Healthcare in the Netherlands

Your general practitioner is your first stop

In the Netherlands you always need to visit a general practitioner (GP) first if you are in need of medical treatment. Even for mental health issues or possible injury. You need a referral from your GP to see a specialist or go to hospital (unless it is an emergency of course).

Register with a GP

Register with a GP as soon as possible after arrival. Please note that you have to find a GP in your postal code area.  If you cannot find one, ask the Central Student Desk for help.

Once you have registered with a GP can you make an appointment in case medical treatment is needed. Internationals are often surprised by how medical treatment is provided in the Netherlands. To avoid confusion or frustration, we outline some common practices and/or issues you might encounter when visiting a GP in the Netherlands in more detail. 

Role of the GP in the Netherlands 

The extent of responsibility and treatment of the general practitioner goes further than in many other countries. In the Netherlands, your general practitioner will be your main source of medical care. This means they only give recommendations for treatment from a specialist if they cannot treat the problem themselves.

Prescriptions and appointments / pharmacies (apotheek): 

If you require medicine, the GP will be able to provide the necessary prescription. You can collect the medicine at a local pharmacy (apotheek) with the prescription. Some over-the counter meds are only available there, not in supermarkets. Basic meds, like pain killers can be bought in supermarkets like Albert Heijn / drugstores like Kruidvat , Etos en Trekpleister.

When visiting the general practitioner, you may hear that you will need to wait before any medication is prescribed. When calling for an appointment to see your doctor it is not unusual to be told by the assistant that you should wait several more days to see if your symptoms go away without any treatment. When they do not, only then you will be granted an appointment to see the general practitioner. 

This leaves some internationals with the impression that Dutch general practitioners under-medicate their patients. This is sometimes a point of frustration for internationals when visiting their general practitioner in the Netherlands, however, keep in mind that this is standard practice. 

Insurance is mandatory

Check out more information on which types there are and what you need on this page. Please note: if you have a (part-time) job in the Netherlands a National Health insurance is obligatory! 

Local GPs

University Health Centre Heyendael (UCG)

Gerard van Swietenlaan 3 (on campus),
Telephone: +31 24 322 43 40

The University Health Centre is open from 8.00 till 17.00 on all workdays. For emergencies within surgery hours exclusively, please phone their own emergency number: +31 24 360 63 60.

Visit website

Huisartsenpraktijk Het Bos

St. Jacobslaan 343, 6533 VD Nijmegen.

Call for an appointment between 8.00-12.30 and 14.00-17.00.
Telephone: +31 24 355 08 10

Emergency telephone number during weekdays: +31 24 356 79 40.

Huisartsenpraktijk Grootstal 

If you are a student  at Radboud University or HAN university of Applies Sciences and living in Nijmegen your are always welcome at this practice. 

St. Jacobslaan 345, 6533 VD Nijmegen.
Telephone: +31 24 355 14 30

Open Mon - Fr: 8.00-17.00

Every Tuesday 9.00-10.00 walk in hours without appointment 

at the practice on: Kapittelweg 33, 6525 EN Nijmegen, HAN SENECA, C-wing

visit website

Huisartsenpraktijk De Haterse Hoed

For students living in Vossenveld

Couwenbergstraat 34 / 36

Telephone: +31 24 355 22 88 / +31 24 356 12 04
Call between: 8.00 - 12.30 uur and 14.30 - 16.30

Visit website

Huisartsenpraktijk Hart van Hatert

For students living in Vossenveld

Locations: Couwenbergstraat 34 & Geeresteinstraat 32

Telephone: +31 24 355 22 88

Visit website

Huisartsenpost (after 17.00 and during the weekend)

In case of a medical emergency after working hours (after 5 p.m. and during weekends) you contact the Huisartsenpost, which can be reached at: +31 (0)24-3523579. For on-campus medical emergencies, please call +31 24 365 55 55 (please, save this number on your mobile phone!). In case of acute circumstances, you can visit the First Aid Department of a hospital. In case of a life-threatening situation always call 112. 

De Huisartsenpost can also be consulted digitally before visiting them via the Digi Hap

The Digi-HAP  (currently,  only available during opening hours) is a digital consultation/questionnaire that queries your medical symptoms and estimates the urgency of those symptoms. You will be asked anonymous questions about your complaint in order to assess its severity and urgency. In cases of urgency or necessity, you will be advised to contact the urgent care centre (Huisartsenpost) or your general practitioner.  
Opening hours of Digi-HAP:   Monday – Friday: 17.00 – 22.30 , on weekends and national holidays: 06.45 – 22.30

The Digi-HAP can still be used outside these hours to assess the urgency of your complaint. However, it is not possible to digitally schedule a physical consultation*. 
You can login with or without Digi-D: 

•    When you login with Digi-D, it is possible to digitally schedule a physical appointment with urgent care centre (huisartsenpost), when necessary
•    When you login without Digi-D, it is only possible to schedule a physical appointment with the urgent care centre (huisartsenpost) by phone, when necessary.

Hospital visits in case of a real emergency

If you are not feeling well or have complaints, you must first go and see your general practitioner (GP), as explained above. Only in case of acute circumstances, can you visit the First Aid Department of a hospital (EHBO / Eerste hulp). In case there are no acute circumstances, but you decide to visit the First Aid Department of a hospital in stead of the GP or huisartsenpost, a high treatment fee may apply. 

Mental Health

We all experience times when it’s difficult to cope with everyday life. You can feel down, anxious or lonely or even worse. In this case you could use some extra support. 

Urgency

If your situation is urgent, please contact your GP immediately. You may also call the huisartsenpost Nijmegen (Nijmegen Medical Centre) outside of office hours on 0900-8880. 

If you are feeling suicidal, please call 0800-0113, or visit www.113.nl. You may also contact the 113 suicide prevention line if you are seriously concerned about someone else.

Mental health support at Radboud University

Radboud University can help you with mental health-related issues in the following ways:

Social work (only for international students)

If you need help finding a GP, figuring out insurance, finding a therapist or support outside of university, you can contact Social Work. 

Student psychologist

If you have psychological issues or complaints that are affecting your studies at Radboud University, a student psychologist can provide the necessary support. The student psychologist can help you: 

• With study problems such as fear of failure, procrastination, stress or issues with staying focused;
• With personal problems that get in the way of studying such as gloom, family problems, grief and loss, difficulty making and maintaining contacts, insecurity, negative self-image.  
   

More information about mental health support at Radboud University

To improve your mental health, you can also participate in one of the free student support courses. You can find more information about student wellbeing and guidance here. 

Mental health support outside of Radboud University
 

Contact your municipality

For support or assistance, you can contact your municipality. In Nijmegen, you can contact neighbourhood teams ('buurtteams'). Buurtteams Nijmegen is available for every adult resident (17-65) living in Nijmegen. Their services are free of charge.   

With a holistic approach and a well connected network in the city they can support you in multiple dimensions:  

• Participation 
• Living and household 
• Relationships and social contacts 
• Mental and physical health 
• Financial matters 
• Finding meaning and purpose  
   

Why is this relevant for international students? 

The team offers accessible, free support for students facing complex or interconnected challenges. They can help you gain insight into different areas of your life and how these relate to one another, and provide appropriate guidance based on individual needs.

Support is based on collaboration and equality, with a focus on students’ strengths, resources and possibilities.

Find a therapist outside of the university

If you are seeking help from a psychologist or psychiatrist, you should always start with your GP to get a referral.

There are 3 options:

1. GGZ-POH
2. Basic GGZ
3. Specialist GGZ

1. All GPs have a ‘praktijkondersteuner’ (POH, practice assistant) with a specialisation in mental health who can also offer short-term help for mild and minor symptoms.
2. Basic GGZ: Basic mental healthcare is intended for milder, non-complex psychological problems and disorders.
3. Specialized GGZ: If the mental health problems have not been resolved after treatment in Basic GGZ or if the problems are more complex or serious in nature, the GP or general practitioner may refer you to specialist GGZ. This often involves a severe and/or complex mental health condition that requires intensive treatment. Requesting a diagnosis also belongs to specialist GGZ.

If addiction is involved, your GP will refer you to a healthcare provider who specialises in this area.

Dentist visits 

The quality of dental care in the Netherlands is of a high standard. Do note that dental treatment is not always covered by your medical insurance, so make sure to inquire about the coverage of your treatment with your dentist or insurance provider. 

If you are looking for a dentist, we recommend Tandartspraktijk E. Maenen or the department of Dentistry at Radboudumc. 

Becoming a dentistry patient at the Radboudumc

Please call the Radboudumc department of Dentistry for more information, or to make an appointment.

Telephone: +31 24 361 41 26.
Address: Philips van Leydenlaan 25.

First, you will get an appointment for an intake. After the intake, you will be notified whether you are eligible for registration. The costs for regular treatment will be approximately 25% less than the regular rate for dental treatment. Technical extra costs are at the usual rate.

Dental emergencies

In case of a real dental emergency after office hours, you can make an appointment at De Tandartsenpost Nijmegen. You can only go there if you have made an appointment.

Telephone: 0900-8276 456 (messages on this line are in Dutch).

The location of the Tandartsenpost is at the emergency square of the hospital called Canisius Wilhelmina Ziekenhuis (CWZ).

Address: Weg door Jonkerbos 106, 6532 SZ Nijmegen