The Challenge

International students arriving in the Netherlands must quickly decide which health insurance they are legally required or allowed to have and register with a GP, but the rules depend on their situation (EU/non-EU, working or not, city) and the information is scattered across universities, government sites, insurers and comparison platforms. Of the students we interviewed, 72% felt unsure or were unregistered. Many remain uninsured or without a GP in their first months and only discover the gaps when they get sick. Meanwhile, insurers struggle to reach them at the moment they decide.

The solution

HealthWay NL is a free, English-language platform that guides international students through the Dutch healthcare system step by step. Students answer a few questions (EU/non-EU, working or not, city, arrival date) and receive a personal, ordered checklist: which insurance applies and by when, a neutral price-ranked comparison of relevant options, GPs that accept new patients and speak English, and what to do when sick. We reach students through universities at pre-arrival and intro week. Insurers pay a one-off fee per policy taken out through HealthWay, with full transparency that fees never affect rankings.

Mission

Making sure every international student in the Netherlands is insured, registered with a GP, and knows where to go for care from their first week.