Finding a GP and Getting Emergency Care in The Hague

This guide is for internationals who have just moved to The Hague, or are about to, and want to know how medical care works before they need it. By the end you will know how to register with a GP near your home, who to call in the evening or at the weekend, when to dial 112, and how to collect your medication.

• Why registering with a GP comes first
• How to find and sign up with a GP near your home
• What to do out of hours
• When to call 112 and where emergency departments are
• How pharmacies fit in
• Help lines worth saving in your phone
• FAQ

Why registering with a GP comes first

In the Dutch healthcare system, almost all non-emergency care starts with your local family doctor, the huisarts. According to The Hague International Centre’s page on registering with a GP, this is why you should sign up with a local GP as soon as you move to the Netherlands. If you wait until you are ill, you may find yourself searching for a practice that will accept you at the moment you least want to.

Your GP also connects to the rest of the system. Pharmacies ask for your GP’s details when you register with them, and your GP is the person who decides whether medication you took in another country should continue.

It helps to know what to expect. The official page notes that a Dutch GP may have a slightly less warm manner than you are used to. It is quite normal for a GP to recommend a low strength painkiller and ask you to report back if symptoms persist. GPs are also generally unlikely to prescribe antibiotics, to help prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria.

How to find and sign up with a GP near your home

Your choice of practice is limited by where you live. You may approach any GP surgery, but most require you to live within a few kilometres. Some surgeries specialise in international patients and have a bigger catchment area. The official page gives no fixed distance, so each practice decides for itself who it accepts.

Before you contact a practice, have your health insurance details ready. Some GP surgeries require your health insurance number before you can sign up. You may also be asked to attend an intake appointment to discuss any ongoing health problems or care.

You can sign up by calling, by email or, in many cases, through a web form. The International Centre lists these ways to find a practice:

• International Health Centre The Hague, which many new internationals in the city sign up with. It offers GP, dental, physio and other services under one roof.
• The Patients Federation Netherlands rated database of GPs, searchable by postal code (in Dutch).
• Independer, an independent healthcare rating site with a national database of GPs (in Dutch).
• A search for “huisarts” near you in Google Maps.
• The website of H4i (Healthcare 4 internationals).

If you cannot find a GP who will accept you, contact your health insurer for tips and help.

What to do out of hours

If you need to speak to or see a GP in the evening or at the weekend, contact the out-of-hours GP service, the huisartsenpost. In The Hague this is Hadoks. The International Centre’s emergency care page lists two Hadoks help points in the city:

• Hadoks Hagaziekenhuis, Charlotte Jacobslaan 10, 2545 AB Den Haag, 070 210 20 60
• Hadoks HMC Westeinde, Westeinde 150, 2512 HH Den Haag, 070 346 96 69

For medical assistance in The Hague, Rijswijk and Leidschendam-Voorburg, call the SMASH GP Centre for Emergencies on +31 (0)70 346 96 69. In Delft, call GP Centre Delft on +31 (0)15 251 19 30.

For a dental problem that cannot wait, call Dental Emergency Services Haaglanden on +31 (0)70 311 03 05 if you live in The Hague, Rijswijk or Leidschendam-Voorburg. In Delft, call Dental Emergency Services Delft on +31 (0)15 212 22 68.

When to call 112 and where emergency departments are

In a medical emergency, call 112. The same number reaches the police and fire department, as the International Centre’s emergencies and help lines page explains. If it is not an emergency but you need a medical professional, contact your GP during office hours or the huisartsenpost outside them.

Most larger hospitals have an accident and emergency department. Look for signs saying Spoedeisende hulp, SEH or eerste hulp. In The Hague these include:

• SEH Hagaziekenhuis, Charlotte Jacobslaan 10, 2545 AB Den Haag, 070 210 20 60
• SEH HMC Westeinde, Lijnbaan 32, 2512 VA Den Haag, 070 346 96 69

Under Dutch law, any public or private health organisation must help an incoming patient in an emergency, whatever your nationality or insurance status. You must show ID before you receive treatment. If you are rushed to hospital and cannot present ID, you have to identify yourself officially within two weeks of your hospital visit.

These services are meant for serious situations and accidents. If you use them for non-urgent help, you may have to pay the costs yourself. The official page does not say how much, so the cost will depend on your situation.

How pharmacies fit in

The Netherlands has two kinds of shop for medicine. An apotheek is a dispensing pharmacy where you collect prescribed medication. A drogisterij is a drugstore selling over-the-counter products such as painkillers, vitamins and first aid items. The International Centre’s pharmacies page sets out how this works.

If your GP or specialist prescribes medication, go to an apotheek. On your first visit you register as a patient and give the details of your health insurance and your GP. Go to the same pharmacy every time you collect medication. Most pharmacies open on weekdays and sometimes on Saturday.

Depending on the medication, your insurance may pay for it automatically, or you may need to pay a small amount yourself. Dutch pharmacies must give you the cheapest option of a medicine. If you are starting new medication, pharmacy staff can explain how to use it.

For everyday complaints, you do not need a prescription for regular painkillers, flu medication or cough syrup. These are sold in drugstores and supermarkets, and drugstore staff have generally been trained to help you choose.

If you need medication in the evening or at the weekend, these emergency pharmacies are listed for The Hague area. Some have a prescription vending machine for out-of-hours pickups.

• Emergency Pharmacy The Hague, Charlotte Jacobslaan 10, 2545 AB The Hague, +31 (0)70 210 1465
• SMASH, President Kennedylaan 15, 2517 JK The Hague, +31 (0)70 346 96 69 (also covers Rijswijk and Leidschendam-Voorburg)
• Apotheek Antoniushoeve (until 22.00), Burgemeester Banninglaan 3, 2262 BA Leidschendam, +31 (0)70 444 0444
• Poli-apotheek Reinier de Graaf, Reinier de Graafweg 5, 2625 AD Delft, +31 (0)15 212 5760

Help lines worth saving in your phone

The International Centre publishes these numbers for non-emergency and support situations:

• Police (non-emergency): 0900-8844
• Suicide help line: 0900-0113
• Victim Support Netherlands: 0900-0101
• Child help line: 0800-0432
• Sexual abuse help line: +31 (0)70 362 04 96
• Drug abuse help line: +31 (0)70 391 78 00
• GP (Hadoks) in evenings and weekends: +31 (0)70 346 96 69
• Dentist emergency services Haaglanden: +31 (0)70 311 03 05

FAQ

Do I need health insurance before I can register with a GP?

Some GP surgeries require your health insurance number or details before you can sign up, but not all of them. The official page gives no single rule, so each practice decides. Having your insurance details ready before you contact a practice avoids delays.

Can I register with any GP in The Hague?

You can approach any practice, but most require you to live within a few kilometres. Some practices that specialise in international patients have a larger catchment area. If you cannot find a GP, your health insurer can give you tips and help.

Will a hospital treat me if I have no insurance or ID with me?

Yes. In an emergency, Dutch law requires any public or private health organisation to help you, whatever your nationality or insurance status. You need to show ID before treatment. If you cannot, you must identify yourself officially within two weeks of your hospital visit.

Who do I call for a GP in the evening or at the weekend?

In The Hague, Rijswijk and Leidschendam-Voorburg, call Hadoks on +31 (0)70 346 96 69. In Delft, call Huisartsenpost Delft on +31 (0)15 251 19 30. In a life-threatening emergency, call 112.

Official sources: thehagueinternationalcentre.nl · thehagueinternationalcentre.nl · thehagueinternationalcentre.nl · thehagueinternationalcentre.nl

Last verified: 29 October 2026 against the official pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the official page always wins. General information, not legal or tax advice.