PrEP in the Netherlands: The GGD Wait and the GP Route

The heavily subsidized national PrEP pilot program officially ended in mid-2024. Today, the Dutch system is a patchwork: the GGD (Municipal Health Services) still provides excellent, free PrEP care and prescriptions, but the waitlists in major cities can be brutal. Because of this bottleneck, most guys bypass the GGD entirely and get their prescription directly from their huisarts (General Practitioner) or a private clinic, paying out of pocket for the cheap generic pills at the pharmacy.

Who Can Get It

If you want PrEP and can pay for the pills (and potentially your Eigen Risico deductible for lab tests), you can get it. There are no strict national demographic restrictions for private/GP prescriptions, so long as you test HIV-negative and have healthy kidneys. The GGD prioritizes MSM, trans individuals, and sex workers for their free care slots.

The Pathway: How to Get It

You have three main doors to knock on.

1. The Huisarts Route (The Standard, Reliable Path)

This is the most common route today.

• The Process: Book a consultation with your GP and ask for PrEP. Most Dutch GPs are now well-versed in prescribing it.
• The Tests: Your GP will order baseline tests (HIV, STIs, kidney function). Warning: These tests will be deducted from your Eigen Risico (annual health insurance deductible).
• The Pills: Your GP gives you a prescription. You go to a standard pharmacy and pay out of pocket (around €25–€35/month for generics).

2. The GGD Route (Free Care, Huge Waitlists)

The GGD offers free PrEP consultations and free monitoring tests (meaning it doesn't touch your Eigen Risico). You still have to pay for the pills at the pharmacy.

• The Catch: "Patiëntenstop." Many GGD locations in major cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam) are at maximum capacity and have closed their lists to new patients. You must check your local GGD website to see if spots are open.
• The Move: The Hybrid Approach. Get your prescription from your huisarts so you can start right away, but join the GGD waitlist. Once the GGD takes you, you can move your quarterly monitoring to them, saving you from hitting your Eigen Risico every year just for bloodwork.

3. Private Clinics

If your GP refuses or you want zero hassle, private specialized clinics like OneDayClinic offer PrEP care. You pay for the consultation and the tests, but the access is immediate.

If You Can't Wait

If you are stuck on a GGD waitlist, just use your GP. It is not worth waiting unprotected when your GP can write the script tomorrow.

• Importing Online: Do not do this. Dutch Customs are notoriously strict. It is illegal to import prescription medication via online orders. If you order generic PrEP from abroad and have it mailed to the Netherlands, Customs will seize it. Just go to your GP—the pharmacy cost of €25-€35 is cheap enough that the risk of black-market imports makes no sense here.

Test before you start: Never start taking PrEP without a confirmed negative HIV test. Starting PrEP with an undetected HIV infection risks creating a drug-resistant strain of the virus, making it much harder to treat.

What Happens After (Monitoring)

You need to be tested every 3 months to renew your prescription.

• The Tests: HIV, kidney function, and a full STI screen. You must ensure you get three-site testing (throat swab, anal swab, urine) to properly catch gonorrhea and chlamydia.
• The Cost: If you do this via your GP, the lab work hits your Eigen Risico. If you manage to get into the GGD, the quarterly tests are completely free.

What's Available

• Daily Oral PrEP: The standard. Generic TDF/FTC or TAF/FTC.
• On-Demand PrEP (2-1-1): Taking two tablets 2–24 hours before sex, one 24 hours after, and one 48 hours after. Because you pay for your own pills in the Netherlands, this method drastically cuts your costs if you don't have sex every week. Tell your GP you want to use the 2-1-1 method.
• Injectable PrEP: Not broadly available or funded as standard in the Netherlands.

Route Comparison

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