How to register with an English-speaking GP in the Netherlands

Short answer. In the Netherlands your general practitioner (huisarts) is your medical gatekeeper: you need to register with one to access prescriptions, specialist referrals, blood tests and most follow-up care. Registration itself is free. You need (1) Dutch health insurance or an accepted alternative such as Aon Student Insurance, (2) a BSN (citizen service number), and (3) a valid ID for a one-time in-person identity check, which can happen at your first appointment. Until your BSN and insurance are in place you can still be seen as a passing-by patient and pay per consultation. English-speaking GPs are concentrated around university cities; HeyDoc in Leiden works fully in English, has no waiting list, and you can book an appointment as soon as your registration is in.

How to register with a GP: the steps in short

1. Find a practice that takes new patients in your area; in Leiden and Leiderdorp you can register with HeyDoc online in about five minutes.
2. Fill in your personal details, address and insurance details. No BSN yet? Register anyway; we add it later.
3. Book your first appointment straight away; your patient portal is active as soon as the registration is processed.
4. Bring your passport, ID card or residence permit to that first visit for the one-time identity check required by Dutch law.
5. Bring a list or the boxes of the medication you currently use, so your new GP can continue your care without a gap.

The Dutch GP model in one paragraph

Unlike many countries, you do not simply walk into a hospital for routine issues. The GP first evaluates you, treats most issues within the practice, and refers you to a specialist only when appropriate. All of this is covered by your basic health insurance (basisverzekering); the Dutch government explains the system on its standard health insurance page. The GP is also the only doctor who knows your full history, so choosing one carefully matters.

Who qualifies for GP registration?

To register at a GP in the Netherlands you generally need:

• Address in the Netherlands, within the practice's service area.
• BSN (burgerservicenummer), your tax/social security number, issued by the municipality (gemeente). You can start registration without one; until it arrives you are seen as a passing-by patient and pay per consultation.
• Valid health insurance, either Dutch basisverzekering or an approved alternative like Aon Student Insurance. With an EHIC or other international insurance you pay per consultation and claim it back.
• Valid ID, passport, ID card or residence permit for one-time identification (required by Dutch law to process your BSN in the medical record). At HeyDoc this happens at the front desk, usually during your first appointment, so it does not delay anything.

Finding an English-speaking GP

Most Dutch GPs speak some English, but that is different from offering your full medical care in English. Truly English-first GPs are more common in:

• Leiden, a university city with many expats and international students
• Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, Rotterdam, international populations
• Eindhoven, tech workers

HeyDoc in Leiden operates fully in English, including chat, video and in-person consultations. We are a contracted provider for Aon Student Insurance.

What if I do not have a BSN yet?

You can still start the registration process, and you do not have to wait for care. Go to your municipality (gemeente) first to register your address; the BSN usually arrives within a few working days. In the meantime HeyDoc sees you as a passing-by patient (you pay per consultation via a payment link, including for repeat medication), and as soon as your BSN and insurance are in place we convert your file into a full registration. Nothing has to be repeated.

Don't know your BSN by heart, or can't find the letter? That is not a problem at HeyDoc: once you are registered with the municipality, we can look it up in the official register using your postcode and date of birth. You don't have to chase paperwork before your first appointment.

From the consulting room: what internationals actually need

Our practice is very international. On an ordinary day I see patients from a dozen different health cultures, and I learn from every one of them: how people talk about pain, what they expect from a doctor, what "a check-up" means where they grew up. That is one of the things that makes this work enjoyable, and it has taught me where the Dutch system really trips people up.

The number one request is continuity. Nearly every international patient arrives with care that is already running: medication for blood pressure, thyroid, ADHD, contraception, asthma, a mental-health treatment, a chronic condition that is well controlled. Their biggest worry, rightly, is that it will stop at the border. It should not. Bring the boxes or a list of what you take, with doses, and we pick it up. Some drugs have a different brand name or dose in the Netherlands, a few are not registered here and need an equivalent; that is our job to sort out, not yours. Dutch patients almost never ask this question, because their care has never been interrupted. For internationals it is the first thing we settle.

The second surprise is the referral system. You cannot book a dermatologist or a gynaecologist yourself; the GP is the gateway, and a referral is only sent when there is a medical reason. That feels like a barrier at first. In practice it means one person knows your whole story, and at HeyDoc a referral through ZorgDomein usually goes out within one working day when it is needed.

Then there is the "paracetamol doctor". Many of my international patients arrive with that nickname for Dutch GPs already in their head, and horror stories to go with it. There is a kernel of truth in it: Dutch GPs prescribe fewer antibiotics and order fewer tests than doctors in many other countries, and that is deliberate and mostly good medicine. But honestly, it is not as bad as the stories. My job is not to apply a national reflex to you; it is to look at your personal situation and give you advice. If you have a good reason to want a test or a treatment, say so, and we talk about it. Consultations at HeyDoc take at least 15 minutes and often 30 minutes or more, and if an ultrasound helps I usually do it on the spot.

Trust takes a little time, and that is normal. You are handing your health to a doctor in a system you do not know yet. I would rather you ask one question too many in the first months than quietly assume the Dutch way must be worse. Most people settle in after two or three contacts, once they have seen that a message in the chat gets a real answer from their own doctor the same day.

A small irony: Dutch patients who fall ill abroad regularly message me because a doctor there wants to prescribe antibiotics and they are unsure whether to take them. My answer is always the same: listen to the doctors there, they know what they are doing. We did not invent the truth in the Netherlands.

One more thing I tell internationals who already have a Dutch GP they get on with: if you like your doctor, keep your doctor. A new practice with a nice website is no reason to give up a doctor who knows you. Switch when you have moved, when no practice will take you, or when the trust is gone.

Amir Mirrezai, GP at HeyDoc in Leiden

Is my insurance enough?

If you have:

• Dutch zorgverzekering, yes, GP consultations are covered.
• Aon Student Insurance, yes, if the GP is contracted. HeyDoc is contracted and billing is automated: we claim directly from Aon, so you never pay upfront or file claims yourself. Aon is the only international insurer we bill directly.
• EHIC card from an EU country, you can be seen, not just for emergencies: you pay the consultation up front via a payment link and claim it back from your insurer at home. Send us a copy of your EHIC.
• Private international insurance (Cigna, Allianz Care, Aetna and others), you can still be registered; you pay per consultation via a payment link and claim it back with our invoice.

Students arriving from abroad can check which insurance applies to their situation on Study in NL: healthcare insurance.

What will it cost?

GP care in the Netherlands is free at the point of use: consultations, video calls, chat, ultrasound and ECG at HeyDoc are covered and do not count towards your deductible. The Dutch "own risk" (eigen risico, EUR 385 per calendar year in 2026) applies to what happens around GP care: laboratory analysis of blood tests we order, prescription medication, and specialist or hospital care after a referral.

Without Dutch insurance you pay the national NZa passing-by tariff: EUR 33.80 for a consultation of 5 to 20 minutes, EUR 67.60 for a longer one, plus EUR 3.44 if you are not covered by the Dutch Health Insurance Act. An ECG is EUR 64.39 and an abdominal ultrasound EUR 85.85.

Common misconceptions

"I can just walk into a hospital." No, that only works for emergencies (spoedeisende hulp). For routine care, the GP first.

"I need to pay upfront." Usually not, HeyDoc and most GP practices bill your insurance directly.

"I need a referral letter from my country." Not for GP care. Bring a list of current medications and previous relevant conditions; that helps your new GP pick up continuity.

"I can stay registered with my GP back home." For the Netherlands' system you need a Dutch GP, staying registered elsewhere doesn't give you access to prescriptions, referrals, or lab work here.

"Registration takes weeks." Not at HeyDoc. Once your registration is in you can book an appointment; the identity check happens when you come in.

What to do in an emergency

• Life-threatening: call 112 immediately.
• Urgent but not life-threatening during office hours: call your GP (HeyDoc: 071 781 0036).
• Urgent outside office hours: call Huisartsenpost Limes (the regional out-of-hours GP service) at 088 427 47 00.

Frequently asked questions about registering with a GP

Can I register with a GP without a BSN? At HeyDoc, yes. You can be helped right away as a passing-by patient, including for repeat medication; we complete the registration once your BSN arrives and your file carries over. Other practices may handle this differently, so ask.

Can I continue the medication I was using at home? In almost all cases, yes, after a short check. Bring the boxes or a list with doses to your first appointment or send a photo in the chat. Some medicines have a different name or dose in the Netherlands and a few are not registered here; we then look for the closest equivalent. Our aim is that your treatment does not stop at the border.

How long does registration take before I can book an appointment? At HeyDoc you can book as soon as your registration has been processed, usually the same working day. The identity check with your ID happens at the front desk, normally at that first appointment.

How long is a GP consultation in the Netherlands? The national norm is around 10 minutes. At HeyDoc a consultation takes at least 15 minutes and often 30 minutes or more; I would rather schedule generously than cut you off halfway.

Can I get an ultrasound during the consultation? At HeyDoc, often yes. If an ultrasound helps, I usually do it on the spot rather than booking a separate appointment. We do abdominal, kidney, shoulder, DVT (leg vein) and small-parts ultrasound, not pregnancy ultrasound, and only for our own registered patients.

How far from my GP can I live? In an emergency your GP needs to be able to reach you within about 15 minutes by car. If you live further away, that practice is not the right one for you, however much they would like to help.

What does a GP visit cost without Dutch insurance? At HeyDoc a consultation of 5 to 20 minutes costs EUR 33.80 and a longer consultation EUR 67.60 (NZa passing-by tariff 2026, plus EUR 3.44 if you are not covered by the Dutch Health Insurance Act); an ECG is EUR 64.39 and an abdominal ultrasound EUR 85.85. If you have Aon student insurance we bill Aon directly.

Living in or near Leiden?

If you are settling in the Leiden area, start with our guide to finding an English-speaking doctor in Leiden. To register straight away as a new patient with no waiting list, see English-speaking GP in Leiden.