One of the first things you discover when you arrive in the Netherlands is that insurance is a normal part of daily life. The Dutch take them out almost instinctively. But for someone coming from LATAM, where insurance was often a luxury or simply didn’t exist in the same way, the number of options can be overwhelming.
Which ones are mandatory by law? Which ones are truly useful? And which ones are basically a waste of money? In this article, I’ll sort everything out for you so you don’t take out too much insurance or end up without coverage where you really need it.
The basic principle for deciding
Before going into detail, there’s a simple question that helps you evaluate any insurance: can I cover this expense myself if it occurs? If the answer is yes, you probably don’t need to insure it. If the answer is no —because the potential expense would be devastating for your finances— then insurance makes sense.
With that logic in mind, let’s go through it step by step.
Mandatory insurance in the Netherlands
These are not optional. If you ignore them, there are direct legal or financial consequences.
Basic health insurance (basiszorgverzekering) — for everyone
It’s the most important insurance and the first one you should take out when you arrive. In the Netherlands, every person over 18 years old who lives or works here is obliged to have basic health insurance. There are no exceptions for being a foreigner, having a temporary visa, or coming from the EU.
The deadline to take it out is 4 months from when you register with the municipality (gemeente). If you miss the deadline, the CAK (state agency) will automatically assign you one, and you will also receive a retroactive fine for the months without coverage.
Some key facts about Dutch health insurance:
- The monthly premium is around €170–€185/month depending on the insurer and package
- Additionally, there is a mandatory annual deductible (verplicht eigen risico) of €385 in 2026: you pay the first €385 of medical expenses for the year yourself
- If your income is low, you can receive the zorgtoeslag (government healthcare allowance) which covers part of the monthly premium
- Children under 18 are covered free of charge within the system
To fully understand how the Dutch healthcare system works, I recommend reading Healthcare System in the Netherlands. And if you want to find the cheapest option, in The Cheapest Health Insurance in the Netherlands (2025) we compare the lowest premiums on the market. You can also check the comparison tool from zorgwijzer.nl or independer.nl.
💡 Do you already have the cheapest health insurance for your situation? Premiums vary quite a bit between insurers. On Independer, you can compare all options in 2 minutes and see how much you could save. → Compare health insurance on Independer
Motor third-party liability insurance (WA-autoverzekering) — only if you have a car or motorbike
If you have a car, motorbike, or scooter registered in your name in the Netherlands, the law obliges you to have at least third-party liability insurance (Wettelijke Aansprakelijkheid or WA). This covers damages you cause to third parties: if you collide with another car, damage property, or run someone over, the insurance covers the damages to the other party.
What the basic doesn’t cover is damage to your own vehicle. For that, there are additional coverages: WA+ Beperkt Casco (adds theft, fire, and natural phenomena) and Allrisk (also covers your own damage due to an accident). If your car is more than 8-10 years old and has a low value, basic WA is usually sufficient.
You can see a complete comparison of coverages and prices in our Complete Guide to Car Insurance in the Netherlands. And if you are still deciding whether to buy a car or lease, this article can help you: Buy or Lease a Car?
Building insurance (opstalverzekering) — only if you have a mortgage
If you bought a home with a mortgage (hypotheek), the bank almost always requires you to have an opstalverzekering: an insurance that covers damage to the structure of the property (walls, roof, fixed installations) due to fire, storm, flood, or other damages. If you rent, this insurance is the landlord’s responsibility, not yours.
If you are thinking of buying a home, you can learn about how mortgages work in the Netherlands in Mortgages in the Netherlands: types and costs and about the state mortgage guarantee in What is NHG (Nationale Hypotheek Garantie)?
Life insurance (overlijdensrisicoverzekering) — sometimes required with a mortgage
Some banks require life insurance as a condition for granting a mortgage, especially if the repayment depends significantly on the income of a single person. Outside that context, it’s optional.
Insurance that is not mandatory but highly recommended
No one requires you to have these, but covering yourself in these areas is a sensible financial decision for most people.
Personal liability insurance (aansprakelijkheidsverzekering)
This is probably the most unknown insurance for Latin American newcomers, and one of the most useful. In the Netherlands, if you accidentally cause damage to someone or their property, you are legally responsible for paying for it. If your child breaks the neighbour’s window playing ball, if you spill coffee on a friend’s laptop, if your bicycle collides with someone in the street: you pay.
The aansprakelijkheidsverzekering —or AVP— covers exactly those unforeseen events. What makes it especially interesting is its price: between €3 and €6 per month for coverage of up to €1.25 million. It’s one of the insurances with the best cost-benefit ratio available. Almost everyone in the Netherlands has it. You can see all the details in our article Liability insurance: everything you need to know.
🛡️ Do you already have AVP? With Pricewise, you can compare prices for liability insurance between several insurers in minutes — from €3/month. → Compare AVP on Pricewise
Home contents insurance (inboedelverzekering)
Covers your belongings inside the home: furniture, clothes, electronics, bicycle (in some cases), etc., against theft, fire, or water damage. If you rent, the landlord’s opstalverzekering does not cover anything that is yours, only the structure of the building.
Is it worth it? It depends on what you have at home. If you add up the approximate value of everything you own and the result is an amount you couldn’t easily replace, then yes. The premium is usually around €5–€15/month depending on the insured value and if you include coverage outside the home. An interesting option for this type of insurance is Lemonade, a digital insurer that covers both home contents and liability in a single package and at a good price.
Continuous travel insurance (doorlopende reisverzekering)
Unlike a single-trip travel insurance (which you take out for a specific trip), the doorlopende reisverzekering covers you throughout the year for all your trips, both within and outside Europe. It covers medical repatriation, lost luggage, cancellations, and assistance abroad.
For someone who travels to LATAM once or twice a year to visit family, this insurance is highly recommended. Medical repatriation from Mexico, Colombia, or Argentina can cost tens of thousands of euros without coverage. The annual premium is around €80–€150 per person or family. In this article, we compare the best options available in the Netherlands: Travel Insurance in the Netherlands: find the best offer.
Legal assistance insurance (rechtsbijstandverzekering)
Covers legal costs if you have a dispute with your landlord, your employer, a company, or in a traffic accident. In the Netherlands, lawyers are expensive and legal proceedings are long, so this insurance can be very valuable if you find yourself in a complicated situation. However, it has separate modules (employment, housing, consumer, traffic), and the price increases depending on what you include. Full coverage can range from €15 to €40/month.
If you are in an unstable employment situation —for example, working with temporary contracts or through a temporary employment agency— the employment module can be especially useful. We explain everything about this insurance in Legal assistance insurance: what it covers and how much it costs.
Insurance you can skip (in most cases)
Going back to the beginning of the article: if you can cover the cost yourself, don’t insure it. Here are some that are often not worth it:
- Mobile phone insurance: if you have a mid-range phone and can replace it without it causing a crisis, don’t insure it. Premiums are often high in relation to the actual value of the device. If you have expensive devices and want to protect them, there are specialised options like NowInsure, but evaluate if the cost compensates.
- Appliance insurance: legal warranties in the Netherlands already cover you well for the first few years. Additional insurance rarely pays off.
- Separate travel cancellation insurance: if you already have doorlopende reisverzekering, it probably includes cancellation. Don’t pay twice.
- Roadside assistance insurance (wegenwacht): useful if you travel a lot by car, but if your car is new or you hardly use it, it might not be worth it.
Summary: what to take out depending on your situation
- Newcomer, renting: basiszorgverzekering (mandatory) + aansprakelijkheidsverzekering (highly recommended, very cheap) + inboedelverzekering if you have valuable items
- With a car: add WA-autoverzekering at a minimum
- With a mortgage: add opstalverzekering and possibly overlijdensrisicoverzekering
- If you travel to LATAM regularly: add doorlopende reisverzekering
- If you have an unstable employment situation: consider the employment module of the rechtsbijstandverzekering
If you want to know how to compare prices between insurers for any of these insurances, this guide can help you: How to find the best insurance deal?
Do you have questions about a specific insurance or don’t know if what you currently have covers your situation well? Leave it in the comments.
