You are studying or doing an internship

If you are a student from another country and you have come to the Netherlands solely for the purpose of your studies, you will normally not be automatically insured under the Wlz scheme, even if you are registered as living at an address in the Netherlands. You will usually not be required to take out Dutch health insurance. 

If you have come to the Netherlands as a student from one of the BES islands or from Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten, and you have been staying here or plan to stay here for a number of years, you may well be insured under the Wlz scheme.

If you start working in the Netherlands alongside your studies or you start doing volunteer work for which you get paid, you may well become insured under the Wlz scheme. If so, you will be required to take out Dutch health insurance.

If you do an internship for which you are paid at least the Dutch minimum wage , you will be subject to compulsory insurance under the Wlz scheme.

If you receive expenses, these will also count as payment for your internship. You should bear in mind that board and lodging may also be regarded as payment or remuneration.

As from 1 September 2025, the rules for students from the EU , EEA , Switzerland and treaty countries who are doing an internship in the Netherlands will change.

You live in the EU, EEA, Switzerland or a treaty country

If you are going to do a paid internship in the Netherlands, you will be insured under the Wlz scheme if you are insured under 1 or more employee insurance schemes, such as the sickness benefit or the Wajong incapacity benefit scheme. To find out whether you are insured under the employee insurance schemes, you should check with your internship company or the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV).

If you have another job alongside your internship, this could affect your insurance. If this applies to you, we would advise you to contact us.

You live outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland and you do not live in a treaty country

If you are going to do a paid internship in the Netherlands, you will be insured under the Wlz scheme if your internship allowance is equal to or higher than the Dutch minimum wage. Expense allowances are treated as remuneration. In some cases, board and lodging are, too.

If you have another job alongside your internship, this could affect your insurance. If this applies to you, we would advise you to contact us.

If you are doing an internship, working as a volunteer or au pair or doing PhD research outside the Netherlands and you have not received a letter from the CAK , you do not need to request an assessment of your Wlz insurance position. Simply contact your health insurer for more information.

If you start working alongside your studies and you get paid for it, your insurance under the Wlz scheme may stop.