Received a letter to take out health insurance? Read more ...
Received a letter compelling you to take out Dutch health insurance?
Then read this information carefully!
Recently, you may have received a letter from the CVZ (College van Zorgverzekeringen), stating that you are obliged to get Dutch health insurance. As Dutch law requires everyone that lives and works in the Netherlands to have Dutch health insurance, you would risk a steep fine not complying. However, while certain non-Dutch students are indeed required to take out Dutch health insurance, some of our international students will be exempted from this obligation.
Before you run off to get your health insurance in order, please carefully read the information below.
What should I do first?
- Consult the NUFFIC website to find out if you qualify for exemption.
- If you qualify for exemption or if you are not sure, fill in the SVB-form called ‘Onderzoek verzekering AWBZ / AWBZ insurance position’.
- If you don’t qualify for exemption, you need to take out Dutch health insurance as soon as possible. In that case you may be eligible for compensation for your insurance costs. This compensation is called health care allowance.
Whether or not you qualify for exemption, if you received the letter (the letter would have been in Dutch) from CVZ, you must take action at all times. Either by taking out health insurance or by filling in the ‘Onderzoek verzekering AWBZ’ form. If you don’t, you will automatically be confronted with the fine, a difficult to reverse procedure.
