Key facts
- If you live or work in the Netherlands, take out Dutch basic insurance within 4 months of arriving.
- The compulsory excess (eigen risico) in 2026 is 385 euros. GP visits do not count towards it.
- Zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) in 2026: income up to 40,857 euros if single, or 51,142 euros with a partner.
- Out-of-hours GP care for Eindhoven: Huisartsenposten Oost-Brabant, 088 876 5151, weekdays 17:00 to 08:00 and 24 hours at weekends.
- Emergencies: 112. Police non-emergency: 0900-8844.
What to do
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If you live or work here, you almost always do, even if you are insured at home. Students who do not work may be able to use home or student insurance; check studyinholland.nl. Students who take a job need Dutch basic insurance.
Compare insurers on premium, which providers they contract and whether you want to raise your excess for a lower premium. The basic package content is set by law.
Apply through the Belastingdienst Toeslagen with your DigiD after your insurance has started. You must be 18 or older.
Do this right after you move, not when you are ill. Call or visit practices near your address and ask if they take new patients.
Put 112, 088 876 5151 and 0900-8844 in your phone now.
For the GP, the out-of-hours post and in most cases the hospital, phone first. The assistant decides how urgent it is and where you should go.
Basic insurance and the excess
Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must have basic health insurance (basisverzekering). Take it out as soon as you can and no later than 4 months after you arrive. If you are late, you will not be reimbursed for care you received before your policy started.
The compulsory excess is 385 euros in 2026. You pay the first 385 euros of certain care yourself each year, such as hospital care and many medicines. You can choose a higher voluntary excess for a lower monthly premium, but then you pay more if you need care.
- Not counted towards the excess: GP and out-of-hours GP care
- Midwife care and maternity care (kraamzorg)
- District nursing (wijkverpleging)
- Free national screening programmes
- Care for children under 18
The GP comes first
The huisarts (general practitioner) is your first stop for almost everything that is not an emergency. Specialists and hospital outpatient clinics usually need a referral from your GP.
Dutch GPs are often more cautious with medicines and tests than doctors in other countries. If you are worried, say so clearly and ask what the next step is if it does not improve.
Evenings, nights and weekends
Outside office hours, call the huisartsenpost (out-of-hours GP service) for urgent problems that cannot wait until the next working day. In the Eindhoven area this is Huisartsenposten Oost-Brabant, reachable on 088 876 5151. It works from the Catharina Ziekenhuis emergency department on Michelangelolaan, but you must call first.
It is open on weekdays from 17:00 to 08:00 and 24 hours on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Which number to call
- 112: life-threatening situations, fire, crime in progress. Free.
- 088 876 5151: urgent medical problems outside GP hours in the Eindhoven area.
- 0900-8844: police when it is not an emergency, such as reporting something after the fact. From abroad: +31 343 57 8844.
- 0800-7000: anonymous crime tips (Meld Misdaad Anoniem). Free.
Zorgtoeslag
Zorgtoeslag is a monthly allowance from the government to help pay your premium. In 2026 you may qualify with an income up to 40,857 euros as a single person, or 51,142 euros combined with a partner. Assets must also be under a limit: 146,011 euros single or 184,633 euros with a partner.
If your income turns out higher than you estimated, you will have to pay it back. Keep your estimate up to date.
Mistakes to avoid
- Waiting more than 4 months to take out insurance and paying medical bills yourself.
- Going straight to the hospital emergency department for something the GP or huisartsenpost should handle.
- Only looking for a GP once you are sick.
- Raising the voluntary excess to save money without having the cash to pay it if needed.
- Underestimating your income when applying for zorgtoeslag.
Useful links
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More official sources
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We checked this guide against its sources on 9 October 2026. Rules change: the official source always wins. Spotted something out of date? DM @gone.with.us or email contact@gonewithus.nl.