Albanach

Hi all,

I'm thinking about taking up a job offer in the Netherlands. It is a 10 month contract and we're really excited about it as an overall experience.

My wife and I are UK citizens - does anybody know if EHIC cards would be sufficient for our health cover for 10 months, or would we need to get health insurance privately?

Bedankt,

Albanach

Casa Santo Estevo

The short answer is no you cannot use your EHIC card as medical. This is enshrined in EU law.
If your contact is legal you will be paying into the ziekenfonds anyway. This will give you all the medical cover you need.
For more info. read through another thread I started about this subject.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=637996

Albanach

Thanks for the replies.

I'm still slightly unclear about this though. According to Corwin's message, I will be classed as a temporary resident (10 month contract) - but I still need to buy separate health insurance in addition to my EHIC?

Albanach

Casa Santo Estevo

I cannot see why you are confused. We have both said that if you are earning you have to pay for health care.
Read through the links (below) and make up your own mind. It does not say in either the ones below or the link ( I gave earlier) about the Dutch system that you can be classified as a temporary visitor.

http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthc...areabroad.aspx
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthc...EHICcover.aspx

Now you have read the Dutch and the UK websites i have to ask you what will happen if you have to have say an operation or you need treatment for say minor illness you will not be covered.

If you do not feel confident I would suggest you speak to both the Dutch and UK government departments that deal with health care. (or after reading your other postings maybe even the French health care system as it seems you may have been working in France)

Ps also read this one
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthc...ingabroad.aspx

Albanach

Thanks for the reply. Corwen did write:

<<When your stay is temporary you are not required to purchase a health insurance.

When you stay in the Netherlands is not temporary, you are required to purchase a health insurance. However, rules and regulations about the durability of your stay remain unclear. Generally you can use the following rule of thumb:

A person who stays in the Netherlands for a period of less than one year is assumed to be on a temporary stay>>

This made me wonder whether my ten month stay counted as a 'temporary visit'. So basically, if I'm there for under a year, it's not a legal obligation to buy health insurance - but without it, the EHIC doesn't actually cover me for anything but basic care?

One of the NHS sites you linked to (http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthc...ingabroad.aspx) also says:

<<However, you might be entitled to healthcare paid by the UK. This depends on whether you want to live abroad permanently, or only work outside the UK for a set period.>>

Does anybody have experience of this 'set period' status?

Cheers,

Albanach