You are a student or doing an internship

If you are an international student in the Netherlands, you will probably not be insured under the child benefit scheme. 

If you live in the Netherlands and you are going to study in another country, you will remain insured under the child benefit scheme while you are away, unless you do paid work or a paid internship.

You do paid work or a paid internship

If you start doing paid work in the country where you are studying, or a paid internship, your insurance under the child benefit scheme may change.

Select the situation that applies to you and read more about your insurance position.

If you have come to the Netherlands as an international student, you will not be insured under the child benefit scheme. This is also true even if you are registered as living at an address in the Netherlands.

By ‘studying’, we mean that you are doing a course of study which:

  • is provided under expert guidance and supervision
  • prepares you for a final exam, for which a diploma is awarded
  • ensures that you are able to work in the occupation you are being educated or trained for

In addition, we check whether you spend at least 19 hours a week on your course of study. This includes practical classes and optional course activities, time spent in class and doing homework, and travelling time to and from your place of study.  

If you start working in the Netherlands alongside your studies

If you start doing a job on the side, or an internship or voluntary work for which you get paid, you will probably become insured under the child benefit scheme.

If you are going to study outside the Netherlands, you will remain insured under the child benefit scheme while you are away. This is true whether or not you are still registered as living at an address in the Netherlands.

If you start working outside the Netherlands alongside your studies, and you get paid for your work, your insurance under the child benefit scheme may well change.