Q&A Health insurance entitlement

Immigrants can no longer register for the BES Health Insurance (ZJCN) with only the 1st sticker from Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). Only after a decision has been made by the IND can one register with Civil Affairs office (Burgerzaken) and apply for BES health insurance.

On https://english.rijksdienstcn.com/care--youth/care/emigrating the RCN Facebook page and via the folder 'Quickly find your path in the Caribbean Netherlands' we inform people about the conditions to be eligible for the Health insurance BES.

The procedure for registration at the IND can take up to 6 months. For more information about this process, visit the IND website: https://english.rijksdienstcn.com/immigration-naturalisation

If you are going to work for a Caribbean Netherlands employer in the Caribbean Netherlands, you can be temporarily registered with the BES Health Insurance for 3 months on the basis of an employer's statement (werkgeversverklaring). As soon as you have received your IND papers and Sedula/ID card, your temporary health insurance can be converted to the duration of your employment contract. If this takes longer than 3 months, come to the ZJCN office to submit an extension of your health insurance. This extension also applies for 3 months. As soon as you have your sedula, you can register on this basis for the period of validity of your sedula.

That differs per country. Therefore, look for expat or living abroad insurance policies in your country of origin. You cannot insure yourself for private medical expenses in the Caribbean Netherlands, you must have this arranged before your emigration.

You are obliged to register in the population register of the Caribbean Netherlands. If you have registered, Civil Affairs office will prepare an identity document (sedula/ID card) for you and you can then apply for Health insurance BES. As an insured person, you must always have this sedula/ID card with you, so that a care provider can check whether you are registered in the insured administration. The care provider can then pass on the costs for care provided directly to ZJCN. Without this sedula/id card you will have to pay the costs of the care provided yourself.

These persons can remain insured for a maximum of 6 months on the basis of the 1st IND sticker through Health Insurance BES.

The date of issue of the IND document is used as the start date of the BES health insurance. Healthcare costs incurred by the insured before that date cannot be claimed afterwards from ZJCN. The insured must claim these healthcare costs from the health insurance that has been taken out for the intervening period.

No, there is no difference for entitlement to BES Health Insurance if the person has a sedula/ID card.

No, there is no transition period. Only persons who registered for BES Health Insurance before 1 January 2022 can claim a transitional period.