Health insurance and immigration rules
19 Apr 2010
The relationship between health insurance and immigration rules can often seem quite confusing. In this section we will explain exactly if you need health insurance in order to be eligible to receive a particular type of entry visa or residence permit.
Short-stay visa, a.k.a. ‘Schengen visa’
A short-stay visa is a visa that mentions ‘C’ for type of visa. In order to obtain such a visa, you must have travel insurance covering medical costs for the entire duration of your stay in the Schengen area.
Your insurance policy must cover repatriation on medical grounds, urgent medical care and emergency hospital treatment to a minimum of € 30,000. When collecting the visa, you will be required to show your insurance policy.
Long stay visa: Provisional residence permit (in Dutch: MVV)
A provisional residence permit is a visa that mentions ‘D’ for type of visa. No healthcare insurance is required when applying or collecting this type of visa. Also read the information below under ‘Residence permit’.
Residence permit
When applying for a residence permit immediately after arrival in the Netherlands, you do not have to demonstrate that you have medical insurance. However, your residence permit will always be issued on condition that you will take out health insurance as soon as possible.
When applying for an extension of your residence permit, you are required to declare that you have bought health insurance for the next academic year. You must also mention the name of your insurance company.