Healthcare allowance calculator 2026

Healthcare allowance (zorgtoeslag) is worth up to €129 a month in 2026 if you live alone and €246 if you have a benefit partner. It exists because basic health insurance is compulsory for everyone who lives or works in the Netherlands, and the premium is the same whatever you earn. The Dienst Toeslagen pays the maximum up to an assessment income of €29,736; above that it takes 13.73% of every extra euro, until the allowance reaches zero at €40,857 for a single person or €51,142 for a couple. Your own premium does not matter: the law uses a standard premium of €2,119 per adult. A junior employee on €2,900 gross a month receives €39 a month; someone on €38,000 a year still receives €34. Use the calculator above with your own figures; it reproduces the official worked examples to the euro.

How zorgtoeslag is calculated

The allowance is the standard premium minus a norm premium, the share you are deemed able to pay yourself. The norm premium is 1.912% of the threshold income for a single person (4.289% with a partner) plus 13.73% of any income above that threshold. With a partner the standard premium doubles to €4,238, but both incomes are added together. The monthly advance is rounded down to whole euros. These percentages are fixed by decree for every year until 2040 and rise slightly each year.

Monthly amounts by income

The full table in steps of €1,000 is on the healthcare allowance table 2026 page.

What expats should know

Nationality plays no role. You qualify if you are 18 or older, live in the Netherlands legally, have Dutch basic health insurance and stay under the income and asset limits. The income that counts is the calendar year's taxable income, so the year you arrive or leave usually has a low annual figure. An intern or student with €14,000 of income gets the full €129. With the 30% ruling, the tax-free part of your package is not taxable wage and does not count; enter the taxable wage from your annual statement, not the gross package.

A common surprise is the partner rule. If you are married, or live at the same address with a partner and a child, you are benefit partners and your incomes are added. A couple where one earns €42,000 and the other nothing receives €106 a month. The guide on the benefit partner explains when the rule applies.

Living abroad, cross-border workers and military partners

If you live in another EU country and are insured through the CAK because you receive a Dutch benefit or pension, the standard premium is multiplied by a country factor for your country of residence. If your partner is not insured under the Dutch system, for example a member of the armed forces, you receive half of the calculated allowance. These cases are not built into the calculator; the official leaflet lists the factors per country.

Allowance versus your actual premium

Because the allowance is fixed by law and your premium is set by your insurer, the two rarely match. A single person with the full allowance of €129 a month and a basic policy costing somewhat more pays the difference, plus the compulsory deductible when using care. Choosing a cheaper policy or a voluntary deductible keeps the allowance unchanged and lowers your own cost; it only makes sense if you rarely need hospital care or medication.

Applying and reporting changes

Apply in Mijn toeslagen or the Toeslagen app with your DigiD. For 2026 you can apply until 31 December 2027. Estimate your annual income generously: if you earn more than you estimated, the Dienst Toeslagen reclaims the difference after the year, although amounts up to €121 per allowance are not collected and no interest is charged. Read repaying allowances before you fill in the estimate.

Frequently asked questions