Your child's health in the Netherlands

🩺 The basics

• Children under 18 are insured for free: they're covered under a parent's health insurance (zorgverzekering) with no premium and no own-risk. Register a newborn with an insurer within 4 months.
• The huisarts (GP) is your first stop for anything medical and the gateway to specialists — you need one before you can see most other doctors.
• To register, pick a practice near home (most only take you if you live within ~15 minutes) and sign up with your BSN, Dutch insurance and ID. Some have waiting lists, so do it as soon as you have an address — several Amsterdam practices are English- and expat-friendly.
• The consultatiebureau (JGZ) gives free check-ups, growth and development monitoring and vaccinations for children 0–4. Once you're registered in the city, they invite you automatically.
• Dentist (tandarts): free basic dental care for under-18s — check-ups, fillings, fluoride. Braces are not covered, so arrange supplementary insurance well in advance (ideally ~2 years ahead).
• Worried about your child's wellbeing? Youth mental-health support (Jeugd-GGZ) is free.

🌿 Complementary care & extra insurance (a Dutch perk)

One thing expat parents love here: with an aanvullende (supplementary) policy, many therapies that are rarely reimbursed elsewhere in Europe are partly covered for your child.

• These extras aren't in the basic package — you add a separate aanvullende policy on top of your child's free basic cover. The upside: supplementary reimbursements have no own-risk (eigen risico). When choosing a policy, check it also covers children under 18.
• Osteopath (osteopaat): popular for babies and young children, and reimbursed by almost every supplementary policy — often around €200–€1,000 per year (varies by policy). The osteopath must be registered with the NRO or NOF.
• Acupuncture & Chinese medicine: covered by many supplementary policies. The practitioner must belong to a recognised association such as the NVA or Zhong.
• Anthroposophic medicine: fully-qualified doctors who add a holistic layer (body, soul and spirit, and strengthening the body's own healing) on top of regular medicine. There are around 135 anthroposophic GPs and specialists in the Netherlands — you can find one for your child via the NVAA. Consults and anthroposophic medicines are reimbursed when the doctor or therapist is affiliated with the NVAA and the medicine is officially registered.
• Homeopathy: also reimbursable through supplementary insurance, as long as the practitioner is a member of a recognised professional association.
• Golden rule: reimbursement only works if the practitioner has the right "stamp" — membership of a recognised professional association (usually with an AGB-code / RBCZ registration). Always check this and your policy's yearly maximum before you book.