I am moving abroad

If you move to a country with which the Netherlands has no treaty, you will have to take out health insurance in that country. You are also not entitled to a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This also applies to the ‘Dutch Antilles’ (Caribbean part of the Kingdom and the BES Islands) and Suriname.

If you move to a country with which the Netherlands has signed a treaty, you are entitled to medical care in that country. Your new home country will settle the cost of your medical care with the Netherlands. You pay a healthcare contribution to the CAK. Please read below what steps to take.

Notify your benefit or pension authority in advance that you are moving. You may not retain your entitlement to benefit or pension if you move abroad. Your benefit or pension authority can tell you more about this. 

Moving date

In most cases, the Dutch benefit or pension authority informs our organisation about your moving date, but not always. It is therefore important that you also specify the correct moving date to the CAK.

Inform your Dutch health insurance company about your intended move abroad. Do so as soon as your date of relocation is known. 

Your health insurer terminates your existing health insurance as of the date of your move and stops the collection of the premium. Ask your health insurer for the consequences of your move for any additional insurance(s).

Register your move officially as soon as you know when you are moving.

Check with the embassy or consulate of your new country of residence which documents you need. 

Go to Apply for a document S1/form 121 and fill in the application form. The processing of your application may take 6 to 8 weeks. If you are entitled to medical care in your country of residence, we will register you as a treaty-entitled person. In that case we will send you the document S1/form 121. This allows you to register with a local health insurance fund. 

​Healthcare contribution

Once you have been registered with the CAK as a treaty-entitled person, your benefit or pension authority will deduct the healthcare contribution to your benefit or pension. You pay this contribution for medical care in your new country of residence. The amount is similar to the health insurance premium paid by residents of your new country of residence.

Family members

Do your family members move with you and do they not have benefits, pensions or work? Please indicate their names on your application form S1/121. For all treaty countries, the local health care organisation of the country of residence determines the right to co-insurance. You will have to pay a separate heathcare contribution for you co-insured familie members aged 18 and over. For family members who are not entitled to co-insurance, you must take out health insurance yourself. Read more about co-insurance for your family members

Healthcare contribution

You pay a healthcare contribution to the CAK for yourself and for your co-insured family members. We will have this amount deducted from your pension or benefit.

Have you received a document S1/form 121 from us? Then you can register with a local health insurance fund or health insurance company. Only after registration can you use medical care in your country of residence.

You and your family members are entitled to medical care in your new country of residence, as provided for there by law. The coverage of the package is equal to the basic insurance in that country. You will have the same rights and obligations as other residents who are legally insured in that country. For example, if your country of residence has a obligatory deductable excess for medical care, it will also apply to you. However, the Netherlands does not cover such costs. 

The health insurance fund in your country of residence can give you more information about: 

• the care to which you are entitled; 
• any deductable excesses, if any;  
• possible supplementary insurance.

Have you moved to an EU/EEA country or Switzerland or the United Kingdom and are you then temporarily in the Netherlands (e.g. for holidays or family visits)? Then you and your co-insured family members are entitled to care in the Netherlands. This concerns care which is reimbursed in the Netherlands under the Healthcare Insurance Act and the Long-Term Care Act. You will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can apply for this European insurance card with us. If you want more information about care in the Netherlands, please visit the website of the Zilveren Kruis. You can also call Zilveren Kruis: + 31 33 445 6870. 

Other treaty countries

If you do not live in an EU/EEA country or in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you will always need supplementary or travel insurance if you stay in the Netherlands. You do not have the right to coverage of care in the Netherlands. You will also not receive an EHIC from the CAK.

Do you live in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland or the United Kingdom and are you on holiday to an EU/EEA country or Switzerland? Then you are entitled to necessary care in accordance with the laws and regulations that apply there. You will need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You can request the EHIC online from us. 

We recommend that you always take out travel insurance. The EHIC usually does not offer 100 % coverage. If you go on holiday to other countries, you are reliant on supplementary or travel insurance. 

Other treaty countries

If you do not live in an EU/EEA country or in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you will always need supplementary or travel insurance during your holidays. You are not entitled to coverage of health care outside your country of residence. You will also not receive an EHIC from the CAK.