Not every health need goes through your huisarts. Travel jabs, STI testing and some sexual-health services run through the GGD, the public-health service most newcomers have never heard of. Here is what it does and the Dutch you need.
What the GGD is
The GGD (Gemeentelijke/Gemeenschappelijke Gezondheidsdienst) is the municipal public-health service. It is separate from your GP and the hospital, and handles, as GGD GHOR Nederland and the RIVM describe:
- reizigersvaccinaties (travel vaccinations) and malaria advice,
- soa-testen (STI testing) and sexual-health advice,
- the consultatiebureau for young children (the infamous consultatiebureau appointments) and the RVP vaccination schedule),
- infectious-disease control and public-health campaigns.
Travel vaccinations
Going somewhere that needs jabs? Book a reizigersconsult (travel consultation) at the GGD or a travel clinic:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de reizigersvaccinatie | travel vaccination |
| het reizigersconsult | travel health consult |
| de malariapillen | malaria tablets |
| het vaccinatieboekje | vaccination record |
It is a paid service, and you should go several weeks before departure, since some vaccines need time or multiple doses. Bring ID and any vaccination record.
Soa testing and sexual health
The GGD runs Centra Seksuele Gezondheid (sexual-health centres) where soa-testen (STI tests) can be free and confidential if you meet certain criteria (age, symptoms, risk factors); otherwise you test via your huisarts, which may count toward your eigen risico. They also give contraception and sexual-health advice, complementing getting the pill at the huisarts.
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de soa-test | STI test |
| het condoom | condom |
| de uitslag | the result |
| vertrouwelijk | confidential |
Booking and what to bring
You make an afspraak (appointment) online or by phone, the phone-call phrases help, and bring a valid legitimatiebewijs (ID). Results (de uitslag) come by phone or a secure portal. The patient site Thuisarts.nl explains many of these topics in plain language.
Know which service you need
The Dutch system splits care, so it helps to know who does what:
- Everyday illness, referrals, prescriptions: your huisarts.
- Specialist/hospital care: via a referral to the polikliniek.
- Travel jabs, STI tests, public health: the GGD.
Costs and a few practical notes
A few things worth knowing before you go. Travel vaccinations are paid (per jab plus a consultation fee), and the GGD can give you an official record (an international vaccinatieboekje or digital proof) you may need at some borders. Soa testing through the GGD’s sexual-health centre is free only if you meet the criteria; otherwise testing via your huisarts is an option but may count toward your eigen risico. The GGD also runs vaccination campaigns and health screenings, so it is worth checking its site for what your region offers. Bring your legitimatiebewijs to every appointment.
Where it connects
The GGD sits with the rest of Dutch healthcare: the huisarts gateway, contraception, the cervical screening, mental-health care via the huisarts, and understanding eigen risico.
The bottom line
The GGD is the public-health service for what your GP does not do: reizigersvaccinaties (book weeks ahead, paid), soa-testen (often free and confidential at a sexual-health centre), and sexual-health advice, plus the consultatiebureau and disease control. Make an afspraak, bring ID, and know whether your need is for the huisarts, the hospital, or the GGD.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the public-health vocabulary you need, GGD, reizigersvaccinatie, soa-test, afspraak, in five-minute lessons built on real appointments, so you reach the right service for travel jabs and sexual health.
Frequently asked questions
What is the GGD in the Netherlands?
The GGD (Gemeentelijke of Gemeenschappelijke Gezondheidsdienst) is the municipal public-health service. It handles things outside your huisarts’s day-to-day care: travel vaccinations (reizigersvaccinaties), STI testing (soa-testen) and sexual-health advice, the consultatiebureau for young children, infectious-disease control, and public-health campaigns. It is a separate organisation from your GP and the hospital, so for these specific needs you contact the GGD directly.
Where do I get travel vaccinations in the Netherlands?
At the GGD (or a specialised travel clinic). You make an appointment for a reizigersconsult (travel consultation), where they advise on vaccinations and malaria tablets for your destination, then give the jabs (vaccinaties). It is a paid service, and you should book several weeks before departure since some vaccines need time or multiple doses. Bring ID and, if you have one, your vaccination record (vaccinatieboekje).
Can I get a free STI test in the Netherlands?
Often yes. The GGD runs Centra Seksuele Gezondheid where soa-testen (STI tests) can be free and confidential if you meet certain criteria (for example age, symptoms, or risk factors); otherwise you can test via your huisarts, which may count toward your eigen risico. The GGD service also gives sexual-health and contraception advice. You book an afspraak online or by phone; results follow by phone or a secure portal.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for health services?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the public-health vocabulary you meet, GGD, reizigersvaccinatie, soa-test, afspraak, uitslag, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so you reach the right service and understand the appointment for travel jabs or sexual health.
