Travel insurance for Dutch residents question
 

My son is now a Dutch resident, he has a UK EU passport (and Aussie). I'm meeting him in France next year and have booked him a flight, one way as he thinks he may tack on seeing some friends after mum and son time. Easyjet asked about insurance... I hummed and hawed and said yes but then as it's only a one way ticket it only came out valid for a day.. Which isn't terribly useful for a potentially 2 week holiday.

Do you when you go on a European holiday take out extra travel insurance each time? Or does your Dutch health insurance cover you? It's something I never really thought of... I'll have insurance through my credit card but he won't.

Any help? We're not talking expensive long haul flights, so only in case of an accident. I know there reciprocal uk/France health but he's not a resident in uk and doesnt have his health card from there.
Thanks

He should have the compulsory health insurance in the Netherlands and issued with an EHIC. If he doesn't have one he can get one from his health insurance company.
That will cover emergency care.
Most Dutch people also either take out a one off travel insurance policy or have continuous cover, which covers things the EHIC doesn't, plus the usual theft, accident, cancellation stuff.

I never take an insurance for easyjet flights.
These are low costs and the insurance is a fortune compared to the cost of a ticket (10, sometimes 15% ?).
If I have a problem, I just lose the price of the ticket.
I pay my cticket with a credit card that might cover some cancellation issues.

I would never take insurance on any flight, it doesn't make sense to me to do that. Especially a cheap flight like that.

However, if you read the terms, I don't think it covers your son, anyway, so it was a waste of money. I think you have to legally be residing in the country where your Easyjet flight starts for it to cover you. You can cancel it within 14 days, though.

I hope you read the terms and conditions before buying it. IN general, Easyjet insurance covers residents where the flight originates, I believe. I think this is for legal reasons. It says that right over the price when you are offered it.

oh, sorry, I see your son is residing in the Netherlands now, I guess i was confused as I didn't know why he wasn't buying his own ticket in that case.

I'd still cancel it as it doesn't seem worth it.

We live in Italy, and have Italian national health insurance, which includes an insurance card that can be used in any other EU country. I assumed that this is reciprocal, and that every EU resident with national health insurance has the same right of medical treatment in other EU countries. We never take out additional insurance when traveling within the EU. Yes, it only covers emergency care, but that's the only care I think we'd need when traveling.

One thing I'm not sure about is your son's residency status. I'm pretty sure that in Italy, you don't get health insurance coverage automatically with residence, and I also assume that's the same in other EU countries. You seem to be saying that he does have Dutch health insurance. If so, I would think that's all he needs.

If he is legally resident in the Netherlands he has to take out health insurance, whether he is working or not. That as I said up thread covers him for emergency health care within the EU and Norway, provided his insurer has also issued an EHIC - his own insurance pass may be combined with the EHIC but he needs to be sure of that.

As I also said many people take out trip insurance - which costs very little and covers other aspects of the trip, and health care expenses not covered by the EHIC. It probably won't cover the flight - but you have that covered now anyway. He could have continuous world wide coverage for €10.37a month via Hema for instance, which covers everything imaginable. Less components, lower monthly rate. His health insurance company will also offer something similar and he could get a discount for multiple insurances.

Thanks for the responses. Normally I would never take out flight insurance on a cheap flight but it appeared to cover for medical as well which I figured wasn't a bad thing... But the one day validation is of course no good.

He is a legal resident..so I'll ask about the EHIC. I thought that was a British thing but is it the same name I,e EHIC for all European countries? I'll ask him what's he's got but I'll most likely get the oh mum don't worry nothing will happen answer...

He's a big boy now but as I'm travelling with him it just occurred to me about insurance.

So to sum up, if he's got an EHIC card from the Netherlands he should be fine...we're not skiing or anything but as we know......

Or I could just be done with it and take out extra insurance.... I'm already footing the bill for everything else.....

EHIC is the European Health Insurance Card. It is for anyone who lives legally within the EU and Norway and is insured for healthcare in the country where they live. Since health care insurance is compulsory in the Netherlands, whether you are employed or not, he qualifies for an EHIC from his insurers.

Of course when Brexit finally happens card holders from Britain may no longer qualify, and will need insurance, but your son hopefully will be able to remain in the Netherlands once it is all sorted (that is something which affects me and my sons, who barely remember living in the UK, too) and will continue to qualify for an EHIC. But that s all in the future.

I think healthcare is universal in all EU countries, even if you're not working. In Italy, there are certain visa types, such as student visas, that require you to buy your own private health insurance. There is also an immigrant visa that requires that you have sufficient income to support yourself, and this also requires that you have your own private health insurance. After a certain number of years of residence, you would be eligible for social benefits, and eventually for citizenship, at which point you'd enter the state health system. The point is that with these visas, you shouldn't ever be a burden on the state.

In the Netherlands everyone has to have the insurance if they are here for more than 3 months. It is compulsory for anyone over the age of 18, regardless of nationality or job status. Children are automatically covered by their parents policies, but still need roof of that.
Only if you can prove you have that insurance are you eligible for reciprocal health care in other European countries. And they do ask - certainly in Spain they wanted to see the EHIC before doing anything.

To be treated in a Dutch hospital they will ask for proof of insurance. You may well be expected to pay the first €385 of the treatment too, since that is what we have to do, and you are only covered the same as locals. You can usually reclaim such expenses on your local insurance when you get home, or on your travel insurance.

Becoming a Dutch citizen is not easy, and i most cases requires you to give up your current nationality(ies). They do not allow dual citizenship normally. Which is why I still have a British passport.
DH is now a dual national because he can keep his British nationality due to his age. I am too young.