How to get health insurance for UK Tax Payer

1POSTS

7 years ago

Hi,

I moved to Leiden last month to join my Dutch partner before all the Brexit chaos begins. I registered with the municipality, got my BSN, and a bank account. Then I tried to get health insurance and ran in to some issues.

I am employed in the UK and am lucky enough to be able to work remotely which is what I am currently doing. I still pay my tax and national insurance in the UK but am resident in NL.

When I tried to get insurance in NL I was told by the company (Zilveren Kruis) that it was not possible because I am a UK tax payer and I am insured over there. When I contacted the NHS, I was informed that I need to get health insurance in NL and that I would not be covered by the NHS in NL. I have since submitted an insurance assessment form to the SVB to see if they can let me know how to proceed. I've been told that the process could take 8+ weeks.

In the meantime, the NHS have pointed me to their guidance which states that I must let them know within 3 months of leaving the UK that I have moved abroad, and that I will then be deregistered. I am concerned that I will soon not have access to healthcare, either in NL or the UK.

Does anyone have experience with a similar situation? Or know of companies that offer affordable healthcare in NL for people in my situation?

The NHS and UK tax authority (HMRC) told me over the phone that I haven't done anything wrong, I just seem to fall into a grey area regarding healthcare coverage because my job hasn't posted me overseas, it was my choice to relocate. Until recently the NHS provided S1 certificates of insurance for people in my situation but this has now been stopped (they would not give me an explanation for the change). They told me to ask the SVB to get form SO40 from HMRC to prove my eligibility for Dutch health insurance. I have no idea what this form is and have not been able to get any information from anyone (online or otherwise) about it. Even the person at the NHS who told me about it didn't know what it was, but I included the information on my SVB insurance assessment form. I'm currently feeling concerned and confused.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

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Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

8115POSTS

7 years ago

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

As you are finding out, you can't do what you have done.聽 Where you pay taxes is determined by where you are resident; if you live in Holland, then you have to pay taxes in Holland.聽 I did exactly the same as you and got hammered by the Dutch taxman; luckily, there is a double-taxation agreement between UK/NL, but they still got me for social taxes, which is currently (approx) 27% of your salary; back in those days, I could still get the S1 form which covered me for Health Insurance with a Dutch Insurance company.聽 Dutch law requires all residents to have Dutch Health Insurance, there is no way around it and no exceptions for non-Dutch citizens.

With regards to Health Insurance, the UK issues 2 different documents, the EHIC (provides emergency health cover for UK residents when visiting abroad); it's not permitted to be used by non-UK residents.聽 The S1 document is now only issued to UK residents in receipt of a UK Government state pension; to answer your question, they stopped issuing S1's to anybody except pensioners because it costs the UK tax-payer circa 拢4,700 p/year, p/person, then add on extra for a family; the S1 basically funded the expats Health Insurance.聽 There is a Dutch Govrnment website that explains Health Insurance and has links at the bottom, plus a Q&A section; this will take you there.

If your job is with a UK company and you have a UK contract, in order to stay in Holland, you may well have to quit your job in the UK and either work for them as a ; then you have to register yourself as a company in Holland and pay your taxes that way.聽 If your UK employer has a Dutch connection, you could ask that they transfer your contract there; alternatively, there are Dutch agencies who will act as your employer if requested by your employer, but this is very expensive; I just tried to Google the information, but people moaning about Brexit has obliterated any useful searches.

Hope this helps.

Cynic
Expat Team