You are a Dutch citizen and you are going abroad, for example, to travel around the world, to go backpacking, go on sabbatical or you have another reason to spend some time abroad. Whether or not you are in such circumstances allowed to retain the compulsory Dutch national health insurance will depend on whether you continue to be officially resident in the Netherlands.
If you continue to be officially resident in the Netherlands, the following applies:
- You will be abroad for no more than one year: You are required to retain Dutch national health insurance.
- You will be abroad for one to three years: You are required to retain Dutch national health insurance in the first year. After the first year, the Dutch national health insurance will generally lapse. If you wish to retain it after that point, you can do so on request. You must, however, still demonstrate that you are still a resident of the Netherlands.
- You will be abroad for more than three years: After the third year, the Dutch national health insurance will lapse in any event.
The original date of departure is assumed in determining these periods.
Working during your stay abroad
If you engage in paid work during your stay abroad, your entitlement to Dutch national health insurance will lapse in any event. The legislation of the country where you are residing will apply to you. You are deemed to be “engaging in paid work” if you pay social security premiums in the country where you are staying.
This page also contains further information on:
Your rights and obligations if you must retain Dutch national health insurance
If you are obliged to retain Dutch national health insurance and you are resident in a state that is not party to the treaty agreement (a “non-contracting country”), you can claim medical expenses from Dutch national health insurance. These are then reimbursed up to a maximum of the rate reimbursed in the Netherlands.
If you are resident in an EU member state or other contracting country, then you can choose for each case of illness:
- You claim the medical expenses from Dutch national health insurance. These are then reimbursed up to a maximum of the rate reimbursed in the Netherlands.
- You opt to use the reimbursements or allowances of the statutory health insurance in the country where you reside. This is called the “country-of-residence package”.
Finding out in which cases Dutch national health insurance or the country-of-residence package is more favourable for you is always recommended
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Insurance options from OOM Verzekeringen
You must arrange for your own insurance from the time that Dutch national health insurance lapses. You may also find the coverage provided by Dutch national health insurance or the country-of-residence package insufficient and may thus want additional insurance. In both cases, you can apply for Global Traveler insurance from OOM Verzekeringen.
If you do not require additional health insurance coverage, the above insurance also offers other options. You can also apply for household contents, travel, accident, liability, legal assistance or cancellation insurance.
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More information
A number of websites offering interesting information are listed below:
Your current health insurance company can also provide more information on national health insurance abroad.
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