FBTO vs Univé 2026: which Dutch health insurer fits you
€1,35 apart at the standard excess, €13,35 apart at the maximum
The short answer
On the basic package Univé is cheaper at every level. At the standard €385 excess the gap is only €1,35 a month. But Univé gives the largest voluntary excess discount of any Dutch insurer we track, so at the €885 maximum the gap widens to €13,35 a month, or €160,20 a year.
FBTO wins on flexibility and on the modules. It sells physiotherapy on its own from €3,95, where Univé forces you to buy it bundled with cover abroad. Its abroad module at €1,75 is the cheapest in our comparison. And its dental range goes further: Tand at €16,95 covers crowns, bridges and implants, which Univé's entry package does not.
Bottom line: take Univé if you want the lowest cost and especially if you want a high excess, where nothing else comes close. Take FBTO if you want a specific module on its own, want serious dental cover, or expect to travel, and are willing to pay a little more for the flexibility.
Table of contents
Univé
Member-owned cooperative · Zorg Select
€147,40/mo
Falls to €125,40 at the €885 maximum, the largest voluntary excess discount of any insurer we track. Phone support, partial English.
- Cheapest at every excess level of the two
- All four voluntary excess steps available
- Member-owned, surpluses return to members
- Physiotherapy only sold bundled with cover abroad
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Dental modules compared
Adult dental care sits outside the basic package by law at every Dutch insurer, so if you want it you buy a module. FBTO publishes a clearer and deeper range than Univé.
| Module | Monthly | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Univé Tand Start | €7,00 | One check-up plus basic repairs |
| FBTO Tand Basis | €7,20 | 75% to €250/yr: check-ups, anaesthesia, hygiene, fillings |
| FBTO Tand | €16,95 | 100% to €250/yr (75% for hygiene and periodontal): adds crowns, bridges, implants, tartar removal |
| FBTO Tand ongeval | €0,95 | Dental accident cover to €10.000 a year |
The €250 ceiling applies to both
Neither entry package will carry you through serious dental work, because the annual cap sits at €250. FBTO is explicit that higher caps of €500 or €750, and the orthodontics module for under-18s, require its Plus basisverzekering rather than the Basis policy. If you know you need major treatment, budget for paying most of it yourself whichever insurer you pick.
Physiotherapy and cover abroad
This is where FBTO earns its higher premium. It sells each module separately. Univé bundles physiotherapy together with cover abroad, so you cannot take one without the other.
FBTO, sold separately
- Spieren & Gewrichten from €3,95: physiotherapy, manual therapy, children's physio, pelvic physio
- Zorg in het buitenland from €1,75: emergency care abroad, personal assistance, medically necessary repatriation
- Zorg & Herstel €2,50: contraception from 21, online second doctor, second opinion
Univé, bundled
- Buitenland plus Fysio: physiotherapy portion works out around €4,00, cover abroad around €2,00
- Good value if you want both, since the combined price is competitive
- Poor value if you want only one, because you pay for both regardless
FBTO has the cheapest abroad cover in our whole comparison
At €1,75 a month, FBTO's Zorg in het buitenland is the lowest-priced abroad module of any insurer we track, and it includes medically necessary repatriation. If you fly home regularly, that is €21 a year against a repatriation bill that runs into five figures. It is the strongest single reason to pick FBTO over Univé.
FBTO
Achmea group · modular add-ons
€148,75/mo
Achmea-backed, with each add-on sold separately. Only two voluntary excess tiers, at €585 and €885. Phone support, partial English.
- Cheapest cover abroad in our comparison at €1,75
- Physiotherapy sold standalone from €3,95
- Dental range reaches crowns, bridges and implants at €16,95
- No €485 or €685 excess option, and pricier at every level
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Ownership, network and service
FBTO belongs to Achmea, the largest Dutch insurance group and also the owner of Zilveren Kruis, which brings a broad contracted network behind it. Univé is a cooperative, owned by its members, with surpluses meant to flow back through pricing rather than to shareholders.
Both offer phone support and both run primarily Dutch websites with partial English handling. Neither is genuinely bilingual. FBTO has the better reputation among expats for dealing with English on the phone, which is why it tends to appear in English-support recommendations, but set your expectations accordingly.
Remember that the basisverzekering itself is identical at both by Dutch law. GP visits are free and do not touch your eigen risico at either insurer. What you are choosing between is price, the module menu, and how the insurer behaves when something goes wrong. See our Dutch healthcare system guide for how the huisarts gatekeeper model works in practice. Univé also sells car and home cover, so if you are considering bundling, our Univé vs InShared comparison covers whether that is worth chasing.
Which one should you take
Take Univé if
- You want the lowest cost. It is cheaper at every excess level, and at €885 it is €160,20 a year cheaper.
- You want a moderate excess of €485 or €685, which FBTO does not sell at all.
- You want both physiotherapy and cover abroad, where the bundle is competitively priced.
- The member-owned cooperative model matters to you.
Take FBTO if
- You travel often. The €1,75 abroad module with repatriation is the cheapest we have found anywhere.
- You want physiotherapy without paying for travel cover you will not use.
- You need real dental cover. Tand at €16,95 reaches crowns, bridges and implants.
- You want Achmea-group backing and the better of the two reputations for English on the phone.
Consider neither if: price alone is what matters and you are happy at the standard excess, where VinkVink and Nationale-Nederlanden both sit around €142,40. Check your net cost after zorgtoeslag with the health insurance calculator before deciding.
Want the whole market?
These two sit in the middle of the price table. UnitedConsumers matches Univé's premium ladder exactly and adds energy bundling, and the cheapest headline premiums sit lower still. Zorgkiezer compares every Dutch insurer in one place.
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Frequently asked questions
Is FBTO or Univé cheaper in 2026?
Univé, at every excess level, and the gap widens sharply as you raise it. At the standard €385 the difference is €1,35 a month, FBTO €148,75 against Univé €147,40. At the €885 maximum it becomes €13,35 a month, FBTO €138,75 against Univé €125,40, which is €160,20 over a year. Univé offers the largest voluntary excess discount of any insurer we track.
Why can I not choose a €485 or €685 excess with FBTO?
FBTO only sells two voluntary top-ups, +€200 and +€500, which land you at €585 or €885 in total. The €485 and €685 levels are not offered at all. Univé sells all four steps, so if you want to fine-tune your excess rather than jump straight to the maximum, FBTO cannot do it.
Which has better dental cover?
FBTO gives you more choice and more detail. FBTO Tand Basis costs €7,20 a month for 75 percent up to €250 a year, covering check-ups, anaesthesia, hygiene and fillings. FBTO Tand at €16,95 reimburses 100 percent up to €250 and adds crowns, bridges, implants and periodontal treatment. Univé Tand Start is €7,00 for one check-up plus basic repairs, marginally cheaper but a thinner package. FBTO also sells dental accident cover separately at €0,95 for €10.000 a year.
Can I buy physiotherapy cover on its own?
With FBTO yes, with Univé no. FBTO sells Spieren & Gewrichten from €3,95 a month as a standalone module covering physiotherapy, manual therapy, children's physio and pelvic physio. Univé bundles its physiotherapy into a combined Buitenland plus Fysio package, so you cannot take physio without also paying for cover abroad. If you want one and not the other, FBTO is the flexible option.
Which is better for travel cover?
FBTO, narrowly. Its Zorg in het buitenland module starts at €1,75 a month, the lowest abroad add-on in our whole comparison, and includes emergency medical care, personal assistance and medically necessary repatriation. Univé charges about €2,00 and bundles it with physiotherapy. If you travel often and do not need physio, FBTO is both cheaper and cleaner.
Do either of them handle English well?
Both are partial. Each offers phone support and each runs a primarily Dutch website, so neither is a comfortable choice if you cannot read any Dutch. In practice FBTO has the better reputation among expats for English handling on the phone, which is why it appears in our English-support recommendations, but do not expect a fully English experience from either.
Univé is a cooperative. What does that mean in practice?
Univé is member-owned rather than shareholder-owned, so surpluses are meant to return to members through pricing and service rather than to investors. FBTO sits inside Achmea, the largest Dutch insurance group, which brings a broad contracted network. On the basic package itself the difference is invisible, because the basisverzekering is identical by law at every insurer in the country.
Official sources
Premiums and module prices are 2026 figures from each insurer and change every November for the year ahead. Verify before you commit.
- • Government.nl: the Dutch health insurance obligation explained in English
- • Rijksoverheid: statutory basic package and the €385 eigen risico
- • Toeslagen: zorgtoeslag eligibility and current amounts
Related health insurance guides
Work through the rest of the Dutch market before you commit.
Full insurer comparison
Every insurer we cover, ranked by premium
VinkVink vs FBTO
Cheapest premium against the better service reputation
VinkVink vs Nationale-Nederlanden
The two cheapest, five cents apart
Zilveren Kruis vs Menzis
The two big traditional insurers compared
Dutch health insurance rules
The four-month deadline and CAK fines
Switching insurer
The November to December window explained