Physiotherapy in Netherlands: Expat Guide 2026

This guide explains how physiotherapy works in the Netherlands: access without a referral, what basic and supplementary insurance cover, what to ask about costs, and how to find a physiotherapist you can talk to comfortably.

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Quick answer: You can book a physiotherapist without a GP referral. Basic insurance only pays for physiotherapy for certain conditions: from the first treatment for a short list (such as hip or knee osteoarthritis), and from the 21st treatment for conditions on the chronic list. Everything else is paid by supplementary insurance or by you (Zorginstituut Nederland).

How Physiotherapy Works in the Netherlands: The Basics

Direct access (directe toegankelijkheid)

You can go to a physiotherapist without a referral from your GP. When you come without a referral from a doctor, the physiotherapist first does a short screening: they look at your request for help, decide whether further examination is indicated and check that there are no reasons not to treat you (KNGF). If physiotherapy is not the right care, they will advise you, for example to see your GP.

When a referral matters

A referral (verwijzing) is not needed to be seen, but it can matter for reimbursement. According to Zorginstituut Nederland, your insurer sometimes requires a referral from a GP or specialist before it pays for physiotherapy. For pelvic physiotherapy for urinary incontinence, some insurers require a referral for reimbursement from the basic insurance (KNGF/NVFB). A referral letter can also help the physiotherapist understand your medical background, for example after surgery.

Insurance Coverage for Physiotherapy

Basic insurance (basisverzekering) from age 18

Zorginstituut Nederland describes three situations for adults:

1. Covered from the first treatment, for these conditions:

• Pelvic physiotherapy or exercise therapy for urinary incontinence
• Physiotherapy or exercise therapy for claudicatio intermittens (intermittent claudication)
• Physiotherapy for osteoarthritis of the hip or knee
• Exercise therapy for COPD (from GOLD stage II)
• Exercise therapy for rheumatoid arthritis with severe functional limitations
• Exercise therapy for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) with severe functional limitations

For some of these a maximum number of treatments applies. Rijksoverheid lists, for example, pelvic physiotherapy for urinary incontinence up to the 9th treatment, exercise therapy for hip and knee osteoarthritis up to the 12th treatment and exercise therapy for intermittent claudication up to the 37th treatment.

2. Conditions on the list of chronic conditions (lijst van chronische aandoeningen):

If your doctor has established that your condition is on this list, treatments are covered from the 21st treatment. You pay the first 20 treatments yourself. There is no fixed maximum number of treatments, but for some conditions the treatment period is limited, usually to 12 months from the first treatment. The full list is in annex 1 of the Besluit zorgverzekering.

3. All other complaints:

For complaints that are not on either list, such as most sports injuries or a one-off episode of back pain, the basic insurance does not pay. You pay yourself or use supplementary insurance.

Treatments paid from the basic insurance count towards the mandatory eigen risico of €385 in 2026. There is no separate personal contribution (eigen bijdrage) for physiotherapy (Zorginstituut Nederland).

Children under 18

• Condition on the chronic list: covered from the first treatment, for the number of treatments you agree with the therapist.
• Other conditions: 9 treatments over a year from the first treatment, plus up to 9 more in that year if the result is not sufficient.
• Turning 18: treatment for conditions that are not on the chronic list stops being covered, even if fewer than 9 treatments were used. For a chronic condition, treatments continue to be covered from the 20th treatment (Zorginstituut Nederland).

There is no eigen risico for children under 18 (Rijksoverheid).

Supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering)

Supplementary insurance pays for a set number of physiotherapy treatments a year, also for complaints that the basic insurance does not cover. The number depends on the insurer and the package. One example from an insurer’s own site:

Source: vgz.nl, checked 8 October 2026. Other insurers use different numbers and conditions, so compare the policies you are considering. See VGZ health insurance review and best health insurance add-ons.

Example with a chronic condition: if your condition is on the chronic list and your supplementary policy covers 9 treatments, the supplementary policy can pay part of the first 20 treatments that the basic insurance does not cover. Whether it does, and for how many, depends on your policy.

Checking your coverage

Before your first appointment:

1. Log in to your insurer’s online portal and check how many physiotherapy treatments you have left this year
2. Check whether you need a referral for reimbursement
3. Check whether the practice has a contract with your insurer. Without a contract, you may only get part of the costs reimbursed (Zorginstituut Nederland)

You can switch supplementary insurance at the turn of the year. A new policy taken out by 31 December automatically cancels your old one (Rijksoverheid).

What Does Physiotherapy Cost in the Netherlands?

There is no single national price for a physiotherapy session. If you pay yourself, ask the practice for its rate before you book, and ask whether the first appointment includes a screening or an intake and examination. If your insurer covers the treatment and the practice has a contract with it, the practice usually bills the insurer. Otherwise you may pay first and claim the costs back. Check this with the practice and your insurer.

Finding a Physiotherapist You Can Talk To

For complex complaints it helps when you can describe your symptoms precisely. Ways to find a practice:

1. Your insurer’s care finder Insurers list the practices they have contracts with. That also helps you avoid partial reimbursement.

2. ZorgkaartNederland A Dutch site where you can search healthcare providers by place and read patient reviews.

3. Direct search and the practice website Many practices state on their website which languages their therapists speak. Ask by phone or email if it is not listed.

4. Ask your GP Your huisarts may know local practices and can refer you if a referral is needed for reimbursement.

5. Check the BIG register Fysiotherapeut is one of the 11 professions that must be registered in the BIG register (BIG-register). You can search by name and profession or by BIG number.

Questions to ask before booking

• “Is there a physiotherapist who can work with me in English?”
• “Do you have a contract with my insurer?”
• “What is your rate if I pay myself?”
• “Do you treat [your complaint]?”

What to Expect at the First Appointment

If you come without a referral, the first contact starts with a screening: the physiotherapist inventories your request for help, decides whether further examination is indicated, checks for reasons not to treat you and informs or advises you (KNGF). If treatment is appropriate, an intake and examination follow. According to Zorginstituut Nederland, physiotherapy aims to help you understand whether and how you can move with your complaint, what you can do yourself to reduce it, and how to live with it.

Bring your health insurance details and an ID to the first appointment.

Specialisations Worth Knowing About

Bekkenfysiotherapie (pelvic physiotherapy)

Pelvic physiotherapists are directly accessible: you do not need a referral from a GP or specialist to book one. Without a referral, they start with a screening (KNGF/NVFB). For urinary incontinence, the basic insurance covers pelvic physiotherapy from the first treatment, up to the 9th treatment (Rijksoverheid). Some insurers require a referral for that reimbursement.

Manuele therapie (manual therapy)

Manual therapists are physiotherapists who have completed an additional master’s programme in manual therapy (NVMT). Whether your insurer reimburses manual therapy, and under which conditions, is in your policy.

Kinderfysiotherapie (paediatric physiotherapy)

Physiotherapy for children follows the under-18 rules above: 9 treatments a year plus up to 9 more for most conditions, and treatment from the first session for conditions on the chronic list (Zorginstituut Nederland).

Sportfysiotherapie (sports physiotherapy)

Sports physiotherapists focus on sports injuries. For adults, most sports injuries are not on the lists covered by the basic insurance, so coverage usually comes from supplementary insurance.

Practical Tips for Expats

Check before the new year: if you expect to need physiotherapy, compare the number of treatments in supplementary packages before you choose your policy for the next year.

Know the eigen risico: treatments covered by the basic insurance count towards your eigen risico of €385, which applies per calendar year. Treatments paid from supplementary insurance do not.

Ask for the diagnosis if you have a chronic condition: for the chronic list, your doctor must have established that your condition is on the list (Zorginstituut Nederland).

Physiotherapist versus personal trainer: a fysiotherapeut must be registered in the BIG register; a personal trainer is not a BIG profession.

Related Guides

• Dutch health insurance for expats: complete guide 2026
• What Dutch health insurance covers (and what it doesn’t)
• Best health insurance add-ons for expats
• DSW health insurance review for expats
• CZ health insurance review for expats
• Finding an English-speaking doctor in the Netherlands
• Pregnancy and maternity care in the Netherlands
• Eye care in the Netherlands: optician guide for expats
• Dutch healthcare system explained

Summary

You can book a physiotherapist directly. For adults, the basic insurance only pays for a short list of conditions from the first treatment and for chronic-list conditions from the 21st treatment. For most other complaints you rely on supplementary insurance or pay yourself. Check your policy, ask about a contract with your insurer and ask the practice for its rate before you start.

Describing Symptoms in Dutch

Some Dutch can help with forms, phone calls and follow-up appointments. If you want to practise with a tutor:

Try Preply

External source: Zorginstituut Nederland: fysiotherapie en oefentherapie (Zvw) — what the basic insurance covers.