Zorgtoeslag 2026: who gets it, how much, and how to apply — the allowance that pays half your health insurance
Dutch health insurance is compulsory and expensive — €140–185 a month. The zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) is the state's contribution to it: in 2026 up to €129 a month for a single person, €246 for a couple, if your income and assets are under a limit. It doesn't come by itself: you have to apply, with DigiD, on the Belastingdienst website — and it can be claimed retroactively, for 2026 until 1 September 2027. This article covers the conditions, the amounts and the steps to apply, plus the two pitfalls that hit agency workers in particular: a spouse's income back home, and repayment.
