Health Insurance for International Students in the Netherlands

Posted on Monday, March 31st, 2014 at 4:56 am

There are currently more than 65,000 international students in the Netherlands and for many good reasons. The Netherlands is one of the safest countries in the world- this means not only can students from around the world rest assured that they won’t have too many safety blunders while abroad, but convincing parents to allow a semester, year or degree pursuit overseas to happen is much easier. Safety combined with the endless number of things to do and culture to experience, along with being a hub to other European countries, makes the Netherlands a desirable location to study.

Students who choose to study in the Netherlands must keep in mind that having health insurance for medical expenses is required. Students can locate their situation below and see what type of health insurance for international students in the Netherlands is needed as detailed in the Aliens Law.

International students under the age of 30:

• Those not from the EU, EEA or Switzerland will need to take out private health insurance. Private insurance is only required to include coverage for medical expenses, however, coverage for repatriation and liability can also be beneficial for students in the Netherlands.
• If from the EU, EEA or Switzerland you are able to use the EU Health Insurance card. Those who fall into this category often choose to purchase repatriation coverage as the Dutch health insurance does not cover repatriation insurance.

International students over the age of 30:

• If permanently studying in the Netherlands, these students will need to obtain Dutch public healthcare insurance. Purchasing repatriation coverage is suggested in this situation as well.

Only students in the Netherlands who are there solely for study purposes are able to purchase a private health insurance plan. This means that any student that has a job (even part-time) or an internship will be required to obtain Dutch public healthcare insurance.

Get more information on health insurance for international students in the Netherlands here.

Posted by Bryanna Davis

Bryanna joined International Student Insurance in 2011 after returning to the United States from teaching English in China. Her interest in international education, sparked initially by her own study abroad experience in Wales, led her to the company. Bryanna is originally from Missouri and is a graduate from the University of Central Missouri.