Call 112 if life may be in danger
If you think someone’s life may be in danger, call 112. If you live in COA asylum reception, use the GZA medical helpline described below. For other urgent problems outside COA reception, call your huisarts during opening hours. When it is closed and care cannot wait, contact the regional huisartsenspoedpost (out-of-hours GP post, also called huisartsenpost or HAP). Unless life may be in danger, contact the GP or HAP before going to the hospital emergency department. Pregnancy, dental and mental-health problems can have another first contact.
Urgent care contacts
If you live in COA asylum reception, call the GZA Praktijklijn on 088 112 2 112 and press 1 for medical problems that cannot wait. This urgent route is available day and night. Call 112 immediately if life is in danger.
Outside COA asylum reception, the contacts in the table apply to residents and visitors. Use 112 if you think life may be in danger. For other urgent problems, choose the contact below.
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| Situation | Contact now | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| You think a life may be in danger | 112 | Call now, day or night |
| You need a doctor urgently while your GP is open | Your own huisarts | Use the practice’s urgent phone option |
| Care cannot wait and your GP is closed | Regional huisartsenspoedpost | Contact it first; phone, form or chat options vary by region |
| Possible poisoning | GP or HAP | Call 112 if life may be in danger |
Pregnancy, dental and mental-health concerns have these first contacts. The 112 route still applies if life may be in danger.
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| Situation | Contact now | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| An urgent pregnancy concern | Your own verloskundige (midwife) or hospital pregnancy-care team | Use their instructions for urgent calls, including at night |
| A dental emergency | Your tandarts (dentist) or the tandarts on duty | Follow the practice website or recorded phone message |
| A mental-health crisis | Current treatment team, or GP or HAP | Call 112 for immediate danger; 113 Zelfmoordpreventie (suicide prevention service) (External site, opens in a new tab) also helps with suicidal thoughts |
GP practices normally open on working days from 08:00 to 17:00, as explained in the Thuisarts.nl (patient information from Dutch doctors) emergency guidance (External site, opens in a new tab). Check your practice’s opening hours and urgent number. When it is closed, including on public holidays, contact the regional post if care cannot wait. Your practice’s website or recorded phone message gives the post’s contact details.
If you have no regular GP, ask a nearby practice for a one-off consultation during opening hours. Outside those hours, call the post for the area where you are staying. Explain that you have no GP. Arrange a regular GP later with the Finding and using a huisarts guide.
Calling 112
Call 112 as soon as you think your life or someone else’s life may be in danger. Follow these steps, based on the Rijksoverheid (Dutch government) instructions for a 112 call (External site, opens in a new tab):
- Call 112.
- Answer the operator’s questions about what happened, where help is needed and which service seems necessary: ambulance, fire brigade or police.
- Follow the operator’s instructions until told to hang up.
A 112 call is free. You can call from a mobile without credit or a valid SIM (mobile-network card). Without a SIM, the control room cannot call you back. If the connection drops, call 112 again.
The 112NL app (Dutch emergency-call app) (External site, opens in a new tab) sends the details you entered during setup. It sends your location only if you gave permission. The control room starts a translated chat if staff notice that speaking is difficult, or if you indicated this during setup. You cannot start that chat yourself.
The app’s data and chat features need a working phone, internet and a SIM. A normal 112 voice call can still work without credit or a valid SIM. Install and set up the app before an emergency if these features would help you.
If you cannot hear or speak, you can also prepare Tolkcontact (communication relay service) or emergency SMS (text messages) (External site, opens in a new tab). Text relay is available day and night. Sign-language relay has set hours. Emergency SMS works only after you register in advance.
Out-of-hours GP care
Contact the regional post before travelling there. Posts may require an appointment; phone, online form and chat options differ. A triagist (assistant trained to assess urgency) asks questions and discusses the care you need.
The assistant may give self-care advice, arrange medicine or ask a GP to call back. You may get a consultation, a GP home visit or an ambulance. The post assesses urgency. For example, Huisartsenposten Rijnmond (Rijnmond out-of-hours GP service) (External site, opens in a new tab) treats patients in order of medical urgency, rather than arrival time.
Have the following information ready if available. Call first if gathering it would delay urgent help:
- The patient’s name, date of birth, location and callback number.
- The burgerservicenummer (BSN, citizen service number), ID (identity document) and insurance details.
- Medicines, allergies, pregnancy, serious conditions and recent treatment.
- Details of what changed, when it started and why it cannot wait.
After the call, keep your phone free and charged so the post can reach you.
Referrals and costs
For urgent care that is not life-threatening, contact the GP or HAP before going to the spoedeisende hulp (SEH, hospital emergency department). A doctor can refer you when hospital care is needed. Call 112 if you think life may be in danger. Rijksoverheid explains GP and SEH costs (External site, opens in a new tab).
With Dutch basic insurance, GP and HAP care has no compulsory eigen risico (deductible). Hospital care, ambulance transport and some separate services can use your deductible. The table shows the difference for adults aged 18 or over.
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| Care | What you may pay with Dutch basic insurance |
|---|---|
| GP or HAP advice, consultation or home visit | No compulsory deductible |
| Blood test, scan or other separate diagnostic service | May count toward the deductible; prenatal screening is exempt |
| Prescription medicine and duty-pharmacy service | Usually counts toward the deductible; a co-payment or non-covered amount can also apply |
| Ambulance transport | Counts toward the deductible |
| Referred, medically necessary SEH care | Counts toward the deductible |
| SEH attendance without medical necessity or referral | You pay the full cost yourself |
Children, pregnancy care and dental care have these coverage rules. A deductible exemption does not mean every type of care is covered.
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| Care | Coverage or deductible exception |
|---|---|
| Basic-package care for a child under 18 | No compulsory deductible |
| Midwifery and maternity care | No compulsory deductible; some related tests, medicine or transport may count. Prenatal screening is exempt |
| Most adult dental care | Usually outside the basic package |
The compulsory deductible is €385 in 2026 for insured people aged 18 or over. For example, suppose you have €200 of deductible left. If you receive €300 of covered hospital care, you pay €200 from that deductible. The insurer covers the remaining €100. This example assumes full cover under your policy and no other patient contribution.
Check your policy’s coverage and provider contracts. You may need to pay first in some circumstances. Visitors and uninsured patients have different billing rules. The Eigen risico deductible guide explains the annual amount, exemptions and payment arrangements.
Urgent care for children and during pregnancy
A child who suddenly becomes ill
For a baby younger than 3 months with a fever, call the GP or HAP directly. See Thuisarts guidance on fever in children (External site, opens in a new tab).
Contact the GP or HAP promptly if your child is getting worse. Call directly if your child is getting worse quickly or you are very worried, even without fever, as Thuisarts guidance on sick children (External site, opens in a new tab) advises. A general symptom list cannot rule out danger. Use 112 if you think life may be in danger.
Children under 18 have no compulsory deductible for basic-package care. Much dental care is covered, but there are exceptions. The dental section below explains these.
Urgent concerns during pregnancy
For urgent pregnancy concerns, use the number from your own verloskundige, gynaecoloog (gynaecologist) or hospital pregnancy-care team. Follow their instructions, including for night-time calls. Regional instructions or your medical situation can change the advice.
Thuisarts advises calling directly for pregnancy concerns (External site, opens in a new tab), including any of these:
- Bleeding or waters breaking.
- Signs of labour before 37 weeks.
- Your baby moving less than usual after 25 weeks.
- Feeling seriously unwell or being worried about your health or your baby.
Call 112 if you think there is an immediate danger to life.
Basic-package midwifery and pregnancy- or birth-related care has no compulsory deductible. Prenatal screening is also exempt. Medicines, transport and other blood tests may still count. A hospital birth without a medical indication can have an eigen bijdrage (co-payment). Ask the provider and insurer about your costs after urgent care is arranged.
Dental, poisoning and mental-health emergencies
Dental emergencies
For a dental emergency during the day, call your tandarts. Outside opening hours, use the tandarts on duty named on the practice website or recorded phone message. If you have no tandarts, call a nearby practice and follow its emergency instructions.
Urgent dental problems (External site, opens in a new tab) include a knocked-out tooth, serious injury or severe pain. Also call for bleeding that will not stop, a swollen cheek or throbbing. Ask how to pay when booking. Bring ID, insurance information, a medicine list and a payment method.
Most adult dental care is outside basic insurance. You pay yourself unless other cover applies. Most dental care for children under 18 is covered without a deductible. Most orthodontics is excluded, but special dental-care exceptions can apply.
Possible poisoning
For possible poisoning, call the GP or HAP. Call 112 if life may be in danger. The Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum (NVIC, National Poisons Information Centre) (External site, opens in a new tab) gives acute poisoning advice to clinicians. The acute advice line is for healthcare professionals. Members of the public should contact their GP or HAP.
Keep the package or product name to show the clinician. Do not make the person vomit unless a medical professional tells you to. Ask the clinician or 112 operator what to do before giving anything to swallow, including food, drink or medicines.
Mental-health crises or suicidal thoughts
For a mental-health crisis, call your existing psycholoog (psychologist), psychiater (psychiatrist) or treatment team. Outside opening hours, use their emergency number if they have one. Otherwise, call the GP during opening hours or the HAP outside them. Call 112 for immediate danger to the person or someone else.
For suicidal thoughts, 113 Zelfmoordpreventie offers anonymous phone and chat support day and night. You can call 113 from within the Netherlands and use chat from abroad. Use 112 for immediate danger. The Mental-health care guide explains ongoing care.
Urgent medicine outside pharmacy hours
For urgent medicine when your pharmacy is closed, check its website or recorded phone message for the dienstapotheek (out-of-hours pharmacy). Check the collection location, hours and arrangements before travelling. Some services are not open for direct walk-in all night. A local pharmacy may close overnight while another covers the region. For example, the Terneuzen duty pharmacy closes at night and the Middelburg night pharmacy takes over. The Middelburg night pharmacy requires a prescription.
Medicine and pharmacy-service costs (External site, opens in a new tab) often go to the insurer but usually count toward the deductible. You may pay extra for a co-payment or medicine outside your cover. Extra costs can also apply if your insurer covers only its chosen medicine brand or the pharmacy has no contract with your insurer. If another brand is medically necessary, the doctor and pharmacist can establish this for reimbursement.
If you lack insurance, you may need to pay yourself. Ask the pharmacy about any extra costs and whether you need to pay at collection when the situation allows.
Urgent care without documents or Dutch insurance
Immediate medical help comes before identification (External site, opens in a new tab). If treatment cannot wait, you can receive help before showing ID. You must identify yourself within 14 days afterward. No BSN does not by itself stop urgent assessment (External site, opens in a new tab). Tell the service you have no BSN and give any passport, policy number or contact details you have after care is underway.
If you need Dutch basic insurance
If you should have Dutch insurance but are uninsured, you pay your medical costs yourself. Access to necessary care and who pays are separate questions.
If you cannot pay, tell the provider. The provider can check whether a CAK (Central Administration Office) (External site, opens in a new tab) scheme applies, including the Subsidieregeling medisch noodzakelijke zorg aan onverzekerden (subsidy scheme for medically necessary care to uninsured people) (External site, opens in a new tab). The scheme is for medically necessary care in the basic package. The provider checks the conditions and whether you can pay part of the bill.
If you now need Dutch basic insurance, take it out as soon as possible and within four months of the date you became required to insure. Within those four months, cover and premiums start from that date. After those four months, your insurance does not cover earlier medical costs. This deadline is separate from a later CAK warning. Use the Health insurance guide for newcomers to check your duty and arrange cover.
If you cannot get Dutch basic insurance
Some migrants who cannot take out Dutch insurance can receive medically necessary care. If they cannot pay, the provider may request a contribution from CAK.
If you are in an asylum reception centre
Asylum seekers awaiting a decision in an asylum reception centre have separate cover through Regeling Medische Zorg Asielzoekers (RMA, asylum-seeker medical-care scheme) (External site, opens in a new tab). Ask the provider which scheme applies to your situation.
If you are visiting the Netherlands
On a temporary visit, bring your insurance details. A valid EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) (External site, opens in a new tab) or UK GHIC (United Kingdom Global Health Insurance Card) (External site, opens in a new tab) covers medically necessary state-provided care under the card rules. It does not cover private care or medical transport back to your home country. You may still need to pay upfront. If CAK issued your EHIC, check its separate rules for care in the Netherlands.
If you have lost your card, ask your home insurer for a temporary replacement certificate. Without valid insurance evidence, the provider may ask you to pay. Keep receipts and ask your home or travel insurer whether you can claim the costs. Use the same medical route: 112 if life may be in danger, otherwise a GP or HAP first.
Problems with records, language or bills
Access to your medical record
An unfamiliar GP, HAP, pharmacy or SEH may need your permission to see a summary of your medicines, allergies or history. Consent for sharing medical records (External site, opens in a new tab) can make that summary available. Each provider keeps its own record, and not all use the same consent system. Your GP or pharmacy may not yet be connected to the Landelijk Schakelpunt (LSP, national network for sharing medical data) (External site, opens in a new tab). Even with your permission, it cannot share records through that network until it connects.
Ask your GP and pharmacy how to record your choice. If shared records are unavailable, care still goes ahead. Tell the clinician what you know and show a medicine list if you have one.
Language support
Say your preferred language at the start. Ask for a professional interpreter if urgent or complex information is hard to understand. Ask the provider how it arranges and funds language support; availability and payment vary.
Pharos (health-equity expertise centre) guidance on language barriers (External site, opens in a new tab) recommends professional support for complex or sensitive decisions. A child should never interpret. A trusted adult may support you. Keep speaking to the clinician yourself. Prepare 112NL before an emergency if its translated chat would help.
Bills and complaints
For a problem with care or a bill, start with the organisation responsible. The table shows the complaint route for each problem. Arrange urgent medical help first if it is still needed.
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| Problem | First step | Next route |
|---|---|---|
| A provider’s care or bill | Ask the provider to explain; if unresolved, use its free klachtenfunctionaris (complaints officer) | Provider’s recognised dispute body if unresolved |
| An insurer’s coverage or reimbursement decision | Complain to the insurer and ask for a written response | SKGZ (Health Insurance Complaints and Disputes Foundation) (External site, opens in a new tab) after the response, or after four weeks without one |
| A wider quality or safety concern | Ask the Landelijk Meldpunt Zorg (National Healthcare Report Centre) (External site, opens in a new tab) for advice | It records concerns for the inspectorate but does not resolve your personal complaint |
A provider must respond to your written complaint within six weeks. It may extend this once by four weeks. The official provider-complaint route (External site, opens in a new tab) explains how to contact the complaints officer and dispute body.
For an insurance dispute, follow the insurer-then-SKGZ complaint route. Keep the bill, referral, policy terms and written decisions.
For regular care and referrals, use Finding and using a huisarts in the Netherlands. For hospital, ambulance, medicine and test costs, use Eigen risico: what the deductible covers.
Official Sources
- Rijksoverheid: when to call 112 (External site, opens in a new tab) - when to call 112.
- Rijksoverheid: operator questions and calling without credit or a valid SIM (External site, opens in a new tab) - What to tell the operator; calling without credit or a valid SIM; redialling after a dropped call without a SIM.
- Rijksoverheid: 112NL location permission, control-room chat and translated languages (External site, opens in a new tab) - Entered personal details, control-room-initiated chat and automatic translation.
- Rijksoverheid: Tolkcontact and advance registration for emergency SMS (External site, opens in a new tab) - Tolkcontact and advance registration for emergency SMS.
- Thuisarts.nl: GP and HAP hours, contact routes and triage outcomes (External site, opens in a new tab) - GP and HAP hours, contact routes and triage outcomes.
- Rijksoverheid: contacting the HAP before the SEH and the deductible difference (External site, opens in a new tab) - contacting the HAP before the SEH and the deductible difference.
- Rijksoverheid: full self-payment risk for unnecessary or unreferred SEH care (External site, opens in a new tab) - full self-payment risk for unnecessary or unreferred SEH care.
- Rijksoverheid: the €385 deductible, age threshold and exempt care in 2026 (External site, opens in a new tab) - the €385 deductible, age threshold and exempt care in 2026.
- Zorginstituut Nederland (National Health Care Institute): ambulance transport and the compulsory deductible (External site, opens in a new tab) - ambulance transport and the compulsory deductible.
- Zorginstituut Nederland: midwifery coverage, exemptions and possible related costs (External site, opens in a new tab) - midwifery coverage, exemptions and possible related costs.
- Thuisarts.nl: urgent pregnancy concerns and direct provider contact (External site, opens in a new tab) - urgent pregnancy concerns and direct provider contact.
- De Verloskundige (midwife information from the Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives): urgent call instructions (External site, opens in a new tab) - 24-hour verloskundige call instructions and regional advice.
- Thuisarts.nl: fever in babies under 3 months and when parents should call (External site, opens in a new tab) - fever in babies under 3 months and when parents should call.
- Zorginstituut Nederland: dental coverage before and from age 18 (External site, opens in a new tab) - dental coverage before and from age 18.
- Allesoverhetgebit.nl (patient information from the Royal Dutch Dental Association): urgent dental care (External site, opens in a new tab) - duty tandarts services, urgent dental problems, payment and surcharges.
- Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum at UMC Utrecht (university medical centre): the public poisoning route through a doctor to the NVIC (External site, opens in a new tab) - the public poisoning route through a doctor to the NVIC.
- Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum at UMC Utrecht (university medical centre): why inducing vomiting after a possible poisoning can make harm worse (External site, opens in a new tab) - why inducing vomiting after a possible poisoning can make harm worse.
- Thuisarts.nl: mental-health crisis routes through the treatment team, GP, HAP or 112 (External site, opens in a new tab) - mental-health crisis routes through the treatment team, GP, HAP or 112.
- 113 Zelfmoordpreventie: anonymous 24/7 suicide-prevention phone and chat support (External site, opens in a new tab) - anonymous 24/7 suicide-prevention phone and chat support.
- Apotheek.nl (patient information from the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association): medicine and duty-pharmacy costs (External site, opens in a new tab) - 2026 medicine, pharmacy-service and duty-pharmacy costs.
- Rijksoverheid: medicine coverage, co-payments and preferred-brand rules (External site, opens in a new tab) - medicine coverage, co-payments and preferred-brand rules.
- Rijksoverheid: immediate care before identification and the 14-day follow-up rule (External site, opens in a new tab) - immediate care before identification and the 14-day follow-up rule.
- Government.nl: self-payment and enforcement when required Dutch insurance is missing (External site, opens in a new tab) - self-payment and enforcement when required Dutch insurance is missing.
- Rijksoverheid: medically necessary care and provider reimbursement schemes for uninsured migrants (External site, opens in a new tab) - Necessary care for uninsurable foreign nationals, provider CAK contributions, asylum reception cover and retroactive insurance after a permit is granted.
- Government.nl: the newcomer four-month insurance deadline and retroactive cover (External site, opens in a new tab) - the newcomer four-month insurance deadline and retroactive cover.
- CAK: EHIC rules for CAK-insured cardholders (External site, opens in a new tab) - Care during visits abroad and the separate Dutch basic-package entitlement for people insured through CAK.
- NHS (National Health Service): UK GHIC scope and exclusions (External site, opens in a new tab) - UK GHIC scope and exclusions.
- Rijksoverheid: consent and systems for sharing medical records (External site, opens in a new tab) - consent and systems for sharing medical records.
- Pharos: professional language support across language barriers (External site, opens in a new tab) - professional language support across language barriers.
- Rijksoverheid: provider complaints, the free complaints officer and response periods (External site, opens in a new tab) - provider complaints, the free complaints officer and response periods.
- SKGZ: complaining to the insurer before using SKGZ (External site, opens in a new tab) - complaining to the insurer before using SKGZ.
- Inspectie Gezondheidszorg en Jeugd (Health and Youth Care Inspectorate): reporting concerns about care (External site, opens in a new tab) - the advisory and signalling role of the National Healthcare Report Centre.
- Politie (Dutch police): 112NL location permission (External site, opens in a new tab) - Setup, entered details, location-sharing permission and translated chat.
- Landelijke Meldkamer Samenwerking (National Control Room Collaboration): 112NL questions and answers (External site, opens in a new tab) - Internet, SIM and device requirements for app data and chat; ordinary voice calls without credit.
- Rijksoverheid: free 112 calls (External site, opens in a new tab) - 112 is free in the Netherlands.
- Gemeente Heeze-Leende (Heeze-Leende municipality): calling 112 (External site, opens in a new tab) - Stay on the line until the operator says the call is finished.
- SKGZ: medical care without a regular GP (External site, opens in a new tab) - One-off consultations at a nearby practice and emergency access to the post without GP registration.
- Huisartsenposten Rijnmond: contact first and medical urgency (External site, opens in a new tab) - Local example: call before attending, appointments and priority by medical urgency.
- Huisartsenspoedpost Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen out-of-hours GP service): visitors, documents and duty pharmacies (External site, opens in a new tab) - Local examples: GP care for visitors during and outside opening hours, requested information, payment without insurance evidence and night pharmacy location.
- Apotheek.nl: finding a pharmacy outside opening hours (External site, opens in a new tab) - Ask your pharmacy or check its website for the duty pharmacy; locations and availability vary.
- European Commission: EHIC scope and exclusions (External site, opens in a new tab) - Medically necessary state care during temporary stays; excludes private care and repatriation.
- Zilveren Kruis (Dutch health insurer): temporary visitors to the Netherlands (External site, opens in a new tab) - EHIC or temporary replacement evidence for visitors, direct billing and possible upfront payment.
- Rode Kruis Nederland (Netherlands Red Cross): possible poisoning (External site, opens in a new tab) - Contact a doctor or 112 according to urgency and give the clinician information about the substance.
- Nationaal Vergiftigingen Informatie Centrum: acute advice line access (External site, opens in a new tab) - The acute advice service is for healthcare professionals; members of the public should contact their treating doctor.
- Het Oranje Kruis (Dutch first-aid organisation): possible poisoning (External site, opens in a new tab) - Contact the GP or post, identify the harmful substance and follow professional instructions.
- SBV-Z (healthcare BSN verification service): urgent care (External site, opens in a new tab) - Acute-care exception when there is no time for prior BSN and identity checks; checks follow acute care.
- SBV-Z: care administration without a BSN (External site, opens in a new tab) - Alternative identifiers for medical records and insurance billing when no BSN is available.
- Volgjezorg (medical-data-sharing information service): consent and care access (External site, opens in a new tab) - Consent is voluntary; care may not be refused because consent was withheld. Providers must be connected to the Landelijk Schakelpunt before sharing through it, even with consent.
- CAK: provider contributions for uninsurable foreign nationals (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official provider scheme and conditions for contributions toward unpaid care costs.
- RMA Healthcare: the asylum-seeker medical-care scheme (External site, opens in a new tab) - Official scheme website and information about organising and reimbursing asylum-seeker care.
- Thuisarts.nl: when to call for a sick child, with or without fever (External site, opens in a new tab) - Direct GP or HAP contact for rapid deterioration or serious parental worry, without requiring fever.
- CAK: warning letters about missing Dutch health insurance (External site, opens in a new tab) - The separate warning-letter procedure for people without required Dutch health insurance.
- CAK: subsidy for medically necessary care to uninsured people (External site, opens in a new tab) - Provider-side subsidy scheme for qualifying medically necessary basic-package care when an uninsured patient cannot pay in full.
- CAK: conditions for the uninsured-care subsidy scheme (External site, opens in a new tab) - Providers assess medical necessity, check possible patient contributions and meet the scheme's conditions before claiming costs.
- GZA: Praktijklijn (External site, opens in a new tab) - If you live in COA asylum reception, call the GZA Praktijklijn on 088 112 2 112 and press 1 for medical problems that cannot wait. This urgent route is available day and night. Call 112 immediately if life is in danger.