Gezondheid en zorg

When you are ill and it's not an emergency, you go to your huisarts (GP) first. You register with a huisarts near your home. If you need a specialist or the hospital, the huisarts gives you a verwijzing (referral).

In the evening, at night and at weekends, call the huisartsenpost for urgent problems that can't wait.

Call 112 only when there is danger to life or a crime is happening right now (police, fire brigade, ambulance). For the police without an emergency, call 0900-8844.

Everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands must have a basic health insurance (basisverzekering). Children under 18 are insured for free on a parent's policy.

You pay a monthly premium, and each year the first part of some costs yourself: the eigen risico. Visits to the huisarts don't count towards the eigen risico. With a low income you can get zorgtoeslag (a health care allowance).