Health in Amsterdam: pharmacies, doctors and emergencies

The numbers to know

First of all, save three numbers in your phone:

• 112: the free European emergency number, for life-threatening emergencies (serious collapse, accident, chest pain, loss of consciousness). It reaches ambulances, the fire brigade and the police; operators speak English.
• 088 00 30 600: the single number for the Huisartsenspoedposten Amsterdam, the evening, night and weekend GP services. This is the number to call for a problem that cannot wait but is not life-threatening.
• 0900-8844: the police for non-emergencies, such as a theft (+31 343 578 844 from a foreign phone). Everything about thefts and scams is covered in our guide to Amsterdam scams and safety.

In a life-threatening emergency, call 112 directly without going through a doctor: the ambulance will take you to the right hospital.

The Dutch system: the GP comes first

In the Netherlands, the huisarts (general practitioner) decides whether you need a specialist or a trip to the emergency department. Hospital emergency departments, called SEH (Spoedeisende Hulp), are not meant for walk-ins: OLVG points out that patients are seen there when referred by a GP or when they arrive by ambulance. If you go without a referral for a minor problem, you will be sent back to the GP service.

During the day: doctors for tourists

Visitors do not have their own huisarts. During the day, the official website of the Amsterdam tourist office directs travellers to two private services that consult in English, by phone or directly at your hotel:

• Tourist Doctor: +31 20 427 5011, hotel visits, consultations by phone or in person; its fees follow the scale of the national GP association and are covered by most travel insurance policies.
• TouristDoc: +31 20 262 4282, for minor injuries and common complaints, with visits to your room.

Keep the invoice: you will need it to be reimbursed.

Evenings, nights and weekends: the huisartsenpost

The Huisartsenspoedposten Amsterdam take over on weekdays from 5pm to 8am, and around the clock on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. You must always call first on 088 00 30 600: you cannot turn up without an appointment. A medical assistant assesses the situation over the phone, gives advice or books an appointment at one of the four posts:

• CentrumOost: Oosterpark 9, 1091 AC, inside the OLVG locatie Oost hospital;
• West: Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061 AE, inside the OLVG locatie West hospital;
• Zuidoost: Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, inside the Amsterdam UMC locatie AMC hospital;
• Noord: Statenjachtstraat 1, 1034 WR.

Bring an ID document, your insurance card and a list of any medication you are taking.

Hospitals with an emergency department

Three emergency departments open 24/7 receive patients in Amsterdam. None is in the historic centre: from Dam Square, the nearest are the two OLVG sites, 3 or 4 km away.

• OLVG locatie Oost: Oosterpark 9, 1091 AC Amsterdam, on the edge of Oosterpark. The emergency entrance is on Ruyschstraat. Switchboard: 020 599 91 11.
• OLVG locatie West: Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061 AE Amsterdam. Switchboard: 020 599 91 11.
• Amsterdam UMC locatie AMC: Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, in the south-east of the city. Emergencies: 020 566 2222.

Beware of outdated information: the emergency department of Amsterdam UMC locatie VUmc (De Boelelaan 1117) closed on 27 May 2024. Amsterdam UMC's general emergency services are now concentrated at the AMC.

Visitors without recognised insurance must pay OLVG a €400 deposit on arrival at the emergency department, in cash, by debit card or by credit card. Holders of the European Health Insurance Card are exempt.

Pharmacy (apotheek) or drugstore: the difference

In the Netherlands, there are two types of shop:

• The drogisterij (drugstore), such as the Kruidvat and Etos chains, sells everyday products without a prescription: painkillers in small packs, plasters, sunscreen, condoms, toiletries. You will find them on every shopping street; at Amsterdam Centraal station, there is an Etos shop at Stationsplein 35-L, handy when you arrive by train.
• The apotheek (pharmacy) dispenses prescription medicines and gives advice. A medicine prescribed abroad is not always dispensed as is: bring enough of your medication, in its original packaging, with the prescription.

In the evening, at night, at weekends and on public holidays, neighbourhood pharmacies close. The pharmacy at OLVG locatie West (Jan Tooropstraat 164, main hall) then becomes the duty pharmacy, or dienstapotheek, from 6pm to 8am, for urgent prescriptions only, for example those written by the huisartsenpost. The hospital charges a surcharge of €40.89 per medicine dispensed, on top of the price of the medicine.

European card and insurance: who pays?

Care is not free for visitors, and you often have to pay upfront.

• Insured in France and the European Union: before leaving, request your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, called CEAM in France) from your health insurance fund. According to CLEISS, the French body for international social security, it entitles you in the Netherlands to the same cover as Dutch insured people: GP consultations reimbursed with some exceptions, hospital stays and ambulance transport covered, a possible contribution towards medicines. Dental care for adults is not covered. If a practitioner makes you pay, the Dutch body to contact for reimbursement is Zilveren Kruis.
• Without an EHIC: a French-insured traveller can claim reimbursement from their health insurance fund on returning home, using form S3125.
• Outside the European Union: take out travel insurance that covers medical costs and repatriation. Keep its assistance number on you.

In all cases, keep invoices, prescriptions and proof of payment. To pay on the spot, a bank card is essential: see our guide to money, card payments and tipping in Amsterdam.

Emergency dentist

For toothache, the Amsterdam tourist office recommends Dental365, Piet Heinkade 215, 1019 HM Amsterdam, east of Central Station, along the IJ. The practice sees patients without prior registration, often the same day, from 8am to 11pm, and a dentist can be reached by phone 24/7 on 0900-1515 (premium-rate call). Payment is made on the spot by card; the price follows the official scale for Dutch dentists, with a surcharge in the evening, at night and at weekends.

Risks specific to Amsterdam

Bikes, trams and canals

The most common accidents among visitors are traffic-related: a pedestrian stopping on a cycle lane, a novice cyclist catching a wheel in a tram rail, a fall on wet cobblestones. If you rent a bike, cross the rails at a right angle and watch out for slippery cobbles along the canals. The quays often have no railings: at night, especially after drinking, keep away from the edge. If someone falls into the water, call 112.

Cannabis, space cakes and drugs

The cannabis sold in coffeeshops, which are for over-18s only, is often stronger than visitors expect. Space cakes are the classic trap: the effect kicks in late, and many people take more before feeling it, then feel unwell. Start with a small dose, eat, drink water and do not mix with alcohol. The rules are explained in our guide to coffee shops in Amsterdam.

All other drugs remain illegal, and those sold in the street, particularly in the Red Light District or around Leidseplein, are often adulterated. If you feel unwell, do not hesitate to call 112: emergency services are there to treat you. Jellinek's anonymous drug-testing service (Jacob Obrechtstraat 92, Wednesday to Friday from 5pm to 8:30pm, €2.50 per sample, cash only) is not suited to a short stay: the result is not immediate, and in practice Jellinek reserves it for people staying more than a week in Amsterdam.

Alcohol and nights out

Nights out in the Red Light District and on Leidseplein regularly end in the emergency department: falls, alcohol poisoning, fights. Drink water between drinks, keep an eye on your glass and go home in a group. Our tips for going out are in the guide Amsterdam by night.

Water, heat and sexual health

• Tap water: it is safe to drink everywhere in Amsterdam, and the city has many free drinking fountains; bring a water bottle.
• Heat and sun: summers can be hot and days of walking long; drink regularly, cover your head and wear sunscreen, even on overcast days on the water.
• Sexual health: condoms are sold in every drugstore. The GGD Amsterdam sexual health centre (Nieuwe Achtergracht 100, near Weesperplein) sees people by online appointment only, after an assessment of your situation, with no ID check.

Summary table

Prices checked in October 2026.

Further reading

To avoid missteps that end badly, from cycle lanes to canals, read our guide to mistakes to avoid in Amsterdam. To find somewhere to relieve yourself in town, see our guide to toilets in Amsterdam, and to get to the hospitals by tram, metro or night bus, our guide to public transport in Amsterdam.