Living in the Netherlands Practical guides · DevNJ

Living in the Netherlands /Articles

Living in the Netherlands

Practical articles for international residents

The guides are written from official Dutch government and municipal sources.

Filtered by Health & Insurance 6 articles Clear ✕

2026.10.31 Health & Insurance Apotheek vs drogist: where to buy medicine in the Netherlands (2026) Where to buy medicine in the Netherlands: pharmacy, drogist or supermarket (UR/UA/UAD/AV), how prescriptions work, what insurance covers, bringing your own.
2026.10.31 Health & Insurance Smoke-free playgrounds, petting zoos and daycare: the 2026 Dutch proposal and today's tobacco rules The Dutch cabinet wants to ban smoking at supervised playgrounds, petting zoos and daycare outdoor areas, with no start date yet. Here is what the proposal covers, and the rules that already apply: indoor and school bans, vapes and heated tobacco, the age limit of 18, flavour bans, fewer shops, prices and import allowances.
2026.10.30 Health & Insurance How to register with a GP in the Netherlands: huisarts, huisartsenpost, 112 and the 2026 €385 deductible Register with a huisarts (GP) before you get sick. How to find one, what to do if practices are full, how phone triage works, when to use the huisartsenpost, the SEH or 112, and which visits count towards the 2026 eigen risico of €385.
2026.10.26 Health & Insurance Getting mental health care in the Netherlands: from your GP to specialist GGZ, the 14-week norm and the €385 deductible Where to go when low mood or anxiety does not lift in the Netherlands: the huisarts and POH-GGZ, referrals, basic and specialist GGZ, NZa waiting-time norms versus reality, the eigen risico, English-language help, the company doctor and EAPs, and the 113, 112 and out-of-hours numbers.
2026.10.22 Health & Insurance Dutch health insurance 2027: how to review your policy before the 31 December switching deadline DSW is raising its 2027 basic premium by €14.75 to €173.25 a month, and the budget plan puts the deductible at €400. A practical guide to the year-end switching window, voluntary deductible, supplementary cover and healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag), checked against official sources.
2026.10.21 Health & Insurance Remote workers, freelancers and short stays: who must take out Dutch health insurance in 2026 The Netherlands has no digital nomad visa. This guide explains when remote employees, self-employed freelancers (ZZP) and short-stay visitors must take out Dutch basic health insurance, when travel or international cover is enough, and what it costs in 2026 — deductible, premiums, income-related contribution and CAK fines.