Navigating Dutch Health Insurance for Mental Health

The Netherlands is consistently ranked among the best places to live in the world. Part of that quality of life comes from having a holistic view of health. But for some, trying to navigate their mental health care can be overwhelming. That’s because the mental healthcare services offered by GGZ clinic (Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg) do fall under basic health insurance, but under a special set of policies.

As we approach the end of 2025, you have a golden window to switch health insurance and mental healthcare providers. Choosing the wrong one can have dire consequences, such as longer wa

it times or a nasty bill. Here’s an in-depth look at how to match your health insurance with your mental health care needs.

The Mental Health Arena: Many Brands, But Only Four Providers

Health insurance in the Netherlands is a requirement. Although there are around 60 health insurance companies, only four major umbrella corporations finance the Dutch health insurance market and offer health insurance in the Netherlands. We bet you didn’t know that.

• CZ (which holds CZ, OHRA, Nationale en Skandia, National-Nederlanden, etc)
• Achmea (which holds Zilveren Kruis, De Friesland, FBTO, Interpolis, etc.)
• VGZ (which holds VGZ, IZA, UMC, Univé, etc)
• Menzis (which holds Menzis, Anderzorg, HEMA, and other labels

There are around 5,000 mental healthcare providers in the Netherlands. But choosing one that’s right for your mental health care needs requires a lot of research.

• Does your chosen GGZ clinic have a contract with your health insurance company?
• If not, what rates does the GGZ clinic charge?
• Do they use the ZPM cost model?
• What type of basic health insurance do you have? What % of non-contracted care is covered?
• How much of the fee is covered under your specific policy?
• What is the clinic’s waiting list based on your particular policy type?

Budget Policies vs. Restitutie Policies

Most Insurers provide three principal policy types. Knowing the difference can save you thousands in premiums. These policies are distinguished by the freedom they allow in choosing a care provider and the subsequent reimbursement rate for non-contracted services.

Budget/Natura Policies

These are the least expensive, but limit your selection. You’re good to go if your preferred clinic has an agreement with your insurer. However, if not, you will be reimbursed only for 60-75% of the total charges, and you have to cover the remainder.

Restitutie Policies

Higher premiums for health insurance in the Netherlands are the cost of freedom. They typically reimburse much more (in some cases up to 100% of the market rate) even when a clinic is not contracted.

But beware.

Insurers, even with a contract, still negotiate “budget ceilings” with clinics. If a clinic reaches its budget cap for a given insurer (which is common with budget policies), it may stop accepting patients with that insurer for the rest of the year.

If you decide to use a GGZ clinic that charges more than the standard hourly contracted rate, then you pay the difference. What is the average contracted rate? Something that a lot of expats get stuck with is that if you’re using a healthcare clinic that doesn’t have a contract with your health insurer, the insurer pays a percentage of the average contracted rate. What is the average contracted rate? It’s almost always less than the clinic charges.

If you choose a budget insurance policy for health insurance in the Netherlands, your health insurance budget with that clinic may be exhausted, so you may need to wait until January for a new budget to be released. Your preferred clinic may have a waiting list of 8 to 60 weeks, depending on your health insurance company and the level of coverage you have. So it’s also essential to check that before asking for a referral.

Case Studies: The Figures

ADHD-Centraal

A popular choice in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, they have some insurance contracts, but not all of them. If you belong to one of the non-contracted insurance companies, then you can certainly expect to drain your purse to the tune of well over €1,500 on the diagnostic services. The waiting times go berserk, too, ranging from 8 weeks to over a year, depending solely on whether an insurance card is in your wallet. Treatment is typically reimbursed in full within the basic package, minus your deductible, when your insurer has a contract, and you meet the referral and intake criteria.

Waiting times vary widely by insurer; some insurers currently have waiting times of 60–65 weeks, while others have waiting times as low as 8 weeks, according to the clinic’s waiting‑time overview. However, if your health insurance company is AZVZ or Care4Life, there is an 8-week waiting list.

Kühler & Partners

Kühler & Partners International Mental Health Clinic focuses on providing mental health support to expats in the Netherlands. They clearly state on their website that they do not hold contracts with medical insurers; charges are based on the Zorgprestatiemodel (ZPM). They will charge the Dutch healthcare authority rates. However, if the rates exceed the maximum charges accepted by your particular insurance company, you will be required to pay the difference.

Your Action Plan for 2026

Here are the three steps to accessing mental health clinics.

Step 1: Do It In Reverse

Know which mental health care clinic or mental healthcare providers you prefer BEFORE you visit your GP
Research whether that clinic has a contract with your health insurer and whether your insurer lists it as a contracted provider.

Go to their website, give them a call, or use comparison tools like Independer.nl or the insurer’s own Zorgzoeker (care finder) facility; in most cases, you can include the clinic name to ascertain their health care providers’ network.

If you know the clinic you want to use in 2026, and the clinic doesn’t have a contract with your current health insurance company, then find a health insurance company that does have a contract and switch before December 31st, 2025.

Step 2: Get a GP Referral

You need a referral from your GP; otherwise, your health insurance won’t pay for the costs, and the clinic will not accept you. Your GP might recommend a different clinic from the one you found in your research. If so, check that the clinic has a contract.

Tip: Double-verifying that the healthcare clinic has a contract with the health insurance and that the health insurance has a contract with the healthcare clinic helps avoid problems getting the bill paid. This is a common problem lots of people face.

Step 3: Work Out The Math For Non‑Contracted Care

If your heart is set on using a specific healthcare clinic that doesn’t have a contract with your health insurance, ask about their rates. Are they charging standard rates? Check the exact rate before any session.

The Bottom Line

Don’t let the complexity scare you; your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Many mental healthcare providers and psychologists in the Netherlands are offering mental health information and treatment in English.