I want to go abroad for medical treatment

You live abroad and are registered with the CAK as a treaty-entitled person. And you want to go to another country for medical treatment. Then request permission in advance. Then you know whether the treatment is reimbursed or that you have to pay the costs yourself.

Please note

Do you live in the Netherlands and are you insured in the Netherlands? Then you must ask your Dutch health insurance provider permission for medical treatment abroad.

What is your situation?

In a country outside the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom you have to pay the cost of treatment yourself.

Please note

You do not need permission for treatment in the Netherlands. You use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that we sent you. If you do not have an EHIC yet, you can request one online.

Would you like to be treated in one of the EU Member States, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland or the United Kingdom? Then you may be eligible for reimbursement of the costs. You'll have to ask for permission first. Follow the steps below.

 

What steps should I take?

You request permission from the health insurance fund where you are registered in your country of residence. That health insurance fund will forward your application to us and we will decide on your application. We will let you know by letter whether or not you get permission. 

  • If you do not get permission, you will have to pay the cost of the treatment yourself.
  • If you do get permission, the Netherlands will pay the costs of your treatment. Read more on the conditions

Please note

In some countries, your health insurance fund decides on your application. You'll get a message from your health insurance fund. This is the case if you live in the Greek part of Cyprus, or in Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom or Norway.

If you have permission for the treatment you will receive from us a document S2. You can show this document to the doctor or hospital abroad. They will know that they can settle the costs of your treatment with the Netherlands. They will treat you as if you were legally insured there.

What treatment will I be reimbursed?

We only consent if the following 3 conditions are met: 

  1. The treatment is in the legal healthcare package of your country of residence. 
  2. You can't get the treatment in your country of residence on time.
  3. The treatment is in the legal healthcare package of the country to which you are going for treatment. 

We pay the costs through a health insurance fund in the country where you receive the treatment. Therefore, the treatment must be part of the legal care package in the country to which you are going. We will check this before we give you permission for the treatment.

Please note

You may have to pay your own contribution for your treatment. You will receive your treatment according to the law of the country where you are being treated. If insured persons in that country have to pay their own contributions, the same applies to you.

Do you want to go to a private clinic or a professor? Then you must bear in mind that you do not get permission. Therefore, do not get treated until you are sure that you have permission. If you have not received permission, you will have to pay all the costs yourself.

Last modified on 31 December 2021
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