At the Public Health Department (Gemeenschappelijke Gezondheids Dienst = GGD), you can obtain information on all kinds of health-related subjects. The Public Health Department also gives vaccinations and performs tests for diseases such as tuberculosis. By going to the Public Health Department, you can choose to remain anonymous.
Dutch doctors have a professional code of ethics that forbids them from passing on information about their patients, even to the authorities. You can therefore consult them about any problem without worrying about your residence permit, for example. Just the same, you may need medical help but prefer to remain entirely anonymous. The GGD either has or can recommend clinics where you can get tests and treatment with no questions asked.
Foreigners who come to the Netherlands do not usually have to be vaccinated at the GGD. However, people coming from high-risk areas (non-western countries) are advised to have a test for tuberculosis. They are obliged to have one test as a precondition for obtaining a residence permit. Please note that a second test is not compulsory.
Public Health Department
(
GGD
)
Hanzeplein 120
9713 GW Groningen
Appointments by telephone: +31 (0) 50 367 40 00
N.B. Remember to always make an appointment before going!
To make an appointment for a TBC test
tel. + 31 (0)50 367 41 00*
*Note: You are only able to make appointments between 1.30 and 4 p.m.
