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Working and living in the Netherlands; family living abroad

Last modified: 18 November 2024

You live and are insured in the Netherlands, but your family members live in another treaty country. In that case, you must take out health insurance for yourself in the Netherlands. You need to insure your family members through the CAK. On this page, you can find out what the conditions are and how to organise this.

The conditions

  • You live in the Netherlands.
  • You have health insurance in the Netherlands.
  • Your family members live in a treaty country.
  • Your family members have little or no income.
  • The health insurer in your family’s country of residence approves.

Insuring your family members: how it works

You must first tell us which family members you wish to insure through the CAK. How this works depends on the country where your family lives.

My family lives in the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom

  1. Complete a separate application form for each family member: Application document S1 (pdf, 516 kB). This can be done online, using a digital signature. Or print it out and fill it in with a pen in block capitals.
  2. Send the application forms to us. You can do this digitally via the contact form. Choose the ‘Zorgverzekering en buitenland’ (Health insurance and abroad) scheme. Add the application forms as attachments. Alternatively, send the forms by post to:
    CAK
    Regeling Buitenland
    Antwoordnummer 91041
    2509 VC Den Haag
  3. If approved, we will send a document for each family member. This is called an S1 document. Submit this to the local health insurer or authority in your family’s country of residence. Who this is, is stated on the document. Does your family live in the United Kingdom? In that case, we will send the document directly to the NHS. Your family members will receive an invitation from the NHS.
  4. The local health insurer or authority decides which family members can be insured through the CAK, and informs us of this.
  5. Your family members will receive a health insurance card or proof of registration. They are insured for healthcare in their country of residence according to the rules that apply there. You do not pay a healthcare premium to the local health insurer.
  6. You will receive a letter from us stating which of your family members are insured through the CAK.
  7. You do not pay a healthcare premium to the local health insurer for your family members. Instead, you pay a healthcare contribution to us. We will send you an invoice for this amount. You do not pay anything for family members aged under 18.

Tip

Apply for a European Health Insurance Card for your family members. This way, they will be insured for medical care in the Netherlands and for medically necessary care in other European countries.

My family lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Tunisia or Turkey

  1. Complete this application form: application document 109 (pdf, 504 kB). This can be done online, using a digital signature. Or print it out and fill it in with a pen in block capitals. On the form, only enter the name of your oldest family member.
  2. Send the application form to us. You can do this digitally via the contact form. Choose the ‘Zorgverzekering en buitenland’ (Health insurance and abroad) scheme. Add the application forms as attachments. Alternatively, send the form by post to:
    CAK
    Regeling Buitenland
    Antwoordnummer 91041
    2509 VC Den Haag
  3. If approved, we will send a document. This is called a 109 document. Submit this to the local health insurer or authority in your family’s country of residence. Who this is, is stated on the document.
  4. The local health insurer or authority decides which family members can be insured through the CAK, and informs us of this.
  5. Your family members will receive a health insurance card or proof of registration. They are insured for healthcare in their country of residence according to the rules that apply there.
  6. You will receive a letter from us stating which of your family members are insured through the CAK.
  7. You do not pay a healthcare premium to the local health insurer for your family members. Instead, you pay a healthcare contribution to us. We will send you an invoice for this amount. You do not pay anything for family members aged under 18.

Please note

Does your family live in Cabo Verde, North Macedonia or Tunisia? In that case, we will send a message to the local insurer. You will not receive document 109. Your family members will receive an invitation from the local insurer to visit them.

Tip

You work in the Netherlands, but live with your family abroad? In that case, the process of registering your family members is slightly different. Find out what steps you need to take.