Author
Under the Health Insurance Act (Zorgverzekeringswet), every resident is obligated to obtain health insurance. Beneficiaries of international protection are obligated to obtain health insurance from the moment they receive a positive decision on their asylum application. This also applies to the beneficiary still residing in a reception centre. However, in that case, the beneficiary is insured under the Regulation on Medical Care for Asylum Seekers (RMA; Regeling Medische zorg Asielzoekers) as part of the RVA scheme. After being housed in a municipality, they are obliged to insure themselves privately for health care.
Beneficiaries are entitled to the same health care as nationals. Both groups fall under the Health Insurance Act and the Long-Term Care Act and, therefore, have access to all sorts of health care, including specialised treatments. As far as the authors of this report are aware, beneficiaries of international protection do not experience any specific obstacles in accessing health care in the Netherlands. Beneficiaries are provided with an interpreter should they need one.
Like every national, beneficiaries have to pay health insurance fees. Every resident whose income does not reach a threshold of an annual income of € 39,719 per year is entitled to health care benefits in 2025. The threshold for a household (2 partners) is € 50,206 per year. In practice, most beneficiaries of international protection receive these benefits during the first years after being granted their residence permit, as their income is usually insufficient.