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Working and living in the Netherlands; family living abroad

Last modified: 7 April 2025

You live and are insured in the Netherlands, but your family members live in another treaty country. In that case, you must take out health insurance for yourself in the Netherlands. You need to insure your family members through the CAK. On this page, you can find out what the conditions are and how to organise this.

The conditions

  • You live in the Netherlands.
  • You have health insurance in the Netherlands.
  • Your family members live in a treaty country.
  • Your family members have little or no income.
  • The health insurer in your family’s country of residence approves.

Apply directly

Insuring your family members: how it works

  1. Go to Applying for a CAK insurance for a family member.
  2. Fill out the digital form and click on Send.

Would you rather use a paper form? Download the form Application for a document S1 (pdf, 102 kB) (when your family lives in the EU/EEA, Switzerland or United Kingdom) or Application for a document 109 (pdf, 103 kB) (when your family lives in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunesia or Turkey). Print the form, fill it in and send it to us by post. The address is on the form.

What you can expect next

  1. You will receive a message from us within 4 weeks.
  2. If approved, we will send you a letter with an explanation.
    • Does your family live in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland? Then there is a so-called document S1 attached to the letter for each family member. Take the S1 to the designated health insurer in the country where your family lives and register your family members there. The name of this health insurance company is also on the document itself.
    • Does your family live in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia or Turkey? Then there is a so-called document 109 attached to the letter. This is always only one, even if more family members are registered. With this document, go to the designated health insurer in the country where your family lives and register your family members there. The name of this health insurance company is also on the document itself.
    • Does your family live in the United Kingdom, Cape Verde, North Macedonia or Tunisia? Then you will not receive a document, but we will send a digital message to the designated health insurer in the country where your family lives. Your family members will then receive a call from the insurer to come by.
  3. The local health insurer or authority decides which family members can be insured through the CAK, and informs us of this.
  4. Your family members will receive a health insurance card or proof of registration. They are insured for healthcare in their country of residence according to the rules that apply there. You do not pay a healthcare premium to the local health insurer.
  5. You will receive a letter from us stating which of your family members are insured through the CAK.
  6. You do not pay a healthcare premium to the local health insurer for your family members. Instead, you pay a healthcare contribution to us. We will send you an invoice for this amount. You do not pay anything for family members aged under 18.

Tip

Does your family live in the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom? Apply for a European Health Insurance Card for your family members. This way, they will be insured for medical care in the Netherlands and for medically necessary care in other European countries.

Tip

You work in the Netherlands, but live with your family abroad? In that case, the process of registering your family members is slightly different. Find out what steps you need to take.