- Basic package: covered with a valid indication and a referral.
- You pay the €385 mandatory deductible (2026).
- No supplementary insurance is needed for the operation.
- Self-pay: roughly €7,000-€11,000; WeightWorks €10,700 all-in.
- Check whether your insurer has contracted the centre.
Is weight loss surgery covered by Dutch health insurance?
Yes. Bariatric surgery is insured care under the Dutch basic package if you meet the indication: a BMI of 40 or higher, or 35 or higher with a weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea or high blood pressure. You must be 18 or older and be referred by your GP (huisarts) or a medical specialist.
When covered, the screening, operation, hospital stay and aftercare at the centre are reimbursed. What is not covered are the special vitamins and calcium you take for the rest of your life, and usually skin surgery after weight loss unless there is a strict medical indication.
Contracted care and your policy type
Coverage does not automatically mean full coverage at every centre. With a natura policy, choosing a centre your insurer has not contracted often means only partial reimbursement. Check your policy conditions for the bariatric centres contracted this year before your referral. If you are turned down after screening, the screening costs can still count towards your deductible.
What if I am not (yet) insured in the Netherlands?
Anyone who lives or works in the Netherlands is generally required to take out Dutch basic health insurance. Coverage for bariatric surgery then follows the same rules as for everyone else. International students, short-stay workers or people with foreign insurance should check with their insurer whether bariatric surgery in the Netherlands is covered.
Self-pay is possible at independent clinics. Máxima MC mentions about ten thousand euros, and WeightWorks charges 10,700 euros all-in in 2026, including screening and aftercare. Vitalys warns that surgery abroad often lacks lifestyle guidance and aftercare.
What is and is not covered
Advantages
| Advantage | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Covered: screening | medical, psychological and dietary assessment |
| Covered: surgery and stay | sleeve, bypass, mini bypass or SADI |
| Covered: aftercare | checks up to at least five years |
| Covered: lifestyle programme (GLI) | from the basic package |
Points of attention
| Point of attention | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Not covered: vitamins | WLS multivitamin and calcium, about €10-€15 a month |
| Not covered: gastric balloon | Vitalys €3,995 + €65 intake |
| Not always covered: skin surgery | only with a medical indication |
| Not covered: Mounjaro | at Vitalys, a six-month package of €450 after two years |
Cost and insurance (2026)
All amounts at a glance. Self-pay prices differ per clinic and year; always ask for a quote that states what is included.
| Item | Amount or arrangement |
|---|---|
| Covered pathway (basic package) | €385 deductible 2026 |
| Self-pay range in the Netherlands | €7,000 to €11,000 |
| WeightWorks all-in 2026 | €10,700 |
| Máxima MC, self-pay | about €10,000 |
| Vitamins and calcium | €10-€15 a month, for life |
| Gastric balloon (Vitalys) | €3,995 + €65 intake |
Cost and insurance: key figures
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Mandatory deductible 2026 | €385 |
| Criteria | BMI ≥ 40, or ≥ 35 with a related condition |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| DATO-certified centres | 20 |
| Vitamins per year | about €120-€180 |
Covered versus self-pay
| Covered (basic package) | Self-pay | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay | €385 deductible | about €7,000-€11,000 |
| Referral needed | yes | usually not |
| Criteria | Dutch guideline (NVvH) | per clinic |
| Aftercare | included | check what is included |
| Vitamins | you pay | you pay |
Step by step
- Check the criteria. BMI and related conditions.
- Check your policy. Which centres are contracted?
- Referral. Via your GP or specialist.
- Screening. May count towards your deductible even if declined.
- Surgery and aftercare. Covered; vitamins are paid by you.
Read next
- Eligibility criteria for coverage — BMI and conditions
- Types of weight loss surgery covered — all options
- Gastric bypass cost — and results
- Gastric sleeve cost — and results
Example: what you pay over five years
Suppose you meet the criteria and have not used your deductible yet this year. The pathway then costs you 385 euros. Vitamins and calcium cost about 10 to 15 euros a month, so roughly 600 to 900 euros over five years. The follow-up visits in those years are covered, but they count towards your deductible in any year in which you have not used it yet.
For a self-pay pathway, the total over five years is the clinic price plus the same vitamin costs. Compare whether aftercare, checks and any readmissions are included; WeightWorks' 10,700 euros is an all-in price.
Frequently asked questions about cost and insurance
With coverage, only your mandatory deductible of 385 euros. Without coverage, roughly 7,000 to 11,000 euros; WeightWorks charges 10,700 euros all-in. You also pay for lifelong vitamins, about 10 to 15 euros a month.
Yes, when you meet the medical indication and have a referral. You do not need supplementary insurance for the operation itself.
Yes. The operation falls under the mandatory deductible, 385 euros in 2026. If you have already used your deductible on other care this year, you pay nothing extra.
No. The special WLS multivitamins and calcium you take for life are paid by you, roughly 10 to 15 euros a month.
With a natura policy you are often only partly reimbursed. Choose a contracted centre, or consider a restitution policy when you switch insurer. Always check before your referral.
Yes, at independent clinics. Ask for a written quote that includes screening, aftercare and any readmissions. Surgery abroad is sometimes cheaper, but guidance and aftercare are often missing.
Almost never, not even by supplementary insurance. At Vitalys the balloon pathway costs 3,995 euros plus a 65 euro intake; the lifestyle programme that goes with it is covered.
Not always. You need a medical indication from a specialist and a stable weight, and not every insurer reimburses it. Discuss it during a follow-up visit.
Possibly: screening costs can be claimed even when you do not qualify, and then count towards your deductible.
If you are required to take out Dutch basic health insurance, bariatric surgery is covered under the same rules as for everyone else. Check your policy and speak to your GP about a referral.
Call +31 6 38048347 (Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00) or email info@maagverkleining-info.nl. This page is also available in Dutch.
Sources
- Vitalys (Rijnstate): criteria, reimbursement and FAQ
- WeightWorks: prices 2026
- Máxima MC: obesity centre
- Zorgverzekeringwijzer: cost of bariatric surgery and gastric balloon 2026
- Richtlijn Chirurgische behandeling van obesitas, NVvH
Search terms leading here: weight loss surgery cost Netherlands, is bariatric surgery covered Netherlands, gastric bypass insurance Netherlands, eigen risico bariatric surgery.
Author: Gijs Bodenstaff. Last reviewed: September 2026.