If you have just arrived in the Netherlands and started looking at health insurance, you have probably encountered the word “eigen risico” and wondered what it means. It translates roughly as “own risk”, and it is the Dutch equivalent of what many countries call a deductible or excess.
Understanding how it works matters practically: it affects how much you will pay when you use healthcare, which plan you should choose, and whether opting for a higher deductible makes financial sense for your situation. This guide explains everything clearly, in English.
Key Takeaways
- Eigen risico is the Dutch term for the mandatory annual deductible on health insurance
- The standard deductible means you pay a set amount before insurance covers most non-GP care
- GP visits, maternity care, and a few other services are exempt from the deductible
- You can choose a higher voluntary deductible in exchange for a lower monthly premium
- You do not pay the deductible upfront: your insurer bills you after you have received care
- Children under 18 have no eigen risico
- The deductible applies per calendar year and resets on 1 January each year
Important: if you are insured through Glider Insurance, the mandatory €385 deductible is fully covered by your plan. You will not be billed for it!
What does Eigen Risico mean?
Eigen risico is the amount you pay yourself for healthcare costs each year before your insurance starts covering the remainder. Think of it as the first portion of most healthcare bills that comes out of your own pocket.
The logic behind it is partly to discourage unnecessary healthcare use and partly to keep monthly premiums lower than they would be if everything were covered from the first euro. It is a standard feature of Dutch health insurance: every adult resident has one, and it applies to the same basic range of care regardless of which insurer you are with.
How much is the Eigen Risico in 2026?
The mandatory eigen risico is set by the Dutch government each year and applies to all basic health insurance plans regardless of provider. You cannot choose a plan with a lower mandatory deductible: the floor is fixed. For 2026, the mandatory eigen risico is €385.
The deductible has been relatively stable in recent years, though it has increased over time. Changes are announced annually as part of the government budget process, so it is worth checking the current amount each January when your policy renews.
Glider Insurance plans include the No Risk I supplement, which covers this amount entirely, meaning Glider customers effectively have a zero deductible.
When do you have to pay the Eigen Risico?
You pay the deductible when you use healthcare services that fall within its scope. The key exemptions – care that does NOT count toward your deductible – include GP visits, maternity care, certain types of home care, and some chronic disease management.
For everything else: hospital visits, specialist consultations, prescription medications (above a certain threshold), physiotherapy beyond the basic package, mental health care: your costs count toward the deductible first. Once you have spent the annual amount on these services in a calendar year, your insurer covers the remainder for the rest of that year.
You do not pay upfront at the time of treatment in most cases. The care provider bills your insurer, who passes your share back to you.
-> Have questions about how the deductible works with your plan? Visit our FAQ section for more details.
Does the Eigen Risico apply to all healthcare?
No, and this is one of the most important things to understand. The eigen risico applies to care covered by your basic health insurance (basisverzekering) and falling within its scope. It does not apply to care covered by supplementary add-ons (which have their own rules), and it does not apply to GP visits.
If your GP treats you directly – for a common illness, a prescription renewal, a minor procedure – that visit is free at the point of use and does not touch your deductible at all. The deductible kicks in when you are referred to a hospital, specialist, or when you pick up more expensive medications.
Can a higher voluntary deductible lower your premium?
Yes: this is called a vrijwillig eigen risico (voluntary eigen risico). You can choose to take on additional deductible in increments, up to a specified maximum on top of the mandatory amount.
In exchange, your monthly premium decreases. The reduction varies by insurer.
Whether this makes sense for you depends on how much healthcare you realistically expect to use. If you are generally healthy and rarely see specialists or collect medications, a higher voluntary deductible can save you money over the year. If you have a chronic condition or expect to use regular specialist care, staying at the minimum deductible is likely better value.
If you are insured with Glider Insurance, you do not need to worry about the mandatory €385 deductible at all: it is already covered as part of your plan.
Managing your Eigen Risico
The eigen risico is one of those Dutch concepts that sounds more complicated than it is. In practice, it is simply the first portion of most healthcare costs that you pay yourself each year, with your insurance covering the rest.
Understanding which care is exempt, when you actually get billed, and whether a higher voluntary deductible makes sense for your situation means you can approach your Dutch health insurance with confidence rather than confusion.
