Planning to study in the Netherlands? Arrange your health insurance on time!
Are you a student from Bonaire, St. Eustatius or Saba (Caribbean Netherlands) and are you going to study in the Netherlands? Then properly organise your health insurance before departure. Most students are required to take out health insurance in the Netherlands. Important: as soon as you deregister from the population register on the islands, you are no longer insured through ZJCN.
Why do you need health insurance?
- Avoid high costs: Without health insurance, you risk high healthcare expenses. Healthcare in the Netherlands is more expensive than on the islands.
- Avoid fines: If you are required to have basic health insurance (basiszorgverzekering) and fail to take one out, you will receive a fine. The CAK monitors this. Ensure that you comply with the regulations.
More explanation and background information can be found in this video.
Which situation applies to me?
What you need to do:
- Arrange bridging insurance before travelling abroad.
- Arrange Dutch health insurance immediately upon arrival in the Netherlands.
Explanation:
If your studies in the Netherlands last three years or longer, you are required to arrange basic Dutch health insurance. You can apply for health insurance after you have registered with the (European Dutch) municipality and have a Dutch bank account. Therefore, register with the local authority where you are going to be living immediately upon arrival and open a Dutch bank account.
What you need to do:
- Please contact SVB Netherlands for a ‘Wlz assessment’. Read how to do this here.
- If the SVB indicates that you are subject to compulsory insurance:
- Then arrange bridging insurance before travelling abroad.
- Arrange Dutch health insurance immediately upon arrival in the Netherlands.
- If the SVB indicates that you are not subject to compulsory insurance:
- ZJCN arranges your medical insurance. Contact us well in advance of your departure via studentenBES@zorgverzekeringskantoor.nl.
Explanation:
Students who have been residing in the Netherlands for less than three years and who are coming to the Netherlands solely for the purpose of studying may be eligible for the Long-Term Care Act (Wlz). To determine this, you must apply for a ‘Wlz assessment’ from the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) in the Netherlands.
There is a small group of students who do not need to take out basic health insurance and for whom the Masterplan+ insurance is arranged by ZJCN:
- Students from the Caribbean Netherlands who are going to study in the Netherlands for less than three years and who have been determined by the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) to be exempt from compulsory insurance.
- Minors up to and including the month in which they turn 18 years of age;
- Chronically ill persons until they have basic health insurance.
What you need to do:
Please report your situation to ZJCN well in advance of your departure via studentenBES@zorgverzekeringskantoor.nl.
How do I arrange my health insurance?
Before departure:
- Arrange bridging insurance. ZJCN recommends that students take out the Masterplan+ insurance from Insure2Study. As soon as you deregister from the population register in Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, or Saba, you will no longer be insured via ZJCN.
After arrival:
- Register with the municipality within five days of arrival. This applies to all students staying in the Netherlands for longer than eight months.
- Apply for basic health insurance as soon as possible with a Dutch insurer.
Important tips
- Need help? Get support from TuranGoeloe. They can assist with arranging your health insurance and other administrative tasks. If you have specific questions about health insurance, contact SKGZ.
- Register with the municipality: Ensure that you register immediately upon arrival in the municipality where you will live.
- Open a Dutch bank account: You need one to take out health insurance. You can do this immediately after registering with your municipality.
- Healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag): If you have basic health insurance, you may be eligible for healthcare allowance, which can significantly lower your monthly costs. Check your eligibility at toeslagen.nl.
- Do not simply choose the cheapest insurance: Make sure you are well insured for your personal situation. A cheap policy may be more expensive if essential healthcare is not covered or if you choose a high deductible. This can have significant financial consequences for you or your parents/guardians.
Contact information
For questions, doubts, or support, you can contact:
Arrange everything on time and start your studies in the Netherlands without worries!