DSW Health Insurance Review for Expats 2026

This review covers what matters about DSW for someone who has just moved to the Netherlands: the premium, the policy type, the own risk, supplementary cover, language and how DSW compares with other insurers.

💡 Looking for a complete banking comparison? Read Best banking for expats in the Netherlands 2026 — covers ABN, ING, Bunq, Wise, Revolut & 5 others by expat use case.

Quick answer: DSW sells one basic policy, a combinatiepolis with free choice of provider, at €158.50 a month for everyone in 2026, with a compulsory own risk of €375 instead of the statutory €385. It is a simple, fairly priced option if you can handle a Dutch-language insurer.

What Is DSW?

DSW is a Dutch health insurer based in Schiedam, near Rotterdam. It does things its own way: no advertising on billboards, radio or TV, one premium for everyone and no collective discounts (dsw.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

DSW Premiums 2026

DSW charges everyone the same basic premium: €158.50 a month in 2026 (€1,902 a year), unchanged from 2025. For 2027 DSW has announced €173.25 a month, €14.75 more, with supplementary premiums unchanged (DSW news, 21 October 2026). There is no collective discount; since 2023 no insurer may give one on the basic policy anyway (Rijksoverheid). For comparison, the average basic premium in 2026 is €157 a month.

Own risk (eigen risico)

The government set the compulsory own risk for 2026 at €385. DSW has lowered it to €375 for its members, so adults pay the first €375 of basic-insurance costs themselves. If you choose a voluntary own risk on top of that, DSW charges a lower premium; check the amounts in DSW’s premium calculator. Paying in advance for a longer period also gives a discount (dsw.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

One Policy: a Combinatiepolis

Many English guides still describe a choice between a natura and a restitutie policy. That choice does not exist at DSW, and restitutiepolissen have not been sold by any insurer since 2025 (NZa). DSW’s basic insurance is a combinatiepolis with free choice of provider. DSW says it has contracts with almost all providers and in any case with all hospitals and large institutions; if a hospital says it is still negotiating with DSW, you are still fully reimbursed. In the rare case that you go to a non-contracted provider, DSW reimburses a reasonable rate (dsw.nl, checked 5 October 2026).

For expats this removes the usual worry about which hospital is contracted. It still makes sense to use DSW’s zorgzoeker (provider search) before treatment at a smaller private clinic.

What DSW’s Basic Insurance Covers

As with all Dutch health insurers, the government decides what is in the basic package. DSW lists among other things:

• Covered: hospital care, GP and medicines, psychological care, patient transport, medical care abroad, dentist up to age 18, and physiotherapy for conditions on the “chronic list”.
• Not covered: regular physiotherapy from age 18, dental treatment from age 18, alternative medicine, orthodontics (braces) and contraception from age 21.

Children under 18 are insured free of charge. GP care does not count towards your own risk. For postnatal care at home (kraamzorg) you pay a statutory contribution of €5.70 an hour (Rijksoverheid). For the full list, see what Dutch health insurance covers.

DSW Supplementary Insurance Options

DSW has four supplementary packages in 2026 (dsw.nl, checked 5 October 2026):

Each package reimburses a different mix of care, such as extra physiotherapy sessions and part of your dental costs. DSW accepts everyone for its supplementary packages, regardless of age or health. Compare the reimbursements in DSW’s own comparison tool before you choose.

DSW for Expats: Language

DSW’s website, letters and policy documents are in Dutch, and we found no English-language section (the English URL we tried returned a 404 on 5 October 2026). The website works reasonably with a browser translation tool, and the portal at mijn.dsw.nl lets you submit claims online. For a dispute or a complex reimbursement question, email gives you a written record and time to check a translation.

How Claims Work at DSW

At contracted providers, which DSW says covers almost all of them, the provider usually bills DSW directly. If you pay an invoice yourself, for example abroad or at a non-contracted provider, you submit it through mijn.dsw.nl or the app.

DSW vs Competitors: Quick Comparison

DSW is not the cheapest basic policy in this table. What sets it apart is that its only policy already gives free choice of provider, combined with a lower own risk.

Where a.s.r. fits in: a.s.r. sells three basisverzekering variants that differ only in what they pay at non-contracted providers — Bewuste Keuze a maximum of 65%, Ruime Keuze up to 85% (75% for GGZ and district nursing), and Eigen Keuze 100% (80% for GGZ and district nursing at non-contracted providers) — while all three give 100% free choice of hospital at any Dutch hospital (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/basisverzekering, checked 17 September 2026). Dental sits outside a.s.r.’s supplementary packages, in a separate tandartsverzekering with five levels, annual ceilings of EUR 250, EUR 250, EUR 250, EUR 500 and EUR 750, from EUR 10 a month (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/tandartsverzekering, checked 17 September 2026). a.s.r. has an English section with an overview of its English documents, but notes that all correspondence is in Dutch (asr.nl).

Check a.s.r. health insurance →

Who Is DSW Best Suited For?

DSW works well for expats who:

• Want free choice of provider without comparing policy types
• Like a single, transparent premium and a slightly lower own risk
• Are comfortable handling a Dutch-language insurer, with a translation tool or help from a Dutch speaker

DSW is less suitable for expats who:

• Want English-language documents and service as a priority
• Want the lowest possible premium and are happy with a natura policy elsewhere

How to Compare DSW Against Other Insurers

Compare premiums, policy types and supplementary packages on the insurers’ own sites before you choose.

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

Practical Steps: Registering with DSW

1. Gather your details: BSN, Dutch bank account (IBAN) and your arrival date
2. Choose your supplementary package: AV-Compact, AV-Standaard, AV-Top or AV-Student (or none)
3. Decide on a voluntary own risk on top of the compulsory €375, if you want a lower premium
4. Sign up online at dsw.nl, using a browser translator if needed

Important: If you come to live or work in the Netherlands, take out your policy no later than four months after arriving; cover is then backdated to the day you arrived (Government.nl). Later than that, there is no backdating, and if the CAK finds you uninsured it sends a letter and can fine you (€529.74 in 2026).

DSW and Employer Group Schemes

Since 2023 a collective can no longer give a discount on the basic policy; discounts on supplementary insurance remain possible (Rijksoverheid). DSW goes further and gives no collective discount at all: everyone pays the same premium.

The Zorgtoeslag (Healthcare Benefit) and DSW

The zorgtoeslag is a government contribution, paid by the Belastingdienst, towards the cost of Dutch health insurance for people on lower incomes.

2026 income thresholds (Belastingdienst):

• Up to EUR 40,857 (EUR 51,142 with a toeslagpartner): eligible for some zorgtoeslag
• Up to a toetsingsinkomen of EUR 29,500: the full EUR 129 a month (EUR 246 with a toeslagpartner)

You apply through the Belastingdienst’s Toeslagen service, with a DigiD.

Internal Links

• Dutch health insurance for expats: complete guide 2026
• What Dutch health insurance covers (and what it doesn’t)
• CZ health insurance review for expats 2026
• Zilveren Kruis vs CZ for expats
• Best health insurance add-ons for expats
• Physiotherapy in the Netherlands: expat guide
• Finding an English-speaking doctor in the Netherlands
• Dutch healthcare system explained for newcomers
• Best Dutch health insurance plans 2026

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