What Is Zorgverzekering Vergelijken?

By Author: Gareth Hoyle
Total Articles: 675
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If you live in Holland and have not been there very long the chances are you hear your Dutch speaking friends talking about zorgverzekering vergelijken and wonder what the hell they are going on about. Well wonder no more because they are taking about health insurance comparison or healthcare insurance comparison.

If you have lived in Holland or The Netherlands for more than a few months you should already know about and understand the Dutch health care system and be aware that every Dutch citizen has to have some form of private health insurance. In fact if you are living in Holland you too probably need to be zorgverzekering vergelijken (comparing health insurance). If you have not already done so it is important to establish exactly what healthcare you can expect to receive in Holland.

Health Insurance for Foreigners in Holland

Unfortunately, which foreigners need to buy private Dutch health insurance while living there is not 100% clear. Even 4 years after the change it is still wise to check with the authorities whether you need to buy Dutch health insurance.

Whether you need it or not depends ...
... on the length of your stay. If you are visiting relatives for a month and are an EU resident you are covered for emergency situations under the EHIC card scheme.

Long term foreigner residents, i.e. those planning to stay permanently do need health insurance. Not buying it can result in a fine and mean that if you are ill whilst in Holland getting treatment may not be easy unless you can afford to pay up front for your treatment.

As a rule of thumb if your stay in Holland is less than a year travel insurance and the EHIC is OK. If your stay is longer you probably need health insurance, unless you can prove your stay is temporary to the authorities. Beyond 3 years your stay is considered permanent regardless. However, a student there for 2 or 3 years may still be considered temporary. It is important to check and if you need insurance get cracking using the search term 'zorgverzekering vergelijken'.

For basic information visit the Prijsvergelijken website which is a useful source of information on how to carry out a zorgverzekering vergelijken search and find the best Dutch health insurance policy.