Dog insurance Netherlands 2026

Table of contents

Is dog insurance worth it in the Netherlands?

Dog insurance pays off when a single major incident exceeds your annual premiums plus deductible. Major dog surgeries in the Netherlands routinely cost €1,500-€6,000. A torn cruciate ligament treated with TPLO surgery typically runs €2,500-€3,000 per leg at a referral clinic. Swallowed-object surgery is €800-€2,000. Cancer treatment with chemotherapy reaches €2,000-€6,000+. Emergency surgery with 24-hour intensive care is €1,500-€4,000. See full pricing in our vet costs guide.

A basic insurance policy at €10-€14/month is €120-€168/year. A single covered surgery typically pays back 3-5 years of premiums. The decision depends on your savings buffer and your dog's risk profile (breed, age, lifestyle).

WA-verzekering: the liability insurance every dog owner needs

Dutch private liability insurance (Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering Particulieren, abbreviated AVP or WA-verzekering) is the single most important insurance to hold as a dog owner. It is technically voluntary, but Dutch civil law (article 6:179 BW) makes you strictly liable for any damage your dog causes regardless of fault. Around 9 in 10 Dutch households carry WA-verzekering.

In almost all Dutch household liability policies, the dog is automatically included as part of "the family." Standard coverage:

• Damage your dog causes to third-party property (cars, clothing, fences)
• Personal injury claims (bites, knock-overs, falls caused by your dog)
• Coverage ceiling typically €1.25M-€2.5M per claim
• Deductible €25-€100 per claim
• Does NOT cover your own vet bills (that is pet health insurance)
• Does NOT cover damage to your own property or to your own family members

WA-verzekering costs €3-€8/month for a household. Univé starts from €3.75/month. If you do not currently hold one, get one before you walk a dog in the Netherlands.

Hondenbelasting (dog tax) per city 2026

Hondenbelasting is a municipal-level tax on dog ownership. It is not levied nationally and not every city collects it. As of 2026, around 100 of 342 Dutch municipalities still charge it, averaging €76 per dog per year. The trend over the past decade has been abolition: Amsterdam (2016), Rotterdam (2018), and most recently The Hague (1 January 2024) have all dropped it. Always confirm with your specific gemeente's 2026 belastingverordening because rates change yearly.

If you are paying hondenbelasting, you can usually deduct one of your dogs at a discount (second-dog rate is often €20-€40 higher than first-dog rate). The gemeente sends an invoice annually after you register a dog under your address. If you cancel your dog (it dies, you give it away, you move), tell the gemeente in writing to stop the next year's invoice.

What dog insurance covers (and does not)

All Dutch dog policies share a core: illness, injury, surgery, hospitalisation, diagnostic imaging, prescription medication, and emergency care. The differences are in the extras, the geographic scope, and the annual limits.

Always covered (base policy)

• Illness, infections, chronic disease (after waiting period)
• Accidents, fractures, trauma (often from day one)
• Surgery and anaesthesia (orthopaedic surgery after dedicated waiting period)
• Hospitalisation, intensive care, post-op recovery
• Diagnostic imaging (X-ray, ultrasound, CT, MRI)
• Prescription medication during covered treatment

Usually excluded or capped

• Pre-existing conditions (permanently excluded by every Dutch insurer)
• Routine vaccinations, deworming, flea treatment (preventive add-on, €75/year cap typical)
• Castration and sterilisation (most policies exclude; some 5-year contracts include)
• Routine dental cleaning (always excluded; medical dental capped €250-€500/year)
• Breeding, pregnancy, birth (excluded)
• Obedience training (never covered; behavioural therapy sometimes via add-on, €250-€500/year cap)
• Hereditary orthopaedic conditions in adult dogs not insured as puppies (hip and elbow dysplasia)
• Travel outside NL (often add-on; PetSecur includes worldwide as standard)

Best dog insurance providers (2026)

Four providers dominate the Dutch dog insurance market for expats: Figopet, PetSecur, InShared, and OHRA. Reaal pet insurance was absorbed into OHRA in 2024. Here is how the four compare on the metrics that matter for dogs specifically.

Breed-specific premiums and exclusions

Dutch insurers price dog insurance by breed risk profile, size, and weight. Three categories drive most pricing differences:

Brachycephalic breeds (flat-faced)

French bulldogs, pugs, English bulldogs, Boston terriers, Pekingese, and Cavalier King Charles spaniels face the toughest insurance picture. InShared refuses French and English bulldogs entirely. Other insurers accept them but exclude BOAS (Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome), soft-palate surgery, laryngeal collapse, skin-fold dermatitis, and brachycephalic eye conditions. Expect €17-€25/month for these breeds. Pending 2026 legislation will ban breeding dogs with extreme brachycephalic traits, but ownership of existing dogs continues.

Large and giant breeds

German shepherds, Labradors, golden retrievers, Bernese mountain dogs, Great Danes, and Rottweilers face high orthopaedic risk. Hip dysplasia (heupdysplasie), elbow dysplasia (elleboogdysplasie), and cruciate ligament tears are common. Insurers cover these conditions only if the dog was insured before symptoms appeared, typically with a 6 to 12 month orthopaedic waiting period at signup. Premiums for large breeds run €13-€20/month for adults, rising sharply with age.

Small to medium mixed breeds

Mixed-breed dogs in the 5-25 kg range typically have the lowest premiums. Figopet starts at €9.79/month, PetSecur from €10.88/month, InShared from €13/month for a healthy adult mixed-breed dog with no exclusions.

High-risk and historically restricted breeds

No national breed ban exists in the Netherlands. The 1993 pit bull ban (Regeling Agressieve Dieren) was repealed in 2008. Some municipalities can impose individual muzzle or leash orders on dogs that have shown aggression. The advisory HRAD list (Hoog-Risico Honden) covers 140+ breeds and crosses but is not binding law as of 2026. Most insurers accept these breeds with standard terms; check the specific policy schedule.

Hip dysplasia and hereditary conditions

Hereditary conditions are the largest single source of denied claims for medium and large breed dogs. Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cruciate ligament rupture, patellar luxation, and progressive retinal atrophy are all classified as hereditary by Dutch insurers and therefore subject to specific waiting periods or exclusions.

The rule across all Dutch insurers: a hereditary condition is covered only if the dog was insured before symptoms appeared. For Labradors, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Bernese mountain dogs, and similar large breeds, this means insuring as a puppy (8 weeks to 12 months) is the only reliable way to ensure cruciate or hip surgery is covered if needed at age 5-8.

Orthopaedic waiting periods vary by provider:

• • PetSecur: 3 months
• • Figopet: 12 months
• • InShared: 12 months
• • OHRA: 12 months

TPLO cruciate surgery costs €1,500-€3,000 per leg, and many dogs eventually need both. Hip replacement (THR) reaches €4,000-€7,000 per hip. Without insurance during the puppy window, these surgeries become out-of-pocket. The 3-month orthopaedic waiting at PetSecur is one of the strongest reasons to choose PetSecur for a large-breed puppy.

Puppy, adult, or senior dog?

Puppies (8 weeks to 1 year)

Insure as early as possible, ideally at 8-12 weeks. Hereditary conditions like hip dysplasia have not yet manifested, so they remain eligible for coverage after waiting periods. Preventive care add-ons (vaccinations, deworming) typically reimburse up to €75/year. Puppy waiting periods: 14 to 30 days for general illness, 3 to 12 months for orthopaedic, 6 months for dental. Vaccinations must be kept up to date or claims for preventable infections (parvo, Weil's, kennel cough) are denied.

Adult dogs (1 to 7 years)

All insurers accept healthy adult dogs in this range. Premiums are at their lowest for non-brachycephalic mid-sized breeds. This is also the optimal time to upgrade tiers (from Basic to Comfort) before age and accumulated conditions narrow your options.

Senior dogs (7+ years)

If your dog is not already insured at age 7, your options narrow to one: Figopet, the only mainstream Dutch insurer without an age cap. Senior dog premiums escalate sharply (often doubling between age 7 and 10), and pre-existing exclusions become more meaningful as conditions accumulate. Expats arriving with a senior dog or adopting an older rescue almost always choose Figopet for this reason.

Adopting a rescue from Greece or Spain

Adopting a galgo, podenco, or other rescue from Mediterranean countries is common among Dutch and expat owners. Stichting SHIN, Galgos del Sol, and Stichting Greek Animal Welfare Fund are well-known rescue organisations. Dutch insurers will accept these dogs, but two specific issues apply:

1. Mediterranean diseases. Leishmaniasis, ehrlichia, anaplasmosis, heartworm (Dirofilaria), and babesia are usually permanently excluded unless the dog tests negative on a recent PCR or serology panel (less than 3 months old). Reputable shelters provide these tests as part of the adoption package. Without negative test results, treatment for any of these conditions later in life is out-of-pocket. Insurance some treatments cost €1,500-€4,000.

2. Pre-existing conditions documented before transport. Any condition recorded by the shelter vet, transport vet, or import documentation is treated as pre-existing and permanently excluded. This includes orthopaedic findings on X-ray, skin conditions, anxiety treatment, and any chronic condition.

Practical advice: get a fresh Dutch vet exam within the first week of arrival, before activating insurance. Discuss the import paperwork honestly with the insurer at signup. If you adopted via a reputable rescue with thorough pre-adoption testing, you are in the best position to lock in broad coverage.

UBN registration, microchip, and I&R Hond

Dog ownership in the Netherlands carries mandatory registration steps that are separate from insurance and from municipal dog tax. All three are covered in detail in our dog registration guide. The essentials:

• Microchip: Mandatory for all dogs born or imported after 1 April 2013 (NVWA rules). Done by a vet, €25-€55. Imported dogs must already have a chip and EU pet passport.
• UBN registration: Apply to RVO within 14 days of arrival in NL or within 8 weeks for puppies born here. One-off fee €23.02 (2026). Your vet links the chip, passport, and UBN in the I&R Hond national database.
• Echinococcus treatment: Required 24-120 hours before entry to Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway, and Northern Ireland (NOT for entry into the Netherlands). Treatment must be vet-administered and recorded in the EU pet passport.
• Hondenbelasting: Municipal-level. Register with your gemeente only if you live in a city that levies it (see table above). Separate from UBN.

How to apply step by step

1. 1Confirm WA-verzekering first. If you do not already have private liability insurance, get this before anything else. It is essential and costs €3-€8/month.
2. 2Complete UBN registration. If you have just arrived with a dog, do this within 14 days. See our dog registration guide.
3. 3Gather your dog's profile. Date of birth, breed, weight, microchip number, vaccination history, summary of past vet visits. For rescue dogs, gather pre-adoption test results.
4. 4Get an online quote. Visit Figopet or PetSecur. Compare premiums for your specific dog. Quote takes 2-3 minutes.
5. 5Apply promo code (PetSecur). Enter AFF235 at checkout for €5 off first premium.
6. 6Honest declaration. Declare every past condition. Pre-existing exclusions are the #1 source of denied claims.
7. 7Wait out the waiting periods. No elective vet visits in the first 14-30 days. Orthopaedic conditions are excluded for the first 3-12 months (varies by provider).
8. 8Submit claims via the app. Photograph the vet invoice and submit within 30 days. Most claims pay within 7-14 days.

Frequently asked questions

Official resources

• RVO - UBN dog registration (Dutch)
• RVO English - bring your dog to NL
• NVWA - travelling to NL with your dog
• Your Europe - travelling with pets in the EU
• Kifid - Dutch financial services complaints body