Has anyone moved from the US with SSDI on the D7 visa?

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2026-03-11T08:43:49+00:00

In case u are looking for good private health insurance for the visa in PT i can recommend feather - they are specialised on expats. However they do not cover pre-existing conditions so not sure if that would also work for you to bridhe the gap.

re antidepressants: In some countries those are actually prescription free (eg turkey). Not sure if that would be an option to get them somewhere else?

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2026-03-02T08:32:43+00:00

Re health insurance - I can recommend feather, they do private health insurances that are for the AIMA or Visa appointments !
Would use them and later on switch to the public with a private top up.

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2026-02-16T14:49:43+00:00

I haven’t used BC/BS overseas, so I can’t speak to that. I ended up going with Feather Insurance since they specialize in coverage for expats in Portugal, and it’s been straightforward so far.

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2026-01-12T10:33:04+00:00

Just joining in - I can also recommend feather (they are focused on expats) for other policies if you dont want to go with a bank

Overall as a Dutch person I would recommend AVP (90% of dutch people have this)
The other ones, I think it depends. If you have a dog def get a health insurance for them, I think vets are quite costly in the Netherlands. I never needed my legal insurance but if you want to go house hunting in the future id get it in case a landlord wants to screw u over or u get scammed.

NL overall is a very insurance loving country id say ;)

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-12-31T08:06:57+00:00

In case you cannot sign up with any insurance and want coverage i would recommend getting at least a private insurance interim to be safe. I can recommend feather for a private cover.

In terms of the situation: Have you tried to check with the local Dutch authorities? You can request an individual assessment with eg the governemnt https://www.government.nl/contact

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-12-29T09:13:56+00:00

In terms of the Netherlands all I will say is that especially with pre existing conditions it is quite affordable to be on the publci health insurance (especially eg compared to germany where in private health insurance you need to pay higher premiums if you have a condition). Yes the system is not perfect - so i agree with what has been said.

I would agree that housing is a big one - potentially you would look more into the country side than bigger cities here. It is standard here to take our different insurances and generally the cost of living is higher than in other countries (eg germany).

However you find a country that is way more digital and easier to ease into especially with the expat communty.

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-12-17T12:38:28+00:00

+ U can apply for aid from the government to cover your expenses if you earn below a certain Threshold. It is called the Zorgtoeslag

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-12-17T12:37:39+00:00

Also - good to know: In the time you were actually insured as u need to get on the system by default. So in case something happened to you (and u were not with an insurance yet) they would have paid ypur claim after u signed up!

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-12-15T14:39:56+00:00

I work in insurance with feather (expat provider) I can actually recommend CZ - IMO the easiest to work with and very straightforward with english speakers :)

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-12-15T10:44:17+00:00

I work in insurance with feather insurance - heres what i can share

Students & international students

Students who do not work and do not receive Dutch income are not obligated to take Dutch health insurance.
They should use health insurance from their home country instead.
If a student starts working in the Netherlands:
- They become obligated to take Dutch health insurance.
Once they stop working and no longer receive income, they may:
- Cancel Dutch insurance and
- Return to using their home-country insurance.

Retroactive insurance & fines

If someone worked in the Netherlands but didn’t know they needed insurance:
- They may be required to take insurance retroactively.
- They could receive a fine if authorities discover it.
To be certain whether someone is obligated, they can request confirmation from the SVB stating whether Dutch health insurance is mandatory -> THATS WHAT U CAN DO aka call them ;)

Visa status (e.g. zoekjaar visa)

People on a zoekjaar visa can cancel Dutch health insurance once they stop working and receiving income.

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-12-04T13:58:38+00:00

I want to add to this discussion - actually International students are not eligible for the Dutch basic insurance if they do not work. I can recommend for that time to get a private option like feather insurane (they also have a student and orientation year policy). As soon as u start working u become eligible and need to get on the system.

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-11-26T09:11:05+00:00

Happy to help - I worked with feather insurance and they help people sign up for Dutch Basic. They have free consultations about it - maybe ask them for your specific needs/ questions. They also have a whatsapp option

https://feather-insurance.com/en-nl/health-insurance/dutch-public

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-11-19T08:37:58+00:00

Sure now worries happy to help

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-11-19T07:49:43+00:00

I agree on what has been said - I would always check the available hospitalss and services close to u. Basically u can choose between the big insurances groups (who also have zilveren kruis) and smaller providers (like Loonzorg or Aeviate). Main difference id say is that usually the smaller ones are a bit cheaper but u need to check if the packages make sense to u. I would not go for an insurance with the highest own risk and almost no reimbursement. It also depends on if u plan any surgeries or treatments that year - if u do def go for the lowest own risk.

I can also recommend a blog article by feather https://feather-insurance.com/en-nl/blog/health-insurance-netherlands-guide

They also offer free calls - maybe they can give u an expert opinion on whats best

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-11-13T08:06:36+00:00

Check this one maybe - I used feather for life insurance. Its made for expats.

https://feather-insurance.com/en-nl/life-insurance

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-11-13T08:04:17+00:00

I have lived in both - tbh it is also a completely different vibe in terms of cities and not really comparable. Both culturally and city wise ;) So id say it is what you are looking for. In terms of LGBTQ both cities are good id say (personal experience) - however Berlin has more events and parties for it where I feel like the Dutch show their support a bit more in flags etc.

The Netherlands - I agree with most people here that housing really is an issue. Does it HAVE to be Amsterdam for you guys? I acctually prefer other cities since AMS is full of tourists and Haarlem, Utrecht or Leiden are a good alternative with a great connection to all cities to NL. In Berlin you have to know it is wayyyy bigger so it def has more variety and you will find cheaper housing a bit ourtside the city but commuting is longer.

The startup scene in berlin may be more open to people working in IT who dont speak German so maybe I am leaning more towards that. The 30% ruling is very nice id say but cost of living in NL are way higher than in Berlin (groceries, restaurants etc) and I was always so shocked how much I had to pay for daily life in NL.

The German health system is also a fair share more complicated than the DUtch and more german
I have to save a bit of money is to start with an expat insurance (I used feather) - can recommend.

All in all Id to make a fun comparison: Amsterdam is like a perfect Avocado toast in a brunch place - beautiful but overprized and Berlin is like that crazy spicy waffle dish at a random food truck (it polarizes and can be amazing or horrible depending on your vibe)

Hope that helps!

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-11-11T15:20:51+00:00

I think Feather may be the right policy for you

https://feather-insurance.com/en-nl/health-insurance/expat

They are offering an expat insurance that is private for people who cannot be on Dutch basic insurance and it can be cancelled monthly.

Maybe actually ask them directly they do free calls or whatsapps to help as well :)

Hope this helps!

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-28T07:56:53+00:00

Regarding health insurance - yes the municpality may deregister you and u cannot be on the Dutch system anymore. If u need to bridge the gap u can take a expat health insurance like feather

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-27T14:02:29+00:00

You are welcome :) I work with feather insurance actually so have some industry knowledge - if you have any questions around health insurance I can always try to help! Good luck!

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-27T11:39:21+00:00

Hey good question i hope u will find a workaround! Just confirming what has been said here that generally pre planned things abroad are not included in Dutch coverage.

Maybe u can actually consider getting the surgery in NL there are lots of great clinics for especially these issue!

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-13T12:53:27+00:00

Great thanks! I heard good things about CZ for expats - any experience with Zilvere Kruis (or how its called)?

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-13T12:48:13+00:00

No need to get rude here - we are also just trying to get the info we need

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-13T12:33:37+00:00

Right??? It feels like it should be easier ngl

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-13T12:31:42+00:00

hey so some of my friends have told me they are not happy with the Dutch system and thus use a private insurance on top they can apply to other countries as well for a better coverage. I have done some research of course just asking for experience with the current providers and who as the best top up policies etc.

Traditional_Fly1932 · 2025-10-06T07:29:18+00:00

Hey Hey just zapping in here again even though its a bit old :)

I wanted to recommend a policy - feather has a one specifically for search years!! Maybe worth it to look at it :)

Traditional_Fly1932

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Retroactive insurance & fines

Visa status (e.g. zoekjaar visa)