ISAK level 1:practical info

When studying abroad, you need to have good health insurance. Are you from the EU/EEA? Your health insurance policy at home might cover you. Non-EU/EEA students receive health insurance through the financial guarantee. Other useful insurances? Liability, repatriation and household contents.

Health insurance

There are 4 health insurance options.

Non-EU/EEA student. You receive AON health insurance. The International Office arranges this on your behalf. This is part of your financial guarantee.
No visa requirement to study at HAN. Your insurance policy in your home country might cover your stay in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has health insurance agreements with most European countries. In that case, request an international declaration form or a European Health Insurance Card from your health insurance company. Bring these with you as you will need them when you see a doctor. And make sure the documents are written in a common European language (English, French, German or Spanish).
You are working in the Netherlands or doing a paid internship. In that case, you have to get Dutch public health insurance. The cost of this is often higher than student insurance.
Not covered under public health insurance of the Netherlands or your home country. You have to get a private health insurance policy. There are special policies available for international students in the Netherlands. Check the website of StudyinHolland for detailed information.

Other insurances

Liability insurance. If you cause an accident or damage someone else’s property, you have to pay the costs. For example, if you break something in your room. Or cause a road accident. Liability insurance covers these costs in most cases. What about damage when working or doing an internship? In the Netherlands the employer’s liability insurance usually covers this.
Repatriation insurance. That’s when you have to return home. For example, because you are seriously ill and wish to be treated at home.
Household contents insurance. This insures the contents of your house. For example, if there’s a burglary, fire or water damage.

The Netherlands has excellent public transport. In the Nijmegen and Arnhem area you can get almost everywhere by train or bus. In the bigger cities, you can also use the tram or metro. To pay for these services you use an OV chip card (OV-chipkaart in Dutch).

Public transport in the Netherlands is not cheap. For schedules, prices and routes go to www.9292.nl (train, bus, metro) and ns.nl/en (train).

OV chip card

The OV chip card allows you to travel by train, bus, tram, metro or ferry anywhere in the country. The card is the size of a bank card and contains an invisible chip.

How do you use the card? Just touch your card on the card reader when you enter the station. Touch out again when you arrive at your final destination.

How do you pay? The card uses the pre-paid principle. You load credit on your card at a vending machine or at a ticket office. You can also arrange automatic loading. That way when your credit runs low, it automatically tops up using funds from your bank account.

For information about the OV chip card, go to the OV-chipkaart website.

Flexible season tickets

For train travel, you can purchase a season ticket to suit your needs. For example, to get a discount only on weekends. Or to get a discount on weekends and at off-peak times.

You can’t cancel these tickets in the first year. See the website of the Dutch railways (NS) for further details. Or visit a ticket office at your nearest train station.

When studying abroad, you need to have good health insurance. Are you from the EU/EEA? Your health insurance policy at home might cover you. Non-EU/EEA students receive health insurance through the financial guarantee. Other useful insurances? Liability, repatriation and household contents.

Health insurance

There are 4 health insurance options.

Non-EU/EEA student. You receive AON health insurance. The International Office arranges this on your behalf. This is part of your financial guarantee.
No visa requirement to study at HAN. Your insurance policy in your home country might cover your stay in the Netherlands. The Netherlands has health insurance agreements with most European countries. In that case, request an international declaration form or a European Health Insurance Card from your health insurance company. Bring these with you as you will need them when you see a doctor. And make sure the documents are written in a common European language (English, French, German or Spanish).
You are working in the Netherlands or doing a paid internship. In that case, you have to get Dutch public health insurance. The cost of this is often higher than student insurance.
Not covered under public health insurance of the Netherlands or your home country. You have to get a private health insurance policy. There are special policies available for international students in the Netherlands. Check the website of StudyinHolland for detailed information.

Other insurances

Liability insurance. If you cause an accident or damage someone else’s property, you have to pay the costs. For example, if you break something in your room. Or cause a road accident. Liability insurance covers these costs in most cases. What about damage when working or doing an internship? In the Netherlands the employer’s liability insurance usually covers this.
Repatriation insurance. That’s when you have to return home. For example, because you are seriously ill and wish to be treated at home.
Household contents insurance. This insures the contents of your house. For example, if there’s a burglary, fire or water damage.

The Netherlands has excellent public transport. In the Nijmegen and Arnhem area you can get almost everywhere by train or bus. In the bigger cities, you can also use the tram or metro. To pay for these services you use an OV chip card (OV-chipkaart in Dutch).

Public transport in the Netherlands is not cheap. For schedules, prices and routes go to www.9292.nl (train, bus, metro) and ns.nl/en (train).

OV chip card

The OV chip card allows you to travel by train, bus, tram, metro or ferry anywhere in the country. The card is the size of a bank card and contains an invisible chip.

How do you use the card? Just touch your card on the card reader when you enter the station. Touch out again when you arrive at your final destination.

How do you pay? The card uses the pre-paid principle. You load credit on your card at a vending machine or at a ticket office. You can also arrange automatic loading. That way when your credit runs low, it automatically tops up using funds from your bank account.

For information about the OV chip card, go to the OV-chipkaart website.

Flexible season tickets

For train travel, you can purchase a season ticket to suit your needs. For example, to get a discount only on weekends. Or to get a discount on weekends and at off-peak times.

You can’t cancel these tickets in the first year. See the website of the Dutch railways (NS) for further details. Or visit a ticket office at your nearest train station.

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Public transport

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Insurance

Health insurance

Other insurances

Public transport

Insurance

Health insurance

Other insurances

Public transport