I am going to live and work abroad. How will this affect my health insurance?

Less than 3 months

If you will be abroad for less than 3 months, you can keep your Dutch health insurance. Ask your insurer what coverage your policy offers outside the Netherlands and purchase supplementary insurance if necessary.

More than 3 months

If you will be living and working abroad for more than 3 months, you cannot keep your Dutch health insurance. Cancel your policy in the Netherlands and take out new insurance in the country where you will be living.

How can I arrange health insurance abroad?

Exceptions

In certain cases you can keep your Dutch health insurance even if you will be living and working abroad for more than 3 months.

You are being posted from the Netherlands or work at a Dutch embassy or consulate

If you will be working abroad less than 24 months for a Dutch company or you work at a Dutch embassy or consulate, you can keep your Dutch health insurance. You will need an A1 form in the country where you will be living to show that you are insured. 

Apply for an A1 form from the Social Insurance Bank (SVB)

You work in the Netherlands and abroad

If you work in the Netherlands and abroad you may be able to keep your Dutch health insurance in certain cases. The SVB will determine this.

Contact the SVB

You or someone in your family is a deployed member of the Dutch military

If you are a member of the Dutch military who has been deployed abroad, you must have Dutch health insurance. This also applies to family members living with you.

If you are an undeployed member of the Dutch military and you live in a country with which the Netherlands has a reciprocal healthcare agreement, you also remain insured in The Netherlands. However, family members living with you must register with an insurance provider in the country where they are residing. When doing so, they will need an S1 form to show that they pay insurance premiums in the Netherlands. Apply for an S1 form from the CAK via the Defence organisation’s human resources department.

What you also need to arrange if you’re going to move abroad

• Check what else you need to arrange if you are going to emigrate or live abroad temporarily