How to Find and Register with a Huisarts (GP)

Why This Should Be on Your First-Week List

In the Netherlands, your huisarts (GP/family doctor) is the gateway to all healthcare. Need a specialist? You need a referral from your huisarts first. Need a prescription? Same thing.

Here's the catch: many practices are full, especially in busy cities. Finding one can take weeks. Don't wait until you're sick — start looking the same week you register at your municipality.

And a reminder: GP visits are free. No deductible, no co-pay, nothing. Your insurance covers it completely.

How to Find One

Search Online

Zorgkaart Nederland is the go-to site. Search by your postcode and you can see:

• Which practices are accepting new patients
• Patient reviews and ratings
• Languages spoken (crucial if your Dutch isn't there yet)

Ask People Around You

Colleagues, neighbours, local expat Facebook or WhatsApp groups — word of mouth works. Ask who people recommend and whether the practice speaks English.

Check Your Municipality

Some gemeentes keep lists of practices accepting new patients. Ask at the front desk when you register, or check their website.

Language Matters

If you don't speak Dutch confidently, look for a huisarts who speaks English (or your language). In Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht, many do. In smaller towns, it's harder — but not impossible. Zorgkaart lets you filter by language.

How to Register

Found a practice with space? Here's what happens:

1. Call or walk in and say you'd like to register (inschrijven)
2. Bring:
   • Your BSN (citizen service number)
   • ID or passport
   • Health insurance card (zorgpas)
   • Proof of address (not always needed, but bring it)
3. Fill out a registration form — some practices do this online
4. Some schedule a short intake appointment to go over your medical history

The whole process is pretty painless. The hard part is finding the spot, not the paperwork.

What If Nobody Has Space?

This happens — especially in Amsterdam, Utrecht, and other popular cities. Don't give up:

• Widen your search. You don't have to pick the closest practice. A 15-minute bike ride is fine.
• Call your health insurer. They're legally required to help you find a huisarts — it's called zorgbemiddeling (care mediation). Use it.
• Contact the LHV (the national huisarts association) in your region.
• Keep checking. Spots open up when patients move away. What was full last month might have space now.

Seriously: if you're stuck, call your insurer. That's what they're there for.

Once You're Registered

• You'll get a patient number and sometimes a welcome letter
• Book appointments by phone or online — many practices have apps or web booking
• Standard appointments are 10 minutes. Be direct: tell them your main concern right away
• For urgent issues outside office hours, call the huisartsenpost (after-hours GP). Your huisarts' voicemail will have the number — save it now

Save This Number

Put your huisarts' phone number in your contacts right now. When you wake up at 3am with a sick kid, you'll be glad it's there.

And save the huisartsenpost number too — that's who you call evenings, nights, and weekends.