🏥 Healthcare Overview

System: Universal (mandatory private insurance)

Quality: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Consistently ranked among the best healthcare systems in Europe. English widely spoken by medical staff. GP (huisarts) is the gatekeeper for specialist referrals.

💊 Pharmacy Guide

Access: easy

Hours: Most pharmacies (apotheek) open Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm. Duty pharmacies rotate for evenings/weekends — check apotheek.nl

Prescription rules: Stricter than many countries. Antibiotics, most allergy medications beyond basic antihistamines, and many pain relievers above ibuprofen require a prescription.

Available Over-the-Counter

  • paracetamol
  • ibuprofen (limited pack sizes)
  • antihistamines
  • cough suppressants
  • antacids
  • throat lozenges

💡 Tips

Dutch pharmacies are well-organized but relatively strict. Many medications that are OTC elsewhere require a prescription here. The pharmacist will check interactions with your existing medications.

💉 Medications & Restrictions

EU/EEA citizens: bring your EHIC card. All travelers: carry prescriptions with generic drug names in English. For controlled substances, a Schengen certificate from your doctor is recommended.

Controlled / Restricted Substances

🚫 Watch out for these

  • ⚠️ Pseudoephedrine — Not readily available OTC, prescription may be needed
  • ⚠️ Codeine — Prescription required for all codeine-containing products
  • ⚠️ Benzodiazepines — Strictly controlled, bring documentation
  • ⚠️ ADHD medications (methylphenidate, amphetamines) — Bring original prescription and a doctor's letter

🛡️ Travel Insurance

⚠️ Strongly recommended

Average cost: $3-7/day

💡 Tip

Dutch healthcare is excellent but expensive without insurance. A GP visit costs ~€50-100, emergency room ~€300+. EU citizens can use EHIC for necessary care.

💉 Vaccinations

Recommended

  • 🟡 Routine immunizations (MMR, DTaP, flu)
  • 🟡 Hepatitis A (if visiting from endemic areas)

No special vaccinations needed. The Netherlands has high routine vaccination coverage.

🚰 Water & Food Safety

✅ Tap water is safe to drink

Tap water is excellent quality throughout the Netherlands — among the best in Europe. No chlorine is added (UV/ozone treatment instead).

Food Safety Tips

Very high food safety standards. Street food (herring, stroopwafels, frites) is safe. Raw herring is a traditional Dutch snack and is safe to eat.

🚨 Emergency Contacts

🆘 Emergency: 112 (all emergencies)

📚 Sources & References

Data compiled from official government health sources, WHO, and traveler-reported information.

  • WHO
  • CDC Travelers Health
  • RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health)
  • GGD

⚠️ This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before traveling and verify current entry requirements with official sources.