Uninsured

You have received a letter because our records show that you are not insured. It is important that you take action. There are 2 possible actions when you receive our letter. Choose the one that fits your situation.

Action A: get a Dutch health insurance

You follow option A when you are required to have a Dutch health insurance. For instance when you:

• have the Dutch nationality, and you do not work abroad.
• are from abroad, and you work in the Netherlands.

Getting a Dutch Basic health insurance

Action B: Request a Wlz assessment if you think you do not need Dutch health insurance

If you are in the Netherlands because you study here, or work for a foreign employer for example, this mandatory healthcare requirement may not apply to you. The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) can prove this for you, with a Wlz assessment.

Read more about applying for the Wlz assessment.

What happens if I do nothing?

If you haven't requested a Wlz assessment or taken out basic insurance within three months after receiving our letter, you will be fined by the CAK. You pay this fine to the CJIB with a payment request. The amount of the fine in 2026 is € 529,74. This amount is indexed annually.

I have already taken out Dutch health insurance. Why am I uninsured according to the CAK?

If you have already taken out Dutch basic health insurance, please contact your health insurer. Ask them if your insurance is indeed a Dutch basic health insurance. If it is, your insurance must be registered in the insured persons database. In Dutch this is called Referentiebestand Verzekerden Zorgverzekeringswet (RBVZ). Your health insurer must make sure of this. If they do, you will not hear from us anymore.

You have received a letter because our records show that you are not insured. It is important that you take action. There are 2 possible actions when you receive our letter. Choose the one that fits your situation.

Action A: get a Dutch health insurance

You follow option A when you are required to have a Dutch health insurance. For instance when you:

• work next to your studies.
• have the Dutch nationality, and you do not work abroad.
• are from abroad, and you work in the Netherlands.

Read more about getting Dutch health insurance

Action B: Request a Wlz assessment if you think you don't need Dutch health insurance

If you are in the Netherlands because you only study here, or work for a foreign employer for example, this mandatory healthcare requirement may not apply to you. The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) can prove this for you, with a Wlz assessment.

Read more about the Wlz assessment and what happens next.

There are many Dutch health insurers that you can choose from. The larger insurance companies often offer several health insurances.

More information for a list of Dutch health insurances.

Important:

There are also insurance companies, like Aon, that are authorized to sell Dutch basic health insurances from other health insurance concerns. This is called a volmacht or verzekeringsmakelaar. These companies are not Dutch basic health insurances. They sell Dutch basic health insurances from another insurer as an intermediate. Please make sure with them, that your insurance is a Dutch basic health insurance.

Do you work next to your studies?

Then you need a Dutch health insurance. Even if you work just a couple of hours a week, or have a zero hour contract. Get one as soon as possible, within 3 months after the date of our letter.

Getting a Dutch basic health insurance

Do you not work next to your studies?

Then it depends on your situation, whether or not you need Dutch health insurance.

Find out what you need to do in your situation

What happens if I do nothing?

If you haven't requested a Wlz assessment or taken out basic insurance within three months after receiving our letter, you will get a fine from the CAK. You pay this fine to the CJIB with a payment request. The amount of the fine in 2026 is € 529,74. This amount is indexed annually.

This depends on whether or not you are required to have a Dutch basic health insurance. Regardless of your situation: if you receive our letter, you need to take action to prevent a fine.

Please follow action A or B when you receive our letter.

The Wlz assessment takes up to 8 weeks. There are 2 possible results:

You are insured under the Wlz scheme

This means you need to have Dutch basic health insurance. You need to get one as soon as possible. You remain uninsured in our records.

You are not insured for the Wlz

This means you do not need to take out insurance. We close your file after this result.

We also send you a letter about the result

The SVB shares the result with us. We will send you a letter within three weeks after receiving the results. Please contact us using the contact form or call us on 0800 - 5028 if you have not received this letter.

Have you received a letter stating that you do not have Dutch health insurance? If you do not take out Dutch health insurance within 3 months of the date of this letter, you receive a fine of € 529,74.

You still have to get a Dutch basic health insurance

If you receive a fine, you still have to take out Dutch Basic health insurance. You will receive a second fine if you do not take out Dutch health insurance within 3 months after the first fine. You will then have to pay another € 529,74.

If you do not take out health insurance after the 2nd fine, we will take out health insurance on your behalf.

Read more about taking out Dutch health insurance.

I don't think I need Dutch health insurance. What can i do?

Request a Wlz assessment if you think you don't need Dutch health insurance.

Read more about the Wlz assessment and how to apply for it.

Did you get a Dutch basic health insurance in time?

If your basic insurance started within three months of the date of our letter, the fine will automatically be revoked. You do not need to take any action. If you have already paid (part of) the fine, we will refund the amount paid.

If your health insurance started three months after the date of our letter, you will still have to pay the fine to the CJIB.

Please make sure that your insurance is indeed a Dutch basic health insurance

Contact your insurer to make sure that you have a Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering). Do you have a private or international health insurance? Or an insurance from your home country? Then you don't have a Dutch health insurance.

Request a Wlz assessment if you think you do not need Dutch health insurance

When you receive a fine, you need proof that you did not need Dutch health insurance at the time of the fine, or the time of our first letter. The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) can prove this for you, with a Wlz assessment.

Read more about the Wlz assessment and what happens next.

Yes, you can. A proposed payment schedule is set out in the payment request you received from the CJIB. This is the letter informing that you must pay a fine. If you have any questions about this, please contact the CJIB.

An explanation of the amount in 2026:

• The fine consists of 3 times an amount of € 176,58;
• Someone with health insurance pays that amount per month on average;
• A large part of the health insurance premium, a smaller part of the deductible;
• The average health insurance premium in 2026 is € 157,00 per month;
• The expected average amount of the deductible in 2026 is € 19,58 per month;
• Together that is € 176,58;
• The fine follows after 3 months of no action;
• Therefore, the total amount is 3 x € 176,58 = € 529,74.

Read a more detailed explanation in the Government Gazette (Staatscourant)

You did not respond to our letters to get a health insurance

When you do not take out a health insurance within a year, we do it on your behalf. You receive a letter from us that we took out a health insurance. You will also receive your health insurance policy from your health insurer.

You pay this insurance to us for 12 months.

Do you have an income in the Netherlands? Then we will deduct the health insurance premium from your salary. If not, the Centraal Justitieel Incasso Bureau (CJIB) will send you an invoice letter every month. This way your pay for your insurance premium.

Can I choose for a different Dutch health insurance?

No, you have this health insurance for at least 12 months. After the 12 months you can apply for a different health insurance, at the end of the year, before the 1st of january.

Read more about the health insurance we took out for you.

Request a Wlz assessment if you think you do not need Dutch health insurance

Do you suspect that a Dutch health insurance is not required for you? Then you need proof that you do not need Dutch health insurance. The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) can prove this for you, with a Wlz assessment.

Read more about the Wlz assessment and what happens next.

You did not respond to our letters to get a health insurance

When you do not take out a health insurance within a year, we do it on your behalf. You receive a letter from us that we took out a health insurance. You will also receive your health insurance policy from your health insurer.

Request a Wlz assessment if you think you do not need Dutch Basic health insurance

Do you suspect that a Dutch health insurance is not required for you? Then you need proof that you do not need Dutch health insurance. The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) can prove this for you, with a Wlz assessment.

Read more about how to apply for the Wlz assessment.

You pay the premium to us for 12 months, through your income or to the Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau (CJIB). How you pay this premium depends on your situation. Unfortunately, it is not possible to pay your premium to us in any other way. You pay via your income or to the CJIB.

Read more about paying the premium for your health insurance.

No, unfortunately that is not possible.

If possible, we will deduct the premium directly from your income.

If we are unable to deduct the premium, we will ask the Centraal Justitieel Incassobureau (CJIB) to send you a monthly payment request. You will then pay your premium to the CJIB yourself.

Read more: How do I pay the premium for the health insurance the CAK took out for me?

If we take out health insurance on your behalf, you will pay your premium to us for 12 months. This premium is € 172,70 per month (€ 172.33 in 2025). After these 12 months you will receive a message from your health insurer. From that moment on, you pay your health insurance premium yourself. We will send you a final statement after that.

Read more about when the premium stops and the final statement.

This can happen for a number of reasons. For example because you are (still) registered in the Netherlands, or work for a Dutch employer. This registration may require you to take out Dutch basic insurance. To avoid a fine and ascertain whether you need to take out health insurance, you need to apply for a Wlz assessment.

Request a Wlz assessment if you think you do not need Dutch health insurance

If you live or work abroad you might not need Dutch health insurance. The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) can prove this for you, with a Wlz assessment. This way you can avoid getting a fine from us.

If you don't live in the Netherlands anymore

You received our letter because you are still registered on a Dutch address. Contact the municipality where you lived if you moved out of the Netherlands.

Read more about the Wlz assessment and what happens next.

In case your personal situation changes, you do not need to notify us.

Are you moving?

Please make sure to report your change of address to your municipality. They will then pass your new address on to us.

A change in employment situation

For example, have you started a new job, resigned, been dismissed or retired? We will receive this information from you employer or benefits agency.

In case of passing away

We no longer send bills after someone dies. Relatives or heirs don't have to pay us any premiums or fines.

Did your relative pay us health insurance premiums?

We will then send you a final statement. You don't have to pay this. Does the final settlement show that your relative paid too much? Then you, as heirs, will receive this amount back.

Did your relative live abroad?

Would you please let us know via our contact form? It may take a while before we are informed by the foreign municipality.