Booking a gynaecologist appointment: four steps

Booking a gynaecologist appointment in the Netherlands takes four steps: you see your GP, you get a referral letter, you call or book at the outpatient clinic of your choice, and you prepare for the consultation. Without a referral you can only go to a private clinic, and then you pay yourself.

It sounds more convoluted than it is. The whole route usually costs one GP visit and one phone call.

Step 1: book an appointment with your GP

Say what it is about when you book, even though that feels awkward. The assistant then schedules enough time, and for gynaecological symptoms a double twenty minute consultation is not unusual.

Bring your cycle data to that conversation and a short list of your symptoms and when they started. That is the difference between "I have had trouble for a while" and a concrete picture a referral can be based on.

Step 2: ask for a referral letter

If your GP considers specialist investigation appropriate, they write a referral letter. These days it usually goes to the hospital digitally, but you also get a copy or a referral number yourself.

Check three things before you leave the consulting room: which sub-specialty you are being referred to, how long the referral is valid, and whether any testing is needed beforehand. A referral is generally valid for a year.

Step 3: choose your own clinic

Your referral is not tied to one hospital. You have free choice of doctor, so you may pick the clinic with the shortest wait or the easiest journey. Do check whether your insurer has a contract with that institution, because that determines how much is reimbursed.

Current waiting times are on ZorgkaartNederland, with data the Dutch Healthcare Authority collects every two weeks. How to shorten that wait through insurer care mediation is in our article on gynaecologist waiting times.

Step 4: prepare for your consultation

Get ready: your medication list, earlier results, your cycle data and at most three questions you definitely want answered. Three, because you will not remember more and the most important one gets buried.

What happens during that first consultation is described in gynaecological examination: what happens. If you want to bring hormone values with you, a hormone test for women needs no referral and is usually bookable within a few days.

What if your GP will not refer you?

It happens, and it is not always unjustified. A GP refers on the basis of referral indications from the NHG guidelines, and part of gynaecological care deliberately belongs in primary care. Fitting an IUD or adjusting contraception really does not need a hospital.

But if you do not feel heard, you have a few concrete options. Ask explicitly why you are not being referred and have that answer recorded in your file. Ask what would need to change before referral does become appropriate, so you have a reference point. And book a follow-up rather than letting it drop.

If you cannot resolve it together, you may always ask for another GP in the practice or request a second opinion. How that route works and what it costs is in requesting a second opinion.

What should you check when booking?

Ask two things when scheduling. First, whether the hospital is contracted by your insurer, because with a non-contracted provider you often get only part reimbursed. Second, whether any testing is needed beforehand, such as blood work or a scan, because that saves an extra visit.

Bear in mind that your mandatory deductible starts running as soon as the care pathway opens. In 2026 that is 385 euros. Exactly what does and does not fall under it is set out in is a gynaecologist covered by insurance.

Frequently asked questions

Can I book without a referral?

At a private clinic yes, at a hospital clinic almost never. Without a referral your basic insurance does not cover the care, so you pay the bill yourself. More on this in gynaecologist without a referral.

How long is a referral letter valid?

Usually a year from the date of issue. If you book later than that, check with the clinic whether the referral still stands, otherwise you have to go back to your GP.

Can someone come with me?

Yes. You may always bring someone, both for the conversation and for the physical examination. Mention it when scheduling and they will take it into account.

References

• Thuisarts.nl, I want to see a specialist, 2026
• NHG, NHG guidelines and gynaecology referral indications, 2026
• Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa), Waiting times in specialist medical care, 2026

Every blood test result through Lunara includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. For a physical gynaecological examination, discuss your symptoms with your GP or gynaecologist.