Netherlands
Netherlands DAFT (Dutch-American Friendship Treaty) Self-Employment Residence Permit: health insurance requirements
No insurance mandate for this visa
The Netherlands has no formal digital nomad visa. US citizens have a standout route in the Dutch-American Friendship Treaty (DAFT): register a Dutch business you own at least 25% of, keep at least 4,500 EUR invested in it, and you can get a two-year self-employment residence permit, extendable for five more years. It is open only to Americans and only for self-employment, not salaried work.
The requirements at a glance
| Repatriation required | Not required |
|---|---|
| Minimum policy duration | Full duration of residence (Dutch basisverzekering, separate from the visa) |
| Local-licensed insurer required | No: compliant international IPMI is accepted |
| Accepted proof | No insurance proof is required for the DAFT application itself. Separately, after the permit takes effect, you must register for Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) with a Dutch insurer within four months; a foreign or travel policy does not satisfy this. |
US citizenship; register a business at the Dutch Chamber of Commerce and own at least 25% of it; maintain at least 4,500 EUR of equity in the company throughout the permit; remain genuinely self-employed (no salaried job with a Dutch employer). At renewal the IND expects demonstrated self-employment income, commonly cited at around 1,700 to 1,800 EUR per month; verify current figures with the IND.
Our take
The DAFT permit never asks to see an insurance policy, which is exactly why people get caught out. The legal obligation to hold Dutch basic health insurance comes from residency law, not the visa, and it kicks in within four months of the permit taking effect. Treat the monthly premium, around 159 EUR in 2026, as a fixed cost from day one.
A US or international plan will not satisfy the Dutch requirement once you are a registered resident, so do not plan to keep running an American policy in its place. Use travel cover only for the gap between landing and getting your Dutch basisverzekering active, and make sure that Dutch policy is backdated to the day the permit started to avoid a coverage hole.
What happens if you get it wrong
Assuming that because DAFT does not check insurance, you can skip Dutch cover or keep a foreign policy. Missing the four-month deadline triggers fines and backdated premiums, with no retroactive cover for the gap.
Letting your business equity dip below 4,500 EUR. The capital must stay invested for the whole permit, and a shortfall at renewal can sink the extension.
Interactive
Verified pricesWhat would it cost in the Netherlands without insurance?
You pay, out of pocket
$5,000–$35,000
A multi-day admission or surgery; indicative.
Bars to scale. A flight home is in another league.
That is the bill you carry alone. Insurance exists for exactly this.
See what cover costsTypical private-care estimates for illustration, not a quote. Actual bills vary by hospital, city and severity.
FAQ
No. The Netherlands has no formal digital nomad visa. DAFT is a self-employment residence permit for US citizens running their own Dutch-registered business.
No, the application does not ask for proof of insurance. The obligation to hold Dutch basic health insurance arises separately once you are a resident and must be met within four months of the permit taking effect.
No. Once you hold the permit and register locally, you are legally required to take out a Dutch basic policy; a foreign or travel plan does not count.
At least 4,500 EUR invested in your Dutch business, and it must stay invested for the duration of the permit, including the five-year extension.
No. DAFT is reserved for US citizens. Others rely on the 90-day Schengen tourist allowance or other Dutch residence routes.
Reviewed by Lukas Schönberg, Founder & researcher, Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ
Nomad Insurance Broker OÜ (Estonia) is an information and matching platform, not currently registered as a regulated insurance intermediary in any jurisdiction. See /how-it-works for the full disclosure.
Source: iamsterdam.comLast verified
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