In this guide
Quick answer: Cancel your current Dutch health insurer before 31 December 2026 and sign a new contract before 1 February 2027. Use Independer to compare premies side by side in English, or go direct to an insurer such as a.s.r. if you already know which one you want. Expect the verplicht eigen risico to rise from €385 to roughly €400 in 2027, and budget for an average monthly premium of €145 to €160 for a basisverzekering.
How the Dutch switch window actually works
The first is 12 November. Around this date every insurer is legally required to publish the premium for the coming year. Some announce on Prinsjesdag in September, but the official campaign starts mid-November. From this point onwards you can compare prices for the new year.
The third is 1 February. This is the deadline to have a new policy active. In practice your new insurer will backdate coverage to 1 January if you sign up between 1 and 31 January, but you should aim to have everything signed before New Year’s Eve to avoid any administrative confusion.
What changes for 2027
Every year the Dutch government adjusts three numbers that affect your wallet: the verplicht eigen risico, the average basispremie, and the zorgtoeslag thresholds. Here is what is known for 2027 and what is still to be announced, based on the past five years.
Verplicht eigen risico. This is the mandatory annual deductible. In 2026 it sits at €385, where it has been frozen since 2016. For 2027 the government announced on Prinsjesdag (15 September 2026) that it rises with indexation to €400; a larger increase to about €455 has been postponed (rijksoverheid.nl, Prinsjesdag 2026, zorg; checked 24 September 2026). If you barely use healthcare, you can voluntarily raise your eigen risico by up to €500 in exchange for a lower premium; the size of the discount differs per insurer, so compare it against the extra €500 you could have to pay in a bad year.
Basispremie trends. The average premium for 2026 is €157 a month (€1,884 a year) according to rijksoverheid.nl. The Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) calculates a slightly different average of €158.39 a month across the 59 basic policies on offer in 2026, and puts the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive policy at €42.10 a month, up from €36.00 in 2025 (NZa, Informatiekaart Zorgverzekeringen 2026, December 2025). For 2027 the government’s budget assumes an average of about €169 a month, but that is a projection: insurers publish their actual 2027 premiums by 12 November, so compare on those, not on forecasts.
Zorgtoeslag 2027. Do not project the amount or income ceiling from 2026. Check Dienst Toeslagen when the 2027 table is published and use a proefberekening; income, assets, benefit-partner status and Dutch insurance all affect eligibility.
Aanvullende verzekering. Supplementary policies — for dentist, physio, alternative medicine, glasses — are not regulated like the basisverzekering. Insurers can refuse you, charge what they like, and change terms annually. Expect the 2027 terms to change again; read the new conditions before renewing. Whether one is worth it depends entirely on your usage pattern, which I unpack in my supplemental health insurance guide for expats.
Step-by-step: switching via a comparison site
Step 1 — gather your current numbers. Before opening any comparison site, find your existing policy document. You need: monthly premium for 2026, current eigen risico level, current aanvullende package (if any), and any chronic medication or treatment in progress. Without these you cannot compare apples with apples.
Step 2 — set your filters. Open a comparison site such as Independer (named here as plain text: we have no commercial arrangement with Independer) and enter your age, postcode, and household composition. Then choose policy type: naturapolis (in-network discount), restitutiepolis (any provider), or budgetpolis (restricted network, cheapest). For most expats with an established GP and a preferred hospital in their city, the naturapolis is the right default.
Step 3 — compare premies. The results page lists every Dutch insurer with monthly premium, coverage detail, and customer rating. Sort by premium first. Then filter by “preferred hospitals” if you want to verify your local hospital is in-network. Pay attention to the small print on physiotherapy sessions, mental health, and abroad coverage — these vary more than people realise.
Step 4 — pick aanvullende packages separately. Each insurer has 3 to 5 tiers of aanvullende verzekering. Look at the kosten per behandeling (cost per treatment) rather than the headline cap, especially for dentist and physio. A package that covers “100% physio” but only the first 9 sessions is not what most chronic back-pain sufferers actually need.
Step 5 — sign up online before 31 December. When you confirm your new policy, Independer or the insurer will send a cancellation request to your old provider on your behalf via the standard opzegservice. You will receive a confirmation email from your old insurer within two weeks. Save it.
Step 6 — set up direct debit and update your GP. Your new insurer needs your IBAN and DigiD. Update your GP, dentist, and pharmacy with the new insurance details in early January so reimbursements run smoothly. Most expats forget this and then panic in February when a bill bounces.
Plan roughly half an hour to an hour for the whole process. For comparing insurance brokers and intermediaries — useful if you have a more complex situation — see our roundup of the best expat insurance brokers in the Netherlands.
a.s.r.: what the documentation actually says
One historical note first, because it still confuses people searching for a quote: Ditzo is not a brand you can buy a health policy from any more. It was folded into a.s.r. on 17 April 2023, with the policyholder number, the billing UZOVI code 3336 and the risk carrier all unchanged (vecozo.nl, retrieved 10 September 2026). If you are looking for “Ditzo zorgverzekering”, a.s.r. is where you end up.
The deadline mechanics at a.s.r. The insurer’s own switching page states the rules plainly, and they are the standard ones: moving to another health insurer is only possible from 1 January of the following year. If you switch before 31 December, your new insurer cancels the old policy for you automatically. If you prefer to cancel yourself, do it by 31 December at the latest — you then have until 1 February to arrange the new policy. Mid-year switching is allowed only in specific situations, among them turning 18 and joining a new employer collectivity (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/overstappen, checked 17 September 2026).
The three variants. a.s.r. sells its basisverzekering as Bewuste Keuze (natura), Ruime Keuze (natura) and Eigen Keuze (a combination policy). The difference between them is the reimbursement at providers without a contract: Bewuste Keuze pays contracted care 100% and non-contracted care a maximum of 65%; Ruime Keuze pays up to 85% non-contracted, with GGZ and district nursing at 75%; Eigen Keuze pays 100% at providers with and without a contract. All three include 100% free hospital choice at every Dutch hospital, and the deductible is the statutory one — “in 2026 het eigen risico € 385”, voluntarily raisable to €885 (asr.nl/zorgverzekering and asr.nl/zorgverzekering/basisverzekering, checked 17 September 2026).
Supplementary and dental. Five supplementary packages — ZorgBasis, ZorgBewust, ZorgGoed, ZorgBeter and ZorgBest — start from €4.95 a month (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/aanvullende-verzekering, checked 17 September 2026). Dental is not part of them: a.s.r. states that dental care is not insured through a supplementary package, so adult dentistry means a separate tandartsverzekering, available as 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/zorgverzekering/tandartsverzekering, checked 17 September 2026).
Language. The a.s.r. site is Dutch throughout (asr.nl/zorgverzekering, checked 17 September 2026). a.s.r. has stated that all correspondence is in Dutch while its healthcare advisers answer questions in English (checked 10 September 2026). Premiums for 2027 are not published by any insurer until 12 November, so compare on a.s.r.’s own published figures once they are out rather than on last year’s.
Check a.s.r. health insurance →
The top 5 for 2027: head-to-head
Zilveren Kruis. The market leader, owned by Achmea. Strong national network and English-language support. Their aanvullende packages are middle-of-the-road. Pick them if you want the safest mainstream choice and are willing to pay €10 to €15 more per month for brand reassurance.
VGZ. A cooperative insurer, no shareholders. VGZ positions itself on mental health coverage, which matters more than most expats realise until they need it. Their Bewuzt budget brand is one of the cheapest on the market but with a tight network. There is a full VGZ review for expats if you want the granular breakdown.
CZ. Based in Tilburg, strong in the southern provinces. CZ tends to be a quiet, mainstream choice. Their aanvullende tiers for dental are particularly strong.
Menzis. Based in the east of the country, strong in Gelderland and Twente. They market hard on prevention and lifestyle programmes. Customer service is in Dutch primarily, so this is a better fit for expats who already have basic Nederlands.
a.s.r. Covered above. Three basic variants that differ only in what they pay outside the contracted network — 65%, up to 85%, or 100% — with 100% free hospital choice in all three, and dental sold as a separate policy rather than inside the supplementary packages (asr.nl/zorgverzekering, checked 17 September 2026). Dutch-language site and correspondence, so weigh that against the cover.
And one non-insurer worth knowing about. UnitedConsumers is a Dutch consumer collective rather than a sixth insurer: it buys as a group and has worked with VGZ since 2006, so the policy you end up with is a VGZ policy. The member benefit is 20% off all aanvullende verzekeringen and off the tandartsverzekering, and the basic variants it lists run from €147.40 a month (Bewuste Keuze) to €154.25 (Ruime Keuze) (unitedconsumers.com/zorgverzekering, checked 18 September 2026). Those are 2026 figures: 2027 premiums appear in November and the collective’s will move with VGZ’s. As with a.s.r., language is a real consideration — we found no English-language information on the site on 18 September 2026.
Aanvullende verzekering in 2027: who actually needs it
The aanvullende verzekering is where insurers make most of their margin, and where expats waste most of their money. Here is my honest framework.
Skip aanvullende entirely if: you are healthy, have good teeth, no glasses, no physio history, and no plans to start a family in the coming year. The basisverzekering covers you for everything serious. The maths usually does not work out — paying €25 a month for an aanvullende that you use for €100 of physio per year is a €200 loss.
Buy a modest aanvullende if: you visit the dentist regularly, wear glasses, or do an active sport that occasionally needs physio. A middle-tier package at €15 to €20 per month tends to break even or save a small amount over a year.
Buy a comprehensive aanvullende if: you have a chronic condition that requires physio, regular alternative medicine, or you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. The kraampakket and maternity coverage in some packages alone justifies the cost.
For the deep dive on which add-ons are actually worth the premium, see the best health insurance add-ons in the Netherlands for 2026.
The four switch mistakes
None are catastrophic, but together they cost the average expat €200 to €500 per year.
Mistake one: missing the 31 December cancellation deadline. This is the big one. If you do not have a new policy signed by 31 December or a formal cancellation letter sent to your old insurer, you are auto-renewed at the new premium for the entire year. Set a calendar reminder for 15 December, not 30 December — give yourself a buffer.
Mistake two: cancelling without signing a replacement. A small but real risk. If you cancel your current policy in writing but do not sign a new one before 31 December, you can end up with a coverage gap. The opzegservice prevents this when you sign through Independer or a new insurer first, but if you cancel manually you take the risk yourself. Always sign the new one first.
Mistake four: ignoring the aanvullende renewal trap. Aanvullende verzekeringen do not auto-cancel when you switch basisverzekering. If you switch insurer for the basic policy but had aanvullende with the old one, the old aanvullende can quietly continue and bill you in parallel. Check this explicitly when you cancel.
Zorgtoeslag 2027: do not leave money on the table
The zorgtoeslag is a healthcare subsidy from the Belastingdienst that most expats either do not know about or assume they cannot claim. The eligibility rules for 2027 are:
You must be 18 or older, registered as a Dutch resident, hold a valid basisverzekering, and have an income (toetsingsinkomen) no higher than the threshold: €40,857 in 2026 for a single person and €51,142 together with a toeslagpartner. Your assets on 1 January 2026 must not exceed €146,011 (single) or €184,633 (with a partner) (belastingdienst.nl, checked 24 September 2026). These figures are reset every year; the 2027 thresholds follow later.
If you qualify, the monthly toeslag in 2026 is at most €129 for a single person and €246 for you and a toeslagpartner together, falling as income rises (belastingdienst.nl, zorgtoeslag table 2026). For 2027 the government expects the maximum for a single person to rise to about €140 a month (rijksoverheid.nl, Prinsjesdag 2026). You apply through Mijn Toeslagen on the Belastingdienst portal using DigiD. The application is in Dutch but the structure is straightforward.
Two practical points. First, apply as early in the year as possible — payments are made monthly in advance from the month after application. Second, if your income rises mid-year (a raise, a bonus, a partner moving in), update your forecast on Mijn Toeslagen straight away. Otherwise you will face a clawback in your annual reconciliation a year later, which is an unpleasant surprise.
The Zorginstituut Nederland keeps an authoritative consumer guide to all healthcare entitlements — see their site at zorginstituutnederland.nl for the official policy detail.
Example 2027 plan
When the 2027 premiums are published in November, check two things in this order: whether the hospital you prefer is contracted, and what the policy pays outside that network. If your current insurer still clears both at a sensible price, stay. If not, switch to whichever insurer offers the same coverage for less. As an illustration: a policy that is €18 a month cheaper saves €216 a year.
The Dutch system is good. Genuinely good — universal, regulated, accessible. But it asks you to do one administrative task per year. Do it before 31 December, do it through a comparison tool, and spend the savings on something nicer than a premium increase notice.
— Wilco
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to switch Dutch health insurance for 2027?
You must cancel your current policy before 31 December 2026 and sign a new contract before 1 February 2027 at the latest. Cancelling on time is the step with a hard cut-off: if you miss 31 December, you stay with your current insurer for 2027.
Can I switch zorgverzekering mid-year in 2027?
No, not the basic insurance. Once you are past 1 February 2027 you are locked in for the rest of the calendar year, unless your premium increases mid-year because of a policy change by the insurer or you move abroad.
How much is the eigen risico in 2027?
The verplicht eigen risico (mandatory deductible) is €385 in 2026. For 2027 the government announced on Prinsjesdag (15 September 2026) that it rises with indexation to €400 per adult (rijksoverheid.nl). A larger increase to about €455 has been postponed. Any voluntary excess comes on top of the €400.
Do I lose coverage if I switch insurer on 1 January?
No. As long as you cancel before 31 December and start your new policy on 1 January, coverage is seamless. The new insurer takes over without a gap.
Is Independer free to use?
Yes. Independer is free for consumers. They earn a commission from the insurer if you sign through their platform, but the premium you pay is identical to going direct.
Should expats pick a budget or a premium policy?
It depends on whether you want freedom of provider choice. A budgetpolis is cheaper but restricts you to contracted hospitals. A restitutiepolis costs more but lets you see any doctor.