Health insurance / Liability Insurance

Health Insurance for MPI employees with a work contract:

Health insurance provides insurance cover for the cost of medical care. If you work and pay income tax in the Netherlands, you are subject to Dutch social security legislation.

This means you are obliged by law to take out health insurance. Please note that this has to be done within the first 3 months after your arrival in the Netherlands.

A health insurance policy is a Dutch insurance policy that provides coverage for healthcare costs and meets the requirements of the Dutch Health Insurance Act (Zorgverzekeringswet).
If you already are insured for healthcare costs in your own country, you still have to take out health insurance in the Netherlands. It is compulsory for you to have Dutch health insurance for the whole time that you work in the Netherlands.

You must take out health insurance from a health insurance provider yourself. Every health insurance provider is obliged to accept you for insurance under the basic health insurance package. Your health and age are irrelevant. The healthcare covered by the basic health insurance package is the same for every health insurance provider.
The premium payable may vary, depending on the health insurance provider. Children under 18 years of age do not pay a premium.
If you work in the Netherlands, any family members (partner and children) resident in a treaty country are entitled to have their healthcare costs in their country of residence paid for under their Dutch insurance policy. You must therefore pay a contribution for any family members over the age of 18. In order to receive healthcare under Dutch insurance in their country of residence, your family members will need to register. Ask your healthcare insurance provider for a registration form.

The healthcare covered by the basic package includes care by general practitioners and specialists, hospital care, medicines, dental care up to the age of 22, specialist dental care and dentures. Your health insurance provider can provide you with more information about the basic coverage, how the costs will be reimbursed and the healthcare providers from whom you can receive medical care.

You pay a monthly premium to your health insurance provider for your health insurance. You also pay monthly for any family members who are registered.

Individual incomes can vary. In order to ensure that the health insurance premium is affordable for everyone, there is a healthcare allowance (Zorgtoeslag). This covers some of the cost of the premium. Eligibility for the healthcare allowance is dependent on income. If you earn less than a specific amount, you will be entitled to the healthcare allowance. The lower your income, the higher your healthcare allowance will be. The healthcare allowance covers part of the premium. For more information please check Belastingdienst/Zorgtoeslag.

For insured persons aged 18 and over, there is a compulsory excess of €220 for the basic health insurance package. This means that you will have to pay the first €220 towards your healthcare costs yourself. This excess applies per person. The compulsory excess does not apply for general practitioner care, natal care, maternity care and the dental care youth package for young people up to the age of 22. The excess does not apply for children up to the age of 18.
Policyholders can also opt to pay a voluntary excess. Options for this voluntary excess vary, depending on the healthcare insurance provider. You are not obliged to opt for a voluntary excess. However, the advantage is that opting for a voluntary excess means a lower premium. The disadvantage is that you will have to pay part of the costs yourself.

If you take out healthcare insurance too late, you will be fined and you will have to pay all medical costs yourself. This also applies to family members living in a treaty country who register too late.

If you do not live in the Netherlands and resign or are dismissed from your job, you are no longer covered by Dutch social security legislation. You must then cancel your healthcare insurance.

Would you prefer to have more extensive insurance coverage? In that case you can opt for additional healthcare insurance. It is not compulsory to take out additional healthcare insurance.

The Institute has a collective agreement with the insurance company CZ, which entitles MPI employees to a discount on the various insurance packages.

For PhD-students between 18 and 25 years old they offer a special additional insurance 'Jongeren'. Please click here for more information.

For further information and an english CZ information folder, please contact Angela Heuts (heuts@vw.mpi.nl) in the Administration.

When applying for health insurance you need a BSN or Sofinumber, a work permit (if applicable) and you will have to register with a ‘huisarts’ (GP). You can only register with a huisarts close by your residential address. For addresses please check the Yellow Pages, under Artsen- Huisartsen.

For more general information about health insurance in the Netherlands, please check the website of the Ministerie van VWS.

Health Insurance for short - and long term stipend guests of the MPI (without a work contract):

IPS Insurance offers a complete cross-border insurance policy for your stay abroad, anywhere in the world, for the whole duration of your stay.

IPS covers students and researchers coming from abroad for study or exchange programmes, work experience etc.

The IPS insurance policy offers extensive coverage for: medical and urgent dental treatment, special expenses and assistance, accidents, liability, legal assitance and loss of baggage.

Visit the IPS website for more information and to apply for direct cover.
Your required personnel number can be obtained from the Administration.

Health Insurance for stipend guests of the MPI with a maximum stay of 183 days:

Mawista Science Visit is a health insurance covered by the ELVIA travelinsurance company for all visitors or guests of foreign nationality (from a country subject to visa requirements) temporarily staying in the EU for a maximum of 183 days.

Visit the Mawista website for more information and to apply for direct cover.

Liability Insurance:

In the Netherlands, one is legally liable if someone suffers damage through a mistake or accident caused by a third party. That means one must compensate the other person for the damage suffered. Personal liability insurance (Wettelijke Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering) protects one against this and it is very advisable to arrange this insurance upon arrival. For example, when renting a house from a private owner, you are required to have this insurance.

For more information and price quotations, please check Aansprakelijkheidsverzekering vergelijken. The Institute has a collective agreement with the insurance company Centraal Beheer Achmea, which entitles MPI employees to a discount on the various insurance packages.