Health insurance in the Netherlands for 2027: what changes and when
Premiums land 12 November, the eigen risico is still being fought over, and you switch by 31 December
Two things make 2027 unusual. The premium is expected to rise sharply after two mild years, and the mandatory eigen risico (the statutory deductible) is the subject of an unresolved political fight. If you have read that the deductible is dropping to €165, that plan is dead. If you have read it is rising to €460, that is a proposal without a majority. Neither number is law.
This page tracks what is actually decided, what is only proposed, and what it means for your monthly cost. For the system itself, start with our expat health insurance guide. When the November figures land, the insurer comparison and the premium calculator are updated first.
If you already know the system and only need the mechanics of moving insurer, our switching guide covers the cancellation steps and the overstapservice.
What changes for Dutch health insurance in 2027?
The basic package stays legally identical at every insurer. Premiums are expected to rise by roughly €200 a year, to somewhere around €170 to €190 per month, and are published by 12 November 2026. The mandatory eigen risico is €385 today. A rise to €460 is proposed but lacks a majority, and the older plan to cut it to €165 has been abandoned. You switch insurer by 31 December 2026.
The 2027 timeline
The switching window is short and the dates are fixed by law. Nothing useful can be decided before insurers publish, and nothing can be changed after 31 December.
| Date | What happens | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| September to October 2026 | Budget debates settle the eigen risico question | Nothing yet, prices do not exist |
| By 12 November 2026 | Every insurer must publish its 2027 premium | Compare properly for the first time |
| 31 December 2026 | Hard deadline to cancel your current policy | Sign with the new insurer, they cancel for you |
| 1 January 2027 | New policy year starts, eigen risico resets | Check the first direct debit is correct |
| 31 January 2027 | Last date to finalise a new insurer | Cover still backdates to 1 January |
Missing 31 December is the expensive mistake. Cancelling is the deadline that bites, not choosing. If you cancel and then dither, you still have January to pick someone.
What you pay right now: the 2026 baseline
A 2027 forecast only means something against the current number. These are the live 2026 premiums, and what you keep paying until 1 January 2027. The average is €159,30 per month, and the gap between cheapest and most expensive is €511 a year for legally identical cover.
VinkVink
€142,40/mo
Online subsidiary of Menzis, digital-first, chat-only support
Go to VinkVinkNationale-Nederlanden
€142,45/mo
Zorg Voordelig naturapolis. CZ-group back-end. SkinVision and "Vraag de dokter" included.
Go to NNUnivé
€147,40/mo
600K+ customers, cooperative (member-owned), strong dental
Go to UnivéUnitedConsumers
From €147,40/mo
Member cooperative, low eigen risico tier available
Go to UnitedConsumersFBTO
€148,75/mo
Achmea brand, excellent digital tools, online-only service
Go to FBTOASR Zorg
€149,80/mo
Large Dutch insurer, strong supplementary, English by phone
Go to ASRMenzis
€151,25/mo
Cooperatieve (member-owned). Basis Voordelig tier. Phone Mon-Fri 8-18h
Go to MenzisZilveren Kruis
€153,95/mo
Largest Dutch insurer (Achmea). Widest network. Basis Start tier
Go to Zilveren KruisThese are 2026 prices and they hold until 31 December 2026. Every one is replaced by a 2027 figure published in November, and the ranking reshuffles most years, so do not assume today's cheapest stays cheapest. For supplementary packages, eigen risico discounts and contracted networks, see the complete insurer comparison. Affiliate links, no extra cost to you.
The eigen risico fight, explained
The mandatory eigen risico is the amount you pay yourself each year before the basic insurance starts reimbursing most care. It has been frozen at €385 since 2016. It is set by law, which means it is identical at every insurer and no amount of shopping around changes it.
Two contradictory plans have been in the news, and both are frequently reported as though they were settled. Neither is.
| Figure | Origin | Status |
|---|---|---|
| €385 | Current law, frozen since 2016 | In force. The default if nothing passes |
| €165 | Schoof cabinet coalition agreement | Abandoned. Died with that cabinet in June 2025 |
| €460 | Current coalition proposal for 2027 | Proposed. No Eerste Kamer majority, unlikely to pass |
The €460 proposal has been sent for legislative scrutiny, but it needs both chambers. In the Eerste Kamer the coalition lacks the votes, and GroenLinks-PvdA and BBB have both come out against. A commonly discussed middle outcome is that the increase falls away and only a separate cap of €150 per treatment survives, which would change how the deductible is consumed rather than how large it is.
Why this matters more than it sounds. The premium and the deductible move together. A lower deductible has to be funded by a higher premium, and vice versa. If the deductible had dropped to €165, premiums would have risen even further than currently forecast, and people who rarely use care would have paid more to subsidise those who do.
For most healthy expats, a stable €385 with a smaller premium rise is the better outcome. You can also still choose a voluntary extra deductible, up to €885 in total, for a discount of roughly €3 per month per €100. That choice is yours every year and is unaffected by the political argument.
What this means if you are an expat
- Your deadline does not move. Dutch basic insurance is mandatory within four months of registering with your gemeente. Premium news changes nothing about that. Cover is backdated to your registration date, so waiting does not save money, it just creates a lump sum. See our BSN and registration guide for how the timing works.
- Going uninsured is the expensive option. The CAK issues a fine of €528 per violation, up to three times for a maximum of €1,584. After the third it enrols you automatically in government insurance and takes the premium directly from your income, usually on worse terms than you would have chosen.
- Budget for a larger jump than the last two years. If you arrived in 2025 or 2026 you have only ever seen small increases. A rise of €20 to €40 a month is a realistic planning assumption until the real numbers arrive.
- Check zorgtoeslag again in the autumn. The healthcare allowance is calculated from the average premium, so it should rise too. It rarely absorbs the whole increase, and the income thresholds shift each year, so an entitlement check is worth redoing rather than assuming last year's answer holds.
- Switching is the one lever you fully control. The basic package is identical by law, so the spread between the cheapest and most expensive insurer is close to free money. In 2026 that spread was over €30 a month for the same legal cover. There is no reason to expect 2027 to be tighter.
What to do now, and what to leave until November
Worth doing now
- If you are uninsured, take out cover today. The backdating clock and the fine risk are running regardless of 2027 pricing.
- Note your current premium, your supplementary package and your chosen voluntary deductible, so you can compare like for like in November.
- Check whether you actually used your aanvullend cover this year. Most people carry dental or physio cover they never claim.
- Recheck your zorgtoeslag entitlement if your income changed.
Leave until after 12 November
- Choosing an insurer. Rankings reshuffle every year and last year's cheapest is rarely next year's cheapest.
- Deciding your voluntary deductible, which depends on the discount each insurer offers for 2027.
- Any decision that depends on the eigen risico, which may still change in the autumn budget debates.
If you need cover now
Do not wait for 2027 prices if you are currently uninsured
Waiting costs money rather than saving it, because cover backdates to your registration date either way. Take out a policy now, then switch in December once the 2027 rates are published. Switching is free and you can do it every year.
Affiliate link. No extra cost to you, keeps our expat guides free.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
How much will Dutch health insurance cost in 2027?
The 2027 premiums are not final. Insurers must publish them by 12 November 2026. Forecasts in Dutch media point to a rise of roughly €200 per year, which would put the average basic premium somewhere between €170 and €190 per month, against €159,30 in 2026. Treat every figure published before 12 November as an estimate, including ours.
Is the eigen risico going up to €460 in 2027?
It is proposed, not decided. The coalition agreement contains a rise from €385 to €460, but the plan has no majority in the Eerste Kamer, where both GroenLinks-PvdA and BBB oppose it. The realistic outcomes are that the eigen risico stays at €385, or that only the separate €150 per treatment cap survives. Nothing is law until both chambers vote.
What happened to the plan to lower the eigen risico to €165?
That plan belonged to the Schoof cabinet and effectively died when that cabinet fell in June 2025. It was never enacted. If you read older articles promising a €165 deductible from 2027, they are out of date. The current direction of travel is upward, not downward.
When can I switch health insurer for 2027?
Insurers publish 2027 premiums by 12 November 2026. You cancel your current policy by 31 December 2026, and you have until 31 January 2027 to finalise a new policy that applies retroactively from 1 January 2027. If you sign up with a new insurer before 31 December, that insurer cancels your old policy for you.
Does the basic package change in 2027?
The basisverzekering is set by law and is identical at every insurer, so a change to it applies everywhere at once. Any adjustments for 2027 are announced with the premiums in November. What differs between insurers is the premium, the service, the contracted hospital network, and the supplementary packages.
Will zorgtoeslag go up in 2027 to compensate?
The healthcare allowance is expected to rise alongside the premium, since it is calculated from the average premium. Historically it has not fully absorbed a large increase, so budget for a net rise. The Belastingdienst publishes 2027 zorgtoeslag amounts in the autumn, and you can recalculate your entitlement then.
I am moving to the Netherlands in 2027. Does any of this change my deadline?
No. The four month rule is unaffected by premium changes. You must take out Dutch basic insurance within four months of registering with your gemeente, and cover is backdated to your registration date, so you pay for those months regardless. Staying uninsured past the deadline risks CAK fines of €528 per violation, up to €1,584 in total.
Should I wait until November to choose an insurer?
If you are already insured, yes, because you cannot act on 2027 prices before they exist. If you are newly arrived and currently uninsured, no. Take out cover now to stop the backdating clock and the fine risk, then switch during the normal window in December if a better 2027 price appears.
Does a higher eigen risico mean a lower premium?
Only for the voluntary part. You can raise your own deductible above the statutory minimum, up to €885, in exchange for a monthly discount that is typically around €3 per month for every extra €100. The mandatory eigen risico, the part politicians are arguing about, is the same at every insurer and is not something you choose.
Where can I see the actual 2027 prices when they are published?
Our insurer comparison is updated as soon as the November figures land, and covers the full Dutch market rather than a shortlist. You can also subscribe below and we will email you when the 2027 rates are out, which gives you the full stretch from mid-November to 31 December to decide.
Get the 2027 premiums the day they land
For expats living in and moving to the Netherlands
Insurers publish their 2027 rates by 12 November and the deadline to switch is 31 December. Subscribe and we email you as soon as the numbers are out, with the cheapest options for expats. Free, unsubscribe anytime.