Uninsured
Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands, is required by law to have a health insurance. In most cases a Dutch health insurance is required, but there are exceptions. If a Dutch health insurance is not required for you, it is not possible to get one.
I received a letter that I'm 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 2025 is € 528,00 (€ 496,74 in 2024). 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:
- have the Dutch nationality, and you do not work abroad.
- are from abroad, and you work in the Netherlands.
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.
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.
Tip
Enter ‘compare Dutch basic health insurance’ into your web search engine. You will find several websites to help you compare and pick a Dutch basic health insurance.
This depends on whether or not you have to be insured with a Dutch 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.
Pay attention
A lot of international students and expats are insured with international or private insurance companies, like AON, OOM, Cigna or Allianz. These are not Dutch basic health insurances. This means you are uninsured according to us. If you get our letter you must undertake action A or B.
Do you work next to your studies?
Then you need a Dutch health insurance. 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 you need to apply for a Wlz assessment at the Sociale verzekeringsbank (SVB). The result of this assessment will be your proof that you do not need Dutch health insurance. If the SVB concludes that you don't need Dutch health insurance, we will close your file.
Read more about the Wlz assessment and what happens next.
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 2025 is € 528.00 (€ 496.74 in 2024). This amount is indexed annually.
The Wlz assessment takes up to eight 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.
I received a fine
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 € 528.00 (€ 496.74 in 2024).
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 € 528.00 (€ 496.74 in 2024).
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.
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.
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 2025:
- The fine consists of 3 times an amount of € 176,00;
- 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 2025 is €156,67 per month;
- The expected average amount of the deductible in 2025 is € 19,33 per month;
- Together that is € 176,00;
- The fine follows after 3 months of no action;
- Therefore, the total amount is 3 x € 176,00 = € 528,00.
Read a more detailed explanation in the Government Gazette (Staatscourant)
The CAK took out a health insurance for me
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.
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.
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.
If we take out health insurance on your behalf, you will pay your premium to us for 12 months. This premium is € 165.58 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.
Other situations
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.
How do I submit a change in my personal situation?
It is important to inform us of changes in your situation. You can only do that with a letter. For example if you:
- stop working because you retire.
- stop working because you have another job or have been fired.
- want to change your address.
Please attach proof to your letter. Such as a copy of your dismissal letter or a decision from your 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.