Keuze), 100% (Eigen Keuze, except 80% for mental health care and nursing)

VGZ is also the insurer behind the health insurance sold through UnitedConsumers (see below). If your employer has a collective arrangement with VGZ, ask HR what it gives.

5. a.s.r.

Basic policy variants: Bewuste Keuze (natura), Ruime Keuze (natura), Eigen Keuze (combination), from €149.80 a month Eigen risico (2026): €385 mandatory, raisable to €885 English: a.s.r. publishes its 2026 terms and conditions in English under “English documents” on its documents page

a.s.r. sells three basisverzekering variants that differ in what they pay at a care provider without a contract. Bewuste Keuze reimburses contracted providers 100% and non-contracted providers a maximum of 65%. Ruime Keuze pays 100% contracted and up to 85% non-contracted, with mental healthcare (GGZ) and district nursing at 75%. Eigen Keuze pays 100% at providers with and without a contract, except 80% for non-contracted GGZ and district nursing. All three give you 100% free hospital choice (asr.nl/verzekeringen/zorgverzekering/basisverzekering, checked 5 October 2026).

Supplementary cover comes in five packages — ZorgBasis, ZorgBewust, ZorgGoed, ZorgBeter and ZorgBest — from €4.95 a month, with cover abroad and glasses/lenses sold as separate modules rather than sitting inside the packages. Dental is outside that range: a.s.r. states that dental care is not insured through a supplementary package, so adult dentistry needs a separate tandartsverzekering. That comes in five levels — TandBewust, TandGoed, TandBeter, TandBest and TandPlus — with annual ceilings of €250, €250, €250, €500 and €750 respectively, from €10 a month and reimbursing from age 18 (asr.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

Verdict: worth a look if you would rather pick your own reimbursement level than accept one house default.

Check a.s.r. health insurance →

6. ONVZ

Basic policies (2026): ONVZ Bewuste Keuze €156.10 and ONVZ Vrije Keuze €166.10 a month (onvz.nl/en, checked 5 October 2026) Outside the network: Bewuste Keuze 70% average reimbursement; Vrije Keuze up to 85% for some types of care English: ONVZ has an English-language website with its premiums and policy information

ONVZ calls itself “the First-Class Health Insurer”. On its English site it mentions waiting-list mediation (which it says shortens waiting times by 11 weeks on average) and ONVZ Snelzorg on Vrije Keuze, and optional cover for physiotherapy, alternative care, dental care and orthodontics.

7. DSW

Basic premium (2026): €158.50 a month (€1,902 a year), according to DSW’s premium explanation page (dsw.nl, checked 5 October 2026)

DSW publishes a breakdown of how its premium is built up. Its other policy pages could not be opened on 5 October 2026, so check the policy form and reimbursement for non-contracted providers on dsw.nl. See also our DSW health insurance review.

Not an insurer for Dutch basic cover: OOM and SafetyWing

OOM (oominsurance.com) sells insurance for people coming to the Netherlands, such as Schengen Visitor insurance (from €1.75 a day, medical expenses up to €500,000), insurance during provisional residence (up to 12 months) and Studying in the Netherlands insurance for students aged 15 to 29. We found no Dutch basisverzekering on its English site.

SafetyWing sells Nomad Insurance, from USD 62.72 per 4 weeks (Essential, ages 10 to 39), with cover in 180+ countries (safetywing.com, checked 31 October 2026). Neither replaces Dutch health insurance if you come to live or work in the Netherlands.

Check SafetyWing Nomad Insurance →

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

Full Comparison Table

All premiums from the insurers’ own sites, checked 5 October 2026. Premiums for 2027 are published before 12 November 2026.

Top Picks by Situation

Which Dutch Health Insurer Is Best for English-Speaking Expats?

For English-speaking expats the useful test is not the basic cover, which is identical, but whether you can read the website, the policy and the letters. ONVZ runs an English-language website with its 2026 premiums (€156.10 and €166.10 a month). Zilveren Kruis and CZ have English sections, and a.s.r. and Menzis publish their 2026 terms and conditions in English. Before you sign, ask whether your letters and claim correspondence will be in English, because English documents on a website do not guarantee that.

Lowest Premium

On 5 October 2026, the lowest basic premiums in this guide were a.s.r. (from €149.80), VGZ Basis Keuze (€149.90) and Menzis Basis Voordelig (€151.25), with VGZ’s Bewuste Keuze via UnitedConsumers at €147.40. All are naturapolissen; check that your hospital and regular providers are contracted.

If You Want Free Choice of Provider

A combinatiepolis costs more: among the insurers above that list its premium, from €171.65 (VGZ Eigen Keuze) to €177.50 (CZ Zorgvariatiepolis) a month. That is about €21 to €25 a month more than the cheapest naturapolis of the same insurer (for example €176.45 − €153.95 = €22.50 at Zilveren Kruis).

Collective Insurance Through Your Employer

Many employers, unions and other organisations have a collective arrangement with an insurer (Rijksoverheid). Ask HR whether one exists and what it gives: since 2023 there is no collective discount on the basic insurance, only on supplementary insurance (Rijksoverheid); at CZ, for example, the collective discount is on supplementary insurance.

Buying Through UnitedConsumers

UnitedConsumers works with VGZ on health insurance. It sells VGZ basic policies at €147.40 a month for Bewuste Keuze, €149.90 for Basis Keuze and €154.25 for Ruime Keuze, and gives 20% off supplementary insurance and dental insurance, plus a free dental accident insurance (unitedconsumers.com/zorgverzekering, checked 5 October 2026). Its site and quote flow are in Dutch.

Check UnitedConsumers →

The 30% Ruling and Health Insurance: What You Need to Know

The 30% ruling does not exempt you from the health insurance obligation. If you come to live or work in the Netherlands, you need Dutch health insurance, with or without the ruling.

The 30% ruling’s partial non-resident status used to affect your Box 3 tax position by excluding foreign savings and investments from Dutch wealth tax. That option was abolished per 1 January 2025; only expats who were already using the ruling before 2024 can still elect it, up to and including the 2026 return. It is separate from your health insurance and does not affect your premium or coverage.

Zorgtoeslag and the 30% ruling: the tax-free allowance under the 30% ruling is not part of your taxable income, so the income used for zorgtoeslag can be lower than your gross salary. Use the Dienst Toeslagen calculation with your actual figures.

Example: an expat earning €80,000 gross with a full 30% allowance has €80,000 × 70% = €56,000 of taxable salary. That is still above the zorgtoeslag income limit (€40,857 single), but it shows how the ruling affects the calculation.

How to Switch Health Insurer (Step by Step)

Switching Dutch health insurer happens once a year: insurers publish new premiums and conditions before 12 November, you cancel your current policy by 31 December, and you have until 1 February to take out the new one, which then runs from 1 January (Rijksoverheid, rijksoverheid.nl/vraag-en-antwoord/zorgverzekering/overstappen-zorgverzekeraar, checked 5 October 2026). Here is the process:

1. November: compare premiums and conditions Check your insurer’s new premium and conditions, and compare them with other insurers’ sites. Note which supplementary packages you have and compare equivalents.

2. By 31 December: take out the new policy If you take out a new policy by 31 December, the new insurer cancels your old one through the overstapservice. You can also cancel yourself by 31 December and take out the new policy until 1 February, with cover backdated to 1 January.

3. Arrange supplementary cover You do not have to take your basic and supplementary insurance from the same insurer, but a separate supplementary policy can come with special conditions, such as a higher premium. The new insurer may apply a waiting period to supplementary cover, such as dental crowns only after 6 months (Rijksoverheid’s example).

4. January: check your new policy documents Check that your coverage, eigen risico level and supplementary packages are correct.

Ongoing treatment: if you are in treatment when you switch, the provider bills the insurer you were with at the start of the treatment, and authorisations (machtigingen) from your old insurer are taken over by the new one (Rijksoverheid).

Comparing Supplementary Insurance: What to Actually Pay For

What Is the Best Dental Insurance in the Netherlands for Expats?

Most adult dental care is not part of the Dutch basisverzekering, so dental insurance is an optional extra that you buy per insurer, and the best choice depends on the annual ceiling you need. At a.s.r., for example, dental cover is a separate tandartsverzekering in five levels (TandBewust, TandGoed, TandBeter, TandBest and TandPlus) with annual ceilings of €250, €250, €250, €500 and €750, from €10 a month and reimbursing from age 18; a.s.r. lists check-ups, fillings and anaesthesia as normal treatments, and X-rays, crowns, bridges and gum treatment as extensive treatments, covered only from TandGoed upwards (asr.nl, checked 5 October 2026). Compare the ceiling with the treatment you expect.

Glasses and Contact Lenses

Ordinary glasses and contact lenses are not in the basic package. If you wear glasses, compare the amount a supplement pays (for example €100 or €125 per 2 years at CZ) with the extra premium.

Extended Physiotherapy

For adults, the basic package only pays for physiotherapy for chronic-list conditions (from the 21st treatment) and a few specific conditions such as hip or knee osteoarthritis (up to 12 treatments); an ordinary sports injury is not covered (Rijksoverheid). If you use physiotherapy regularly, compare the number of sessions in supplementary packages.

Alternative Therapies

Some supplements include an annual amount for alternative care, for example €350 (CZ Plus) or €550 (CZ Top). If you do not use it, it is not worth paying for.

How to Get Quotes

1. Check the 2026 premiums on the insurers’ own sites (the table above lists each insurer’s own figure)
2. Choose your eigen risico level
3. Compare basic and supplementary packages side by side
4. Take out the policy directly with the insurer

Related articles

• Best Health Insurance Add-Ons Netherlands 2026
• CZ Health Insurance Review for Expats 2026
• Best Dutch Health Insurance Plans 2026 Compared
• DSW Health Insurance Review for Expats 2026
• Menzis Health Insurance Review for Expats 2026

External source: SKGZ — Complaints and disputes about health insurance — the independent foundation for complaints and disputes about health insurance.