If you are used to going straight to a hospital or a specialist when you are ill, the healthcare system in the Netherlands may surprise you at first. Here, almost everything starts with the family doctor (huisarts). Understanding this system makes daily life easier and helps you answer the questions that come up often in the KNS exam correctly. In this guide we explain the Dutch healthcare system in terms of who to turn to, when and how.

The foundation of the system: the huisarts (family doctor)

In the Netherlands, the huisarts is the gateway to the healthcare system. A cold, aches and pains, a lingering cough, skin problems, psychological complaints… For all of them, you go to the family doctor first.

What does the family doctor do?

Examines you, makes a diagnosis and treats you,
Writes a prescription if needed,
Refers you to a specialist or a hospital if necessary (verwijsbrief),
Guides you on vaccinations, check-ups and preventive care.

Important: To see a specialist at a hospital, you usually need a referral from the family doctor. If you go without a referral, your insurance may not cover the costs.

How do you register with a family doctor?

Soon after you move, find a family doctor close to your home and register. Do this without waiting until you are ill, because in some areas it can take time to find a doctor who accepts new patients. For registration you are usually asked for your identity document, your BSN and your insurance details.

How do you make an appointment?

Appointments are usually made by phone in the morning or through the practice's online system.
The phone is usually answered by an assistant (doktersassistent), who asks about your complaint. This is to determine how urgent it is; explain it clearly and briefly.
Appointments usually last 10 minutes. If you have more than one complaint, say so when booking.

Outside office hours: the huisartsenpost

If, in the evening, at night or at the weekend, you have a health problem that cannot wait but is not life-threatening, you call the huisartsenpost (the out-of-hours GP service).

Call first. You do not go to the huisartsenpost without calling; your situation is assessed over the phone.
You can find the number on your family doctor's answering machine or website. Save it in your phone now.

Example situations: A fever that rises at night and will not come down, a cut that might need stitches, a pain that gets worse at the weekend.

Danger to life: 112

112 is called only when life is in danger:

Loss of consciousness, inability to breathe,
Severe chest pain (suspected heart attack),
A serious accident, heavy bleeding,
Signs of a stroke (drooping face, slurred speech, weakness in an arm).

The emergency department (Spoedeisende Hulp, SEH) is usually also reached either through 112 or via the family doctor / huisartsenpost.

Who should I turn to? A quick summary

Situation	Who?
Ordinary illness, during office hours	Huisarts
Urgent but not life-threatening, out of hours	Huisartsenpost (call first)
Danger to life	112
Dental problem	Tandarts (dentist)
Medicine	Apotheek (pharmacy)
Specialist consultation	Ziekenhuis / specialist with a referral from the huisarts

This table is one of the most frequently asked topics in KNS. For other confused topics, see the 12 most confused KNS topics.

Health insurance (zorgverzekering)

Everyone who lives and works in the Netherlands must take out basic health insurance (basisverzekering).

What does the basic insurance cover?

The content of the basic package is set by law and is the same at all insurance companies. In general:

Visits to the family doctor,
Hospital treatment and specialist consultations (with a referral),
Many medicines,
Childbirth and maternity care,
Dental care for people under 18.

What does it not cover?

Most dental care for people over 18,
Part of physiotherapy, and certain items such as glasses and contact lenses.

For these you can take out optional supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering).

Eigen risico: your annual excess

The basic insurance has an annual excess (eigen risico): you pay the first part of certain healthcare costs yourself. The amount is set by the government every year.

Good news: visits to the family doctor are not deducted from the eigen risico; so you do not pay extra to see the family doctor. The eigen risico mainly applies to hospital, specialist and medicine costs.

Zorgtoeslag

People on a low income can receive zorgtoeslag to help with the insurance premium. You apply through the toeslagen service of the Belastingdienst. Do not forget to report it if your income changes; otherwise you may have to pay back the allowance you received in excess.

Changing insurance company

You can change your insurance every year. The change is usually made at the end of the year, and the new insurance starts on 1 January. Comparing prices in December is a good habit.

The pharmacy (apotheek)

Prescriptions written by your family doctor are usually sent directly to your pharmacy.
The pharmacist explains how to use the medicine; do not hesitate to ask questions.
Some simple medicines, such as painkillers or cold remedies, are available without a prescription at the pharmacy or at a drogisterij (a shop that sells toiletries and basic medicines).

In the Netherlands antibiotics are prescribed only when they are really necessary. If your doctor did not give you antibiotics, there is a reason; doctors are very careful to prevent antibiotic resistance.

Useful Dutch sentences at the doctor's

Dutch	English
Ik wil een afspraak maken.	I want to make an appointment.
Ik ben ziek.	I am ill.
Ik heb pijn in mijn …	I have pain in my …
Ik heb koorts.	I have a fever.
Ik hoest al een week.	I have been coughing for a week.
Ik ben duizelig.	I feel dizzy.
Ik ben allergisch voor …	I am allergic to …
Hoe vaak moet ik dit medicijn nemen?	How often should I take this medicine?
Kunt u dat langzaam herhalen?	Could you repeat that slowly?

Parts of the body: het hoofd (head), de keel (throat), de buik (belly), de rug (back), de arm (arm), het been (leg), de voet (foot), de tand (tooth).

You can reinforce these words with the health topic in the word games.

Help with the language

If your Dutch is not yet good enough:

You can bring someone you trust who speaks Dutch or English to the appointment.
Many family doctors speak English; you can ask about this when booking the appointment.
Be aware that a professional interpreter service is not free in every situation; ask in advance if necessary.

Frequently asked questions

Can I go straight to the hospital in the Netherlands?

Apart from life-threatening situations, usually no. You first contact the family doctor or, out of hours, the huisartsenpost. If they consider it necessary, they refer you to the hospital.

My family doctor won't refer me to a specialist. What should I do?

Explain your complaints and concerns clearly. If the family doctor thinks a specialist is not needed, they should explain why. If you are still worried, you can ask for a second consultation or switch to another family doctor.

What happens if I don't take out health insurance?

Basic health insurance is compulsory. People who do not take out insurance receive a warning and then a fine; healthcare costs can also be very high. Take out insurance within 4 months at the latest after registering in the Netherlands.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. In an emergency, call 112 immediately. For insurance coverage and fees, rely on the current information from your insurance company.