Insurance in The Netherlands
Once again, insurance is not a difficult thing to organize but it can be costly if you do not get it right. Some insurances are obligatory and are required by law, (just like in your home countries) and others are optional.
And you should carefully investigate and fully understand the insurance environment in the Netherlands for expatriates and make sure that you choose the right insurance and level of cover which is appropriate to your individual circumstances.
By law, you must have medical insurance in the Netherlands and this can be arranged through a private company or through your employer. If you are working in a self employed capacity, you might need a specific type of medical insurance so make sure you declare this if this is the case.
As with most countries, Life Insurance is available, but this is not required by law.
Even though you can cycle comfortably in the Netherlands, many of you many need to drive, and if so, you will need at a minimum, third party insurance for your motor car.
Whether you are a tenant or homeowner, you might want to consider belongings insurance. You should take out contents insurance which covers the contents of your house and many insurances may even cover your mobile phone, but you may need to check with your insurer to see if this is the case. As a homeowner in the Netherlands, you will need to take out buildings insurance just as you would in your own country, just in case the house suffers fire, flood damage etc...
With so many insurances to consider there can be a lot to organize and, to help you with this, we have prepared a directory of insurance providers in the Netherlands with useful descriptions of their services and you can find it here.