Zilveren Kruis vs CZ for Expats: Health Insurance (2026)

This guide compares the 2026 basic and supplementary policies of Zilveren Kruis and CZ, with the premiums both insurers published on their websites (checked 31 October 2026), the reimbursement for non-contracted care, dental and physiotherapy cover, and English-language service.

If you want a broader look at all your options, start with our Dutch health insurance guide first, or use the Health Insurance Wizard tool to get a personalised recommendation before reading further.

💡 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 Verdict

Zilveren Kruis may suit you if:

• You want the lowest premium of the two at each comparable policy level (on 31 October 2026 Zilveren Kruis was €0.74 to €3.00 a month cheaper, see the table below)
• You want an app that is also available in English, and translated example letters
• You want supplementary dental cover with a higher annual ceiling (up to €1,250 with Aanvullend Tand 4 sterren, against €1,150 for CZ’s Uitgebreide Tandarts)

CZ may suit you if:

• Your GP, physiotherapist or hospital has a contract with CZ but not with Zilveren Kruis (check this in CZ’s Zorgvinder)
• You want to carry unused physiotherapy sessions over to the next year (CZ: up to 5 sessions)
• You prefer English web pages that list a customer service phone number with opening hours

The basic cover itself is the same. The government decides what is in the basic package (Rijksoverheid), so every insurer covers the same care. The differences are in the premium, the reimbursement for non-contracted care, the supplementary packages and the contracted providers.

Understanding Dutch Health Insurance: The Basics for Expats

If you are new to the system, a quick primer. Dutch health insurance has three parts that matter for this comparison:

1. Basisverzekering (basic insurance) If you come to live or work in the Netherlands, you must take out health insurance with a Dutch insurer (Government.nl). The basic package covers standard care such as the GP, the hospital, medicines and mental health care (Rijksoverheid). The government decides what is covered; every insurer offers the same package. What differs is the premium, the type of policy (see below), and the contracted care providers.

2. Aanvullende verzekering (supplementary insurance) Optional cover for care that is not in the basic package for adults, such as dental care, extra physiotherapy, glasses and alternative medicine. This is where Zilveren Kruis and CZ differ most.

3. Eigen risico (own risk / deductible) In 2026, the mandatory eigen risico is €385 per year for everyone aged 18 or older (Rijksoverheid). You pay the first €385 of care that falls under the eigen risico yourself before your insurer pays. You can voluntarily increase it by €100, €200, €300, €400 or €500 in exchange for a lower monthly premium; with the maximum you may have to pay €885 yourself (Rijksoverheid). GP care (including the out-of-hours GP service), midwifery care and maternity care (kraamzorg) are exempt from the eigen risico, as is district nursing (Rijksoverheid). Children under 18 pay no eigen risico. Zilveren Kruis’s supplementary and dental insurance have no eigen risico, and neither does CZ’s dental insurance.

For a full breakdown of how to register, get your BSN, and start your coverage, see our guides on BSN registration and moving to the Netherlands.

Comparison Table: Zilveren Kruis vs CZ at a Glance (2026)

Premiums and conditions as shown on zilverenkruis.nl and cz.nl on 31 October 2026 (2026 premiums, standard eigen risico of €385).

For zorgtoeslag you need a Dutch health insurance policy (Belastingdienst). Both insurers give a premium discount on group (collective) policies, for example through your employer.

Basisverzekering Compared: Policy Types

Rijksoverheid describes the naturapolis (including the cheaper budget variant with fewer contracted providers or lower reimbursements) and the combinatiepolis. Both insurers offer both types. The type determines how much you get back if you go to a provider without a contract.

Natura Policy

With a natura policy, your insurer contracts selected care providers. You can still go to a different provider, but the insurer may then reimburse less; your policy states how much (Rijksoverheid). For a non-contracted provider, you pay the bill first and then claim it (zilverenkruis.nl).

• Zilveren Kruis natura: Basis Start (€153.95/month) reimburses 70% of the average contracted rate at non-contracted providers, and also 70% if you do not order certain medical aids online. Basis Zeker (€159.25/month) reimburses 75%. In an emergency you can go to any hospital in the Netherlands and the emergency care is reimbursed in full (zilverenkruis.nl, 31 October 2026).
• CZ natura: the Zorgbewustpolis (€156.95/month) reimburses at most 70% of the contracted rate at non-contracted providers, the Zorg-op-maatpolis (€159.99/month) 75% (cz.nl, 31 October 2026). CZ says it has more than 45,000 contracted care providers.

Combinatie (Combination) Policy

With a combinatiepolis you get care in some cases (as with a naturapolis) and reimbursement of care in others (Rijksoverheid).

• Zilveren Kruis Basis Exclusief (€176.45/month): 100% at non-contracted providers, except 85% of the average contracted rate for non-contracted district nursing and mental health care (GGZ).
• CZ Zorgvariatiepolis (€177.50/month): 100% at non-contracted providers up to the market rate, except at most 85% of the contracted rate for non-contracted district nursing and mental health care (cz.nl, 31 October 2026).

Restitutie Policy

The restitutiepolis no longer exists: from 2025 insurers converted their restitutiepolissen into combinatiepolissen (NZa). Neither insurer lists one.

Before you choose a natura policy: check whether the providers you already use have a contract with the insurer, and whether there is a cap on the number of treatments in that contract (a zorgplafond), because then you may not be able to get treatment there at the end of the year (Rijksoverheid). Both insurers have a search tool for contracted providers on their websites.

Aanvullende Verzekering: Supplementary Insurance

Supplementary insurance is optional. An insurer must accept you for the basic insurance but may refuse you for supplementary insurance; according to Rijksoverheid, insurers hardly use medical selection any more, except for some very extensive packages, but they can apply a waiting period. Zilveren Kruis says there is no medical acceptance for its supplementary packages, but its two highest dental policies require a medical assessment. You do not have to take out basic and supplementary insurance with the same insurer, although a stand-alone supplementary policy can come with different conditions, such as a higher premium (Rijksoverheid).

Zilveren Kruis’s packages depend on the basic policy: with Basis Start you can only choose Start Zorg & Tand 1 or 2 (or the Basis Plus Module); with Basis Zeker or Basis Exclusief you choose from Aanvullend 1 to 4 sterren. Its premiums also differ for ages 18 to 29 and 30 or older.

Dental Coverage

Adult dental care is largely outside the basic package: from age 18 it covers surgical dental care and X-rays (Rijksoverheid) and, in special cases, a denture (including one on implants), but not ordinary dental costs (cz.nl). For check-ups and fillings you need dental insurance.

Zilveren Kruis dental insurance (2026, with Basis Zeker or Basis Exclusief; ages 18–29 / 30 and older):

• Tand Basis (€9.50 / €9.50 a month): one or two check-ups with cleaning, plus up to €75 a year for fillings, extractions, X-rays and anaesthesia
• Aanvullend Tand 1 ster (€14.50 / €14.95): up to €250 a year
• Aanvullend Tand 2 sterren (€24.50 / €24.95): up to €500 a year
• Aanvullend Tand 3 sterren (€43.75 / €45.50): up to €1,000 a year, medical assessment needed
• Aanvullend Tand 4 sterren (€62.50 / €64.25): up to €1,250 a year, medical assessment needed

The annual maximum applies to all dental treatments together, except consultations, oral hygiene and dental care after an accident. With Basis Start you cannot take out a separate dental policy; Start Zorg & Tand 1 (€11.95) includes one check-up with 20 minutes of cleaning plus €75 for fillings and anaesthesia, and Start Zorg & Tand 2 (€15.95) two check-ups plus €150.

CZ dental insurance (2026):

• Tandarts (€27.00 a month): check-ups 100%, other treatments 75%, up to €450 a year
• Uitgebreide Tandarts (€48.40 a month): check-ups 100%, other treatments 75%, up to €1,150 a year
• CZ’s supplementary package Jongeren (from €27.20 a month) also includes dental care, up to €350 a year

At the lower levels Zilveren Kruis’s premiums are lower; at the top level Zilveren Kruis has the higher ceiling (€1,250 against €1,150) but requires a medical assessment. Compare the ceiling with the dental costs you expect.

More on choosing a level in the dental section below.

Physiotherapy

From age 18, the basic package covers physiotherapy and exercise therapy from the 21st treatment for conditions on the chronic list; you usually pay the first 20 treatments yourself. There are separate rules for, among others, pelvic physiotherapy for urinary incontinence (up to the 9th treatment) and exercise therapy for hip or knee osteoarthritis (up to the 12th treatment) (Rijksoverheid). For other physiotherapy you need supplementary insurance.

• Zilveren Kruis (with Basis Zeker or Basis Exclusief, age 30 and older): Aanvullend 1 ster 8 treatments a year (€10.50 a month), 2 sterren 12 (€22.75), 3 sterren 20 (€42.75), 4 sterren 32 (€74.25). Ages 18 to 29 pay €10.25, €22.50, €42.50 and €70.95. With Basis Start: Start Zorg & Tand 1 (3 treatments) or 2 (6 treatments).
• CZ: Basis 9 treatments (€10.85 a month), Plus 12 (€27.35), Top 20 (€49.95), Jongeren 8 (from €27.20), 50+ 13 (€22.20). With each of these you can carry over up to 5 unused sessions to the next year.

Alternative Medicine

• Zilveren Kruis: Aanvullend 2 sterren up to €250 a year, 3 sterren up to €450, 4 sterren up to €650 (maximum €40 a day); Aanvullend 1 ster has no reimbursement.
• CZ: Plus up to €350 a year, Top up to €550 (maximum €40 a day), 50+ up to €350.

Glasses and Contact Lenses

Ordinary glasses and contact lenses are not covered by the basic insurance (Rijksoverheid).

• Zilveren Kruis: Aanvullend 2 sterren up to €100 per 3 calendar years, 3 sterren €150, 4 sterren €250.
• CZ: Plus up to €100 per 2 years, Top €125 per 2 years.

For what an eye test and glasses cost, see our optician guide.

Emergency Care Abroad

The cheapest supplementary option at both insurers is mainly cover for emergency care abroad: Zilveren Kruis’s Basis Plus Module (€2.25 a month) and CZ’s Start (€2.15 a month) both reimburse urgent care abroad at 100% (Zilveren Kruis: of the foreign rate).

Network and Contracted Care

The basic package is the same everywhere, but the contracted providers are not. Before you sign up, use CZ’s Zorgvinder or Zilveren Kruis’s provider search to check that your GP practice, physiotherapist and any specialists or hospital you already use have a contract. Contracts can change every year: you receive your policy for the next year in November (Rijksoverheid).

English Language Support and Expat Friendliness

Neither Zilveren Kruis nor CZ is an expat insurer. What each offers in English, according to its own website:

Zilveren Kruis:

• Website: an English version (zilverenkruis.nl/en), with several pages marked “in Dutch only”
• Letters: “Nearly all our letters and insurance policy documents are in Dutch”; Zilveren Kruis offers translated example letters
• App: “Also available in English”; the 24/7 chatbot answers in Dutch only
• Contact: chat with staff via the app, Monday to Friday 8:30 to 20:00 and Saturday 9:00 to 13:00, with a reply within 2 hours; phone 071 751 00 51, Monday to Friday 8:30 to 18:00

CZ:

• Website: English pages (cz.nl/en), including the premium calculator; some links are marked “in Dutch”
• Contact: customer service on +31 88 555 77 77, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 17:30
• App: chat or call staff via the CZ app, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 17:30

If you live or work in the Netherlands, you must take out health insurance with a Dutch insurer, even if you have medical insurance from another country (Government.nl). For international insurance options and when they apply, see the expat insurance guide.

Claims Process and Apps

With a contracted provider, the insurer settles the bill with the provider. With a non-contracted provider, you pay the bill first and then claim it (zilverenkruis.nl).

Zilveren Kruis App

According to Zilveren Kruis, in the app you can:

• Submit claims by taking a photo of the bill; the money is in your account the next working day
• View your policy, care costs and digital health insurance card, including the EHIC
• Pay open bills via iDEAL | Wero
• Chat with staff or ask the chatbot Ziv
• Arrange permission for patient transport

CZ App

According to CZ, in the app you can:

• Submit a claim with a photo or PDF of the bill; you get a response within 10 working days at the latest
• View your policy, care costs, reimbursements and eigen risico
• Keep your digital health insurance card with you
• Chat or call with staff

Dental Coverage Deep Dive

Without dental insurance, you pay check-ups, fillings and crowns yourself as an adult. Dental insurance at both insurers has no eigen risico. Some ways to choose:

Check-ups and the occasional filling

Zilveren Kruis Tand Basis (€9.50 a month, €114 a year) covers one or two check-ups with cleaning and up to €75 a year for fillings, extractions, X-rays and anaesthesia. It is not available with Basis Start; there, Start Zorg & Tand 1 (€11.95) or 2 (€15.95) includes dental care. At CZ, the cheapest dental insurance is Tandarts (€27.00 a month, €324 a year): check-ups 100%, other treatments 75%, up to €450 a year.

More treatment expected

Zilveren Kruis Aanvullend Tand 2 sterren (€24.95 a month from age 30, €299.40 a year) reimburses up to €500 a year; CZ Tandarts (€324 a year) up to €450. Most treatments are reimbursed at 75% with both, so you pay part of every bill yourself.

Crowns, bridges or several large treatments

Zilveren Kruis Aanvullend Tand 4 sterren (€64.25 a month from age 30, €771 a year) has the highest ceiling of the two insurers, €1,250 a year, but needs a medical assessment. CZ Uitgebreide Tandarts (€48.40 a month, €580.80 a year) reimburses up to €1,150 a year.

Waiting periods: an insurer can apply a waiting period when you switch, so that certain costs are not reimbursed straight away; Rijksoverheid gives the example of a new crown that is only reimbursed if it is made after 6 months. Orthodontics has a 1-year waiting period at both insurers (Zilveren Kruis: for children in Aanvullend 3 and 4 sterren; CZ: in its dental policies). Check the policy conditions before you take out dental cover for a treatment you already need.

Mental Health Coverage

Mental health care (GGZ, geestelijke gezondheidszorg) is in the basic package at both insurers, as basis-ggz for mild to moderate conditions (for example talks with a psychologist or an online treatment) and specialist ggz for severe, complex conditions. The eigen risico applies to both (Rijksoverheid).

Your GP treats mild psychological complaints, together with a practice nurse for mental health (POH-GGZ), and can refer you to a GGZ provider (Rijksoverheid). GP care has no eigen risico (Rijksoverheid).

The difference between the insurers is in non-contracted care. With a natura policy you get back a lower percentage (Zilveren Kruis 70% or 75%, CZ 70% or 75%); with a combinatie policy both insurers reimburse up to 85% of the contracted rate for non-contracted GGZ. If you cannot get treatment in time at a contracted provider, ask your insurer for zorgbemiddeling (help finding care). According to the NZa, if it then turns out that no contracted provider is available in time, the insurer must fully reimburse care at a non-contracted provider that can treat you in time.

Pros and Cons Summary

Zilveren Kruis

For:

• Lower premium than CZ at each comparable basic policy (€0.74 to €3.00 a month on 31 October 2026)
• Dental insurance from €9.50 a month, and the highest dental ceiling of the two (€1,250)
• Up to 32 physiotherapy treatments a year in Aanvullend 4 sterren
• App also available in English; translated example letters
• No medical acceptance for its supplementary packages

Against:

• Basis Start cannot be combined with separate dental insurance or the Aanvullend 1–4 sterren packages
• Its top two dental policies require a medical assessment
• Nearly all letters and policy documents are in Dutch
• Premiums for supplementary packages differ by age, so check your own age group

CZ

For:

• Unused physiotherapy sessions (up to 5) can be carried over to the next year
• English website pages with a phone number and an English premium calculator
• A package for young people (Jongeren) that includes dental care and a 50+ package

Against:

• Higher basic premium than Zilveren Kruis at each comparable policy level (31 October 2026)
• Cheapest dental insurance costs €27.00 a month
• On the Zorgbewustpolis, the only voluntary eigen risico option is €500

A Third Option Worth Knowing: a.s.r.

Zilveren Kruis and CZ are not the only two structures on offer. a.s.r. splits its basisverzekering three ways: Bewuste Keuze (non-contracted care reimbursed at 65% of the average agreed price), Ruime Keuze (85%, and 75% for GGZ and district nursing) and Eigen Keuze (a combinatieverzekering: 100%, and 80% for non-contracted GGZ and district nursing), with 100% free hospital choice at all hospitals in the Netherlands (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/basisverzekering, checked 31 October 2026). On dental the comparison above does not transfer: a.s.r. sells a separate tandartsverzekering in five levels with annual ceilings of €250, €250, €250, €500 and €750, from €10 a month, for dental care from age 18 (asr.nl/zorgverzekering/tandartsverzekering, checked 31 October 2026), so heavy dental users should hold those ceilings against the Zilveren Kruis top tier before switching. The switching rules are the same as for any insurer: if you take out a new policy by 31 December, your new insurer cancels the old one for you (Rijksoverheid). a.s.r. has an English health insurance page (asr.nl/health-insurance), but says that “all correspondence is in Dutch” (checked 31 October 2026).

Check a.s.r. health insurance →

How to Sign Up

Both insurers let you calculate your premium and take out a policy online on their own sites. Before you sign up:

1. Put the current premiums of the policy types you are considering side by side
2. Check which supplementary packages you actually need
3. If you may be eligible for zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance), run the Belastingdienst’s proefberekening

Insurers publish next year’s premiums and policy conditions before 12 November (Rijksoverheid). To switch for 1 January, take out the new policy by 31 December; your new insurer then cancels the old one. If you cancel yourself by 31 December, you have until 1 February to take out a new policy, which then starts retroactively on 1 January (Rijksoverheid).

Am I eligible for zorgtoeslag?

Zorgtoeslag is a government contribution towards the cost of health insurance. To qualify you need a Dutch health insurance policy (Belastingdienst). In 2026, if your toetsingsinkomen is at most €40,857 (single) or €51,142 (with a toeslagpartner), you can be eligible for a monthly contribution of up to €129 (single) or €246 (together) toward your premium (Belastingdienst). You apply through the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax authority), not through your insurer. If you receive the 30% ruling, see our 30% ruling guide for how it affects your income.

Timeline for new expats:

You must take out Dutch health insurance no later than 4 months after arriving in the Netherlands to live or work, with cover from the day you arrive (Government.nl). If you take it out after 4 months, you are not insured retroactively and care in the period before is not reimbursed; you may also be fined (Government.nl).

If you want a tool to match your situation to a policy, try the Insurance Chooser tool, which asks a few questions and gives you a filtered recommendation.

Compare Dutch health insurance options with our Health Insurance Wizard →

My Overall Take

For the basic insurance, the cover is the same at both insurers; on 31 October 2026 Zilveren Kruis was a little cheaper at every comparable policy level. The choice mainly depends on which providers you use (check the contracts), how much dental and physiotherapy cover you want, and how you prefer to get help in English.

Do not overlook dental insurance: from age 18 the basic package does not cover check-ups and fillings (Rijksoverheid).

One situation where neither Zilveren Kruis nor CZ is the right answer: a short visit before you come to live or work here. (Once you do, a Dutch basisverzekering taken out within 4 months of arrival covers you from the day you arrived (Government.nl).) For that visit, or if you are travelling outside the Netherlands for an extended period, SafetyWing Nomad Insurance offers travel-medical coverage from US$62.72 every 4 weeks (Essential plan, ages 10–39). It is not a substitute for Dutch basisverzekering: residents must take out health insurance with a Dutch insurer, even if they have medical insurance from another country (Government.nl).

Get SafetyWing travel-medical cover from US$62.72 every 4 weeks →

Related Guides

• Dutch Health Insurance: The Complete Expat Guide 2026
• Best Expat Insurance Options in the Netherlands 2026
• Health Insurance Wizard — Get a Personalised Match
• The 30% Ruling: What Expats Need to Know
• Moving to the Netherlands: The Complete Guide
• BSN Registration Guide for Expats