- In the Netherlands, you must have health insurance to receive medical care from a doctor or a hospital.
- You don’t have to pay the costs in that case or only part.
- Don’t you have a residency permit? If so, you can’t get health insurance
- Do you need medical attention? Go to the doctor, even if you don’t have insurance
- You are entitled to health care even if you don’t have insurance
Working healthily
It’s important for you to take care of your health. For example, get tested for STIs on a regular basis and get vaccinated against Hepatitis B. That way, you won’t get sick. And you can’t pass an STI on to your client or someone else.
As a sex worker in the Netherlands, you can get tested for STIs anonymously and free of charge and get vaccinated against Hepatitis B free of charge, even as a newcomer without the necessary documents.
Take an STI test
Are you a sex worker? Then get an STI test twice a year. You can do this at your doctor’s officer or for free at the municipal health service (GGD). Then you will know for sure whether you have an STI. And you will get medicine for it right away.
Healthcare & Health
Don’t you have a residency permit? If so, you can’t get health insurance for the doctor or the hospital. Are you sick or do you need medical attention? Go to the doctor. You are entitled to health care if you need it.
Do you want to get an STI test? Or get a shot against the STI Hepatitis B? You can go to your local municipal health service (GGD). This is free for sex workers.
Make an appointment with the municipal health service (GGD)
Do you have health insurance? You can also go to the doctor for an STI test. You do have to pay for the test. This can sometimes cost more than EUR 200.
Is it reimbursed?
Have you had medical care but don’t have enough money to pay the entire bill? In that case, most healthcare providers pay 80% of the bill. That means you only pay 20%.
A hospital must always provide medical care, even if you don’t have insurance.
What kind of medical care
You can always get some types of medical care if you need it. For other medical care, you need a prescription from your doctor. In other words, you go to your doctor first. They will examine you. Then they send you to a different doctor or the hospital if that’s necessary.
Medical care that you can always get
- Your doctor
- An obstetrician if you’re pregnant
- Maternity care if you’ve given birth
- Physiotherapist, speech therapist, dietician
- Urgent care (in the hospital) if you are at risk and need medical attention immediately
- Mental healthcare (GGZ)
Health care for which you have to go to the doctor first
Sometimes, you have to be examined by your doctor before you receive further medical care The doctor will determine whether you need additional care such as medicine, or treatment by a doctor at a hospital.
Don’t you have insurance? If you don’t have insurance, you can go to these hospitals (Dutch only) and drug stores (Dutch only).
Do you need immediate medical attention or are you pregnant?
Do you need urgent medical attention? For example because you are very sick, have had an accident or have been abused? In that case, you can go to any Emergency Room in the Netherlands.
Are you pregnant or have you given birth? You can also go to any hospital.
In that case, you don’t have to choose a hospital from the list.
Get three free Hepatitis B vaccinations
You can catch Hepatitis B by having sex. Especially if you don’t use a condom. You can get very sick from it. Get vaccinated for free at the municipal health service (GGD). That way, you won’t catch this STI.