Expat Insurance Cost Netherlands 2026: Full Breakdown

Here is the short version: Dutch basic insurance (basisverzekering) costs €157/month on average in 2026 (Rijksoverheid), plus a mandatory own-risk payment (eigen risico) of €385/year. If your income qualifies, a government allowance (zorgtoeslag) can reduce your net cost to under €100/month. International insurance from providers like SafetyWing is an option for specific situations, starting at USD 62.72 per 4 weeks for ages 10–39 on the Essential plan.

The longer version — with exact prices, scenarios, and money-saving tactics — is what this guide covers.

💡 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.

How much does Dutch basisverzekering cost in 2026?

Everyone who comes to live or work in the Netherlands is legally required to take out basisverzekering within four months of arrival. This is not optional and not something you can skip to save money. For a full explanation of how the system works, see the Dutch health insurance guide for expats 2026.

The basic package covers:

• GP visits (huisarts) — always free, no deductible
• Hospital treatment after GP referral
• Prescription medication (most drugs on the formulary)
• Mental health care (up to a limit)
• Maternity care and midwifery
• Basic physiotherapy (limited sessions)

What it does not cover for adults: dental care (except oral surgery), glasses and contact lenses, most physiotherapy beyond the covered sessions, and a range of “extras” that many people end up needing.

2026 premium overview by insurer

Premiums are set per calendar year and published in November for the following year. These are the 2026 monthly rates for a standard policy without additional cover:

The national average lands at roughly €150/month in 2026. Year-on-year, premiums have risen about 8–10%, a trend driven by rising healthcare costs and wage increases in the sector.

The annual switching process has statutory deadlines. Compare the next year’s published premium, contracted-care network, deductible and supplementary cover; do not assume a fixed saving or completion time.

The eigen risico: the number people always underestimate

On top of your monthly premium, you pay a mandatory eigen risico (own-risk deductible) of €385 in 2026. This applies to most care — hospital visits, specialist consultations, most physiotherapy — but NOT to your GP, maternity care, or a handful of other basic services.

You can voluntarily raise your eigen risico to €485, €585, €685, €785, or €885. Each step up reduces your monthly premium by roughly €5–€15 depending on the insurer. At the maximum €885, you might save €70–€100/year in premiums — but you are taking on up to €500 more in potential costs. The math only works in your favor if you are reliably healthy and rarely need specialist care.

My rule of thumb: if you are under 35, have no chronic conditions, and did not use your full eigen risico last year, raising it to €585 or €685 is reasonable. For anyone else, stick to the mandatory minimum.

Annual eigen risico cost in practice:

• Best case (healthy year, only GP): €0 out of pocket
• Average expat year (1–2 specialist visits): €150–€385
• Higher utilisation (chronic issue, surgery): full €385

For budget planning, set aside €32/month (€385 ÷ 12) as their eigen risico buffer.

Supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering): costs and what you get

Basic basisverzekering leaves significant gaps. Supplementary packages fill those gaps — for a price.

Dental insurance (tandartsverzekering)

Adult dental is almost entirely uncovered by the basic package. A check-up plus cleaning at a Dutch dentist costs €80–€130. A filling runs €60–€120. A crown can easily hit €700–€900.

Dental add-ons are priced by the annual reimbursement cap:

Is it worth it? If you go twice a year and have solid teeth, the basic €12/month dental add-on (€144/year) easily covers €200–€250 in annual dental costs. If you have older fillings or need orthodontic work, a higher tier quickly pays for itself.

Physiotherapy (fysiotherapie)

Basic basisverzekering covers only a limited number of physiotherapy sessions per year for chronic conditions. For everyone else, physiotherapy is out of pocket without supplementary cover.

A single physio session in the Netherlands costs €40–€75. If you run, cycle seriously, or sit at a desk all day (most of us), you will use physiotherapy at some point.

Physio add-ons typically cost:

Other common supplementary cover

• Glasses and lenses: €3–€8/month, reimburses €100–€200/year
• Alternative medicine (acupuncture, osteopathy): €5–€12/month
• Ambulance abroad: often bundled in travel add-ons, €2–€5/month
• Mental health (extended): €5–€15/month beyond basic package

Full supplementary package costs

When you bundle dental, physio, glasses, and alternative medicine into a full aanvullend pakket, expect to pay:

• Budget pakket: €15–€20/month
• Mid pakket: €25–€35/month
• Full pakket: €40–€50/month

For most working expats without dependants, a mid-range pakket around €25–€30/month is the sweet spot: solid dental and physio coverage without paying for things you will never use.

One warning about bundled pricing, using a.s.r. as the example: not every insurer puts the same things in the “full” package. a.s.r. sells five supplementary packages — ZorgBasis, ZorgBewust, ZorgGoed, ZorgBeter and ZorgBest — from €4.95 a month, with 3 to 18 physiotherapy treatments a year plus 3 online sessions depending on the level, contraception at 100%, and replacement informal care (vervangende mantelzorg) of €150 to €1,200 a year. Dental is explicitly not part of that layer at a.s.r.: it is a separate tandartsverzekering from €10 a month, and cover abroad and glasses/lenses are separate modules too (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/aanvullende-verzekering and asr.nl/zorgverzekering/tandartsverzekering, checked 17 September 2026). So when you compare a €40 “full pakket” at one insurer against €4.95 plus €10 plus modules at another, make sure you are counting the same items on both sides.

Check a.s.r. health insurance →

International health insurance: costs and when it makes sense

Dutch basisverzekering is the right choice once you are a full resident. But there are situations where international insurance is either necessary or genuinely better value.

When to consider international insurance

Government.nl requires anyone who comes to live or work in the Netherlands to take out health insurance with a Dutch insurer, with cover from the day you arrive and 4 months to arrange it; a policy taken out in that window is backdated to your arrival. The exceptions it names are an employer outside the Netherlands (the SVB assesses this), work only for an EU institution (covered by the EU scheme JSIS) and some foreign students. International insurance is therefore mainly relevant for:

1. Travel and the period before you move: cover while you are not yet living here.
2. An employer outside the Netherlands: if the SVB confirms you stay insured in your home country.
3. Extra cover on top of Dutch insurance: for example an employer plan with worldwide cover.

SafetyWing — budget option for nomads and travel

SafetyWing is designed for people who are between residencies, moving countries frequently, or in the period before they move. It is not a replacement for Dutch basisverzekering once you live or work here, and a Dutch basisverzekering taken out within four months of arrival is backdated to the day you arrived (Government.nl). For a full roundup of all international options, see best expat insurance Netherlands 2026.

Prices (safetywing.com, checked 31 October 2026): the Essential plan starts at USD 62.72 per 4 weeks for ages 10–39, with a USD 250,000 overall limit; prices rise with age, and the Complete plan costs more.

SafetyWing covers emergency medical treatment, hospital stays and emergency evacuation. Check the plan terms for what is excluded, such as pre-existing conditions.

See our SafetyWing vs Cigna comparison for a detailed look at how it stacks up for longer-term international coverage.

Cigna Global and Aetna International

Neither insurer publishes a price list. Cigna Global gives individual quotes through its online quote tool and publishes its plan structure: Close Care, Silver, Gold and Platinum, with annual benefit maximums of USD 500,000, USD 1 million, USD 2 million and paid in full (cignaglobal.com, checked 5 October 2026). Aetna International did not list individual plan names or prices on its website on 5 October 2026; it works mainly through employers and brokers. Price depends on age, area of cover, deductible and the modules you add, so compare quotes for the same cover level. Neither plan replaces Dutch health insurance if you are required to have it.

For a full comparison of these two providers, see Cigna vs Aetna expat insurance 2026.

Zorgtoeslag: how the Dutch government reduces your bill

Zorgtoeslag is a monthly government subsidy paid directly to your bank account to help cover health insurance costs. It is one of the most valuable financial benefits available to expats in the Netherlands — and one of the most overlooked.

Who qualifies in 2026?

• You are legally residing in the Netherlands
• You have taken out Dutch basisverzekering
• Your toetsingsinkomen (assessment income) is below:
  • Single person: €40,857/year
  • Partners (combined): €51,142/year
• Your assets do not exceed €146,011 (singles) or €184,633 (with a toeslagpartner)

Most junior and mid-level employees under that income limit qualify. Senior professionals on €60,000+ do not.

How much do you get?

The allowance is income-dependent and calculated monthly. In 2026:

• Maximum allowance: €129/month (€246 with a toeslagpartner), paid in full up to a toetsingsinkomen of €29,500
• Above €29,500: the amount falls as income rises
• Income above €40,857 (single): €0

(Belastingdienst, zorgtoeslag table 2026)

The allowance is paid monthly in advance based on your estimated income. If your actual income differs, you settle the difference the following year.

How to apply

1. Go to toeslagen.nl (available in Dutch only, but browser translation works fine)
2. Log in with DigiD
3. Select “Zorgtoeslag” under toeslagen
4. Enter your estimated annual income and insurance details
5. Submit — allowance starts within 1–2 months

Apply as soon as you have your BSN and basic insurance in place. The allowance does not apply retroactively beyond 1 September of the current year for the previous year.

Realistic annual cost scenarios

Here are the numbers put together in a way that is actually useful for budget planning. If you are also considering international insurance options, see the Cigna vs Aetna comparison for a detailed breakdown.

Scenario 1: Young, healthy, basic policy only

• Profile: 28-year-old, no chronic conditions, occasional GP visit
• Insurer: DSW (€131/month)
• Aanvullend: None
• Eigen risico spent: €0–€100 (mostly healthy)
• Zorgtoeslag: Not eligible (income €45,000)

Scenario 2: Mid-income expat with full package

• Profile: 36-year-old, running injuries, regular dentist visits
• Insurer: ONVZ (€140/month) + mid pakket (€30/month)
• Eigen risico spent: €385 (physio + specialist)
• Zorgtoeslag: Not eligible (income €55,000)

Scenario 3: Lower-income expat with zorgtoeslag

• Profile: 31-year-old, income €26,000, basic health
• Insurer: CZ (from €156.95/month)
• Zorgtoeslag: €129/month (full amount at this income)
• Eigen risico spent: €100

Scenario 4: Family with two adults

• Profile: Two adults (35 + 33), one child, mid-range supplementary
• Insurer: Zilveren Kruis Basis Zeker (€159.25/month each) + pakket €28/month each
• Children: Free (no premium for under 18s)
• Eigen risico: €385 each (€770 combined, assuming normal use)

Netherlands vs other countries: how costs compare

The Netherlands sits in a reasonable middle ground. It is not as “free” as the NHS, but the mandatory eigen risico is capped, predictable, and manageable in a way that US deductibles rarely are. For most expats coming from the US, the Dutch system feels like a significant improvement in both predictability and cost.

The comparison with Germany is more complicated — statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) ties your premium to your salary rather than a fixed rate, which can be cheaper at lower incomes and more expensive at higher ones.

How to save money on Dutch health insurance

1. Switch insurers every year

The Dutch government makes it easy to switch before 31 December for a 1 January start date. Most people stay with their insurer out of inertia. Compare insurers every year once the new premiums are published. Switching from a €168 insurer to a €131 one saves €444/year for identical basic coverage.

2. Raise the eigen risico if you are healthy

If you have not used your eigen risico in the last two years, raising it from €385 to €585 saves roughly €60–€90/year in premiums. The math only turns against you if you need specialist care.

3. Apply for zorgtoeslag immediately

Too many expats miss months of allowance because they do not apply until their first tax filing. Apply at toeslagen.nl the moment you have your BSN and active insurance. If your income is under €40,857, you are likely leaving money on the table.

4. Choose the policy type that matches the care you use

Since 2025 insurers no longer sell restitutiepolissen (NZa). Rijksoverheid describes the remaining types: a naturapolis (the insurer contracts providers; non-contracted care may be reimbursed at a lower rate), a polis met beperkende voorwaarden or budget policy (fewer contracted providers or lower reimbursements), and a combinatiepolis (a mix of the two). If you are happy to use contracted providers, a naturapolis or budget policy is usually the cheaper choice; compare premiums per insurer.

5. Be strategic with supplementary cover

Do not auto-renew your aanvullend pakket without checking what you actually used last year. Many people pay for physio cover they never use, or dental cover that barely breaks even. Cancelling unused supplementary insurance and self-insuring instead saves €120–€360/year.

6. Check your employer’s collective scheme

Many Dutch employers have a collective with a health insurer. Since 2023 a collective can no longer give a discount on the basic policy; a discount on supplementary insurance is still possible (Rijksoverheid). Ask your HR department.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average cost of health insurance in the Netherlands in 2026? The average premium for Dutch basisverzekering is €157 a month in 2026 (Rijksoverheid). Premiums differ per insurer and policy type. Add the mandatory eigen risico of €385/year and you are looking at roughly €2,269/year before any allowances.

Which is the cheapest health insurer in the Netherlands for expats? Insurers set their own basic premiums, and the cheapest policy changes from year to year. Always compare current rates for your specific situation, as prices change annually.

Can expats get zorgtoeslag in the Netherlands? Yes — if you are legally residing in the Netherlands, pay Dutch income tax, and have a toetsingsinkomen up to €40,857 (singles, 2026), you can qualify. The allowance is at most €129/month for a single person.

Is it worth raising the eigen risico to save money? Raising it from €385 to €585 or €885 saves €5–€15/month in premium. It makes financial sense if you are young and healthy and rarely use specialist care. If you have chronic conditions or are starting a family, keep it at the mandatory minimum.

Is dental insurance worth it in the Netherlands? For adults who visit the dentist twice a year, a €12–€14/month dental add-on usually pays for itself within 12–18 months. A single filling or crown without insurance can cost €120–€700 — the maths shifts heavily in favour of cover.

How much does health insurance cost for a family? Children under 18 are free. For two adults with a mid-range supplementary package, budget €300–€450/month (€3,600–€5,400/year) including a realistic eigen risico buffer.

When do I need international insurance instead of Dutch basisverzekering? Rarely instead of it. If you come to live or work in the Netherlands, Dutch health insurance is required with cover from the day you arrive, and a policy taken out within 4 months is backdated, so you do not need international cover to bridge the wait for a BSN. Government.nl names an employer outside the Netherlands as the exception (the SVB assesses this). International cover is useful for travel, before you move, or as an extra on top of Dutch insurance.

Final numbers: what to actually budget

For budget planning:

• Minimum (basic, zorgtoeslag eligible): €36–€60/month net
• Standard (basic only, no zorgtoeslag): about €157/month on average (Rijksoverheid)
• Standard + supplementary: €160–€225/month
• Family of four (2 adults): €310–€450/month
• International insurance (pre-registration): €45–€130/month depending on age and provider

The Dutch system is predictable. Unlike the US, there are no surprise bills in the tens of thousands. Your maximum out-of-pocket for covered care is €385/year — full stop.

For everything else in your expat budget, see cost of living in the Netherlands 2026 and average salary Netherlands 2026.

If you are eligible for the 30% ruling, your taxable income drops significantly — check whether that affects your zorgtoeslag eligibility with the 30% ruling calculator guide.

For a deeper look at what the basic package actually covers, read what Dutch health insurance covers in 2026. When you are ready to choose a specific insurer, best Dutch health insurance plans 2026 walks through the main options side by side. For recommendations on which extras are actually worth paying for, best health insurance add-ons Netherlands 2026 covers the most useful supplementary packages. And if you want to see all the interactive tools that can help you compare costs and calculate your personal scenarios, those are available too.

The bottom line: Dutch health insurance is not cheap, but it is fair. Once you understand how the pieces fit together — premium, eigen risico, zorgtoeslag, aanvullend — you can plan for it accurately and avoid the surprises that catch most newcomers off guard.