Fertility Benefits for Employers in the Netherlands

Written by Anna Haotanto, Founder, Zora Health. Last reviewed: November 2026. General information, not legal or medical advice. This guide covers IVF and egg freezing costs, public funding, the rules and how to build a fertility benefit.

Why fertility is a business problem for employers

Fertility treatment does not fit around a work calendar. A clinic sets the date of a scan the day before. Egg collection happens when the body is ready, usually about 36 hours after a final trigger injection. Then comes a two-week wait, and for many couples, another cycle. Your team feels it: missed meetings, unexplained absences, a strong performer who suddenly goes quiet.

The World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by infertility. We found no Dutch survey on how many employees keep treatment from their employer. In a 2022 Freya and Ouders van Nu survey of more than 1,500 prospective parents, 47% talked openly about treatment; it did not ask about work (Ouders van Nu, November 2022). In a 2023 Carrot Fertility survey of 5,000 people in Canada, India, Mexico, the UK and the US, 79% felt uncomfortable discussing fertility at work.

• Resignations. 39% of employees with fertility challenges in Ferring‘s 2025 survey of more than 3,600 people in Australia, France, Japan, Poland and the UK had left or considered leaving their job during treatment.
• Unclear time off. 60% in the same survey were not clearly entitled to time off for fertility appointments.
• Costs outside the package. Cover stops after 3 attempts per pregnancy and at 43, and covered cycles count towards the deductible (Besluit zorgverzekering).
• Uneven costs. Donor sperm is not reimbursed, a cost that falls mainly on single women and female couples, and elective egg freezing is paid privately (Univé, Overstappen.nl).

What employers gain

What IVF costs, and what the state pays

Basic health insurance is compulsory and set by law. Cover requires a medical reason for the fertility problem (Zorginstituut Nederland). Under article 2.4 of the Besluit zorgverzekering, fertility care is excluded from age 43 (unless an IVF attempt started before then), the 1st and 2nd attempts under 38 are covered only with a single embryo transfer, and a 4th attempt per intended pregnancy is excluded. IUI is covered for women under 43 with a referral, but donor sperm is not (Consumentenbond, Univé).

Sources: TFP Medisch Centrum Kinderwens, price list valid from 1 February 2026. Rounded; other clinics set their own fees.

Sources: Besluit zorgverzekering, art. 2.4 (from 1 July 2026); Consumentenbond; Overstappen.nl; Medisch Centrum Kinderwens. Sites that say “42 or younger” mean the same limit.

Age strongly predicts IVF success, but NVOG does not publish Dutch results by age. In 2022, the latest year published, 19.7% of started IVF cycles and 23.6% of started ICSI cycles led to an ongoing pregnancy (more than 10 weeks after egg collection) (NVOG 2022). In preliminary UK HFEA data for 2023, the fresh IVF birth rate per embryo transferred (own eggs) was 35% at ages 18 to 34 and 5% at 43 to 44 (HFEA, UK data).

An employee who starts in her late 30s can use up her covered cycles as success rates fall, so the size and timing of an allowance matter.

Fertility support that fits your workforce and budget

You do not need to overhaul your existing health insurance to support employees through fertility treatment. Start with awareness and manager education, add confidential one-to-one support, or introduce a funded allowance across your offices. There is no minimum company size.

Where included in the employer programme, eligible employees can use talks and care navigation without paying Zora a separate fee. Care navigation allowances are set in each proposal. Treatment and other third-party costs are paid separately, either by employees or through the fertility allowance their employer provides.

Optional add-ons can be added to any programme, subject to availability: hormone and fertility diagnostics and telehealth with specialists. Pricing is tailored to your headcount, your countries and the services you choose. Most companies start with a single talk.

Request a proposal See how Zora works for employers

Plan your fertility benefit budget

Already have corporate health insurance? Here is where Zora fits

Your medical plan may cover some consultations and tests, but fertility treatment is often limited or excluded, so check your policy wording. Employees still need to understand their options, the public funding they qualify for and which clinic suits them.

Zora works alongside your existing insurance and benefits. We help employees get reliable information, navigate their care options and reach suitable specialists, and we give HR manager guidance, policy templates and, on the Complete programme, anonymised reporting. You strengthen fertility support without replacing your medical plan.

How Zora works

For your employees

Employees join the Zora app with a company code, or single sign-on for larger teams. They can learn about fertility and egg freezing, understand what your benefit covers, book a confidential care navigation call and find partner clinics and specialists.

For HR

1. Kick-off, week 1. Agree goals, countries and which employees are eligible.
2. Policy and benefit design, weeks 2 to 4. Draft or update your fertility policy using our templates.
3. Launch, typically weeks 4 to 6. A launch talk for employees and managers, plus a communications pack for HR to send.
4. Live support. Employees book care navigation calls and use the Zora app.
5. Reporting, every 3 months, on the Complete programme. Anonymised usage, common themes and our recommendations, reviewed with your account manager.

Privacy

Employee privacy is central to our programmes. On the Complete programme, routine employer reports contain aggregated engagement and utilisation information, with safeguards to prevent identification of individual employees. On every programme, personal health information is not included in standard HR reporting, and employees can get help without telling their manager. Where eligibility checks or claims administration need individual-level data, access is limited to authorised parties for defined purposes, as agreed in writing before launch. Employee data is handled in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act and the Netherlands’ data protection rules under the GDPR and the Dutch GDPR Implementation Act (UAVG), which treat health data as special category data.

Clinics and doctors in the Netherlands

Zora’s clinic and doctor directory does not list providers in the Netherlands yet. It lists 421 clinics and 1,185 doctors across 25 countries, mostly in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (browse clinics or browse doctors). Employees in the Netherlands can still use Zora’s education and the Zora app. Ask us how your team in the Netherlands would use Zora before you launch. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.

Rules and eligibility in the Netherlands

Why employers choose Zora

Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with Zora Health. We work alongside your existing insurance, helping employees use the cover they already have and find suitable specialists based on their needs.

“

Trying to conceive with a heavy workload took a toll on my husband and me. It helped us understand our options.

Questions HR teams ask us

Is fertility leave mandatory in the Netherlands?

No. There is no statutory fertility or IVF leave. Employees can use sick leave, annual leave, special leave under a collective agreement or contract, or a flexible working request, and employers can add paid fertility leave in their own policy.

Does basic health insurance pay for IVF in the Netherlands?

Yes, within limits and with a medical reason for the fertility problem. The basisverzekering covers up to 3 IVF or ICSI attempts per intended pregnancy until the woman turns 43, with a single embryo transfer required in the 1st and 2nd attempts for women under 38. Covered treatment counts towards the own-risk deductible, which is €385 in 2026 and €400 in 2027.

Is elective egg freezing covered in the Netherlands?

No. Egg freezing is legal, but basic insurance pays only when there is a medical reason, such as chemotherapy. At one Dutch clinic, a non-medical freezing cycle cost €2,840 in 2026 plus about €1,000 to 1,500 for medication, with storage charged yearly.

Does Zora replace our health insurance?

No. Zora works alongside your insurance. We help employees understand their options, find suitable specialists and use the cover they already have.

How much does a fertility benefit cost an employer?

It depends on the allowance, eligibility and expected uptake. Use the budget planner on this page for a first estimate, then ask us for a tailored proposal based on your headcount and countries.

How quickly can we launch?

Typically 4 to 6 weeks from contract to launch, depending on scope and countries. Most companies start with a single talk.

Related guides for Dutch employers

Information on this page is correct as of 5 November 2026. Laws, public funding, insurance rules and treatment costs change often, so check current rules with the relevant authority, insurer or a qualified adviser before making decisions. This page is general information, not legal, financial, tax or medical advice.