A CAK letter says you are uninsured: what to do next

A letter from the CAK says you are onverzekerduninsured. You have an insurance card in your wallet, so the letter seems wrong. Start by checking the policy behind that card and the date your cover began. The CAK cannot see a Dutch basic health insurance policy registered for you.

Check which CAK letter you received

This guide concerns the first notification that you have no Dutch health insurance. A letter about betalingsachterstandpayment arrears, a care contribution or an existing boetefine concerns a different process. Look for ‘geen Nederlandse zorgverzekering’ or ‘onverzekerduninsured’ in the heading and opening paragraph. If a fine has already been imposed, read the payment and objection instructions in that decision.

The three-month window

The CAK gives you three months after its uninsured notification to resolve your position. If Dutch insurance is compulsory for you, take out a basisverzekeringbasic health insurance. If you believe it is not compulsory, you can request an assessment. Doing nothing can lead to a fine. Check the date and deadline in your own letter. Time spent looking into your insurance still passes within that window. CAK

If you already have insurance

Ask your zorgverzekeraarhealth insurer whether your policy is a Dutch basisverzekeringbasic health insurance and whether your registration in the RBVZ insurance register is correct. Travel cover, a private student policy or insurance from another country should not be assumed to meet the same requirement. Have your policy number and start date ready. CAK

You could ask:

Ik heb een brief van het CAK ontvangen dat ik onverzekerduninsured ben. Kunt u controleren of mijn basisverzekeringbasic health insurance correct is geregistreerd?

This is our own example: ‘I received a CAK letter saying I am uninsured. Could you check whether my basic health insurance is correctly registered?’ Keep the reply and the date of the conversation. If a correction is needed, ask when it will be completed.

If your insurance obligation is unclear

Working across borders or studying in the Netherlands can make your position harder to establish. The SVB carries out an onderzoek Wlzassessment of your Wlz insurance position to determine whether you fall within the WlzLong-term Care Act scheme. That finding is used to assess your Dutch health insurance obligation. SVB

Keep the assessment application confirmation. If the CAK deadline is approaching while you wait, contact the CAK about your case. Do not assume that submitting an application automatically pauses every deadline.

Keep the letter, policy, insurer’s reply and SVB confirmation together. Check the insurance obligation with the CAK and SVB, and the policy registration with your insurer. An explanation app cannot make those decisions.

Read your CAK letter with Letrin

We built Letrin so you can understand Dutch letters in your own language. Photograph your CAK letter to see what it says, what you are asked to do and the dates mentioned. If you need to reply, you can prepare a Dutch draft and read its English version alongside it.

The photo stays on your phone. Personal details are hidden on the device before you approve the text to be sent. Check dates against the original and confirm your insurance position with the relevant organisation.

Download Letrin from the App Store or Google Play to read the letter you have received. No account is needed, and your first explanations are free.