Where will you have your operation?
There are various healthcare facilities both in and outside the Netherlands where feminising genital surgery is possible. On this page, you can read more about the healthcare facilities that offer the operations, and how you can get referred.
Your choice
In principle, you are free to choose which healthcare facility, and which doctor you wish to be treated by. However, please note that not all healthcare facilities have contracts with all health insurers. If you wish to be treated at a specific healthcare facility or by a specific doctor it is important that you have the right insurance policy with free choice of doctor.
If you have a budget policy (the cheapest health insurance), the insurer may determine which healthcare facility you must attend for your genital surgery. If you wish to have the operation elsewhere, your healthcare costs will not be reimbursed. You can find more information about health insurance on the Transvisie website. Health insurers and/or healthcare providers often have their own conditions regarding (reimbursement for) operations. Make sure you check these carefully.
Waitlists
Waitlists at healthcare providers in the Netherlands are often long. You can only be referred for genital surgery once you have completed a year of hormone therapy. Many trans and gender-diverse people find the waiting period frustrating. If you need social and mental health support whilst waiting for genital surgery, it is a good idea to ask for help.
Healthcare institutions in the Netherlands
There are several healthcare institutions in the Netherlands where you can have feminising genital surgery. Over time the types of surgery available and where they are performed may change. It is best to ask your healthcare provider for the latest information, or you can take a look at the Transvisie website or the Transgender Guide. When choosing a healthcare provider, it is a good idea to discuss the following questions with your referring doctor: whether you meet the criteria, whether the treatment is covered by insurance, whether you would prefer to receive all your care under one roof, and whether the healthcare provider has collaboration agreements with your referring doctor. If you receive care at different facilities, you will usually have to do more research and planning yourself.
Referral and conditions
If you wish to undergo genital surgery, your psychologist will refer you to one of these healthcare providers. You may also be referred to a healthcare provider where you are already receiving treatment, for example for hormone therapy or psychological support. Please note that some healthcare providers only accept referrals from specific referrers (in which case there is usually collaboration agreement in place).
The care pathway for genital surgery varies slightly for each healthcare provider. You will likely undergo a health check-up, and, in some cases, you may need to have one or more further consultations with a psychologist at the healthcare facility. Depending on the type of surgery, you will also speak to a physician assistant (PA) and/or a pelvic physiotherapist. Just before the operation, you will have an appointment with the plastic surgeon to discuss, amongst other things, the surgical technique.
Similar eligibility criteria apply to all healthcare institutions in the Netherlands for genital surgery. You can read more here about how to prepare properly for your genital surgery.
Abroad
Do you wish to have genital surgery abroad and receive reimbursement for it? If so, ensure you have written authorisation from your health insurance in advance. Make sure you are fully informed in advance about the treatment, the costs and the reimbursement.
Conditions for surgery abroad
- You must also meet certain conditions abroad to be eligible for genital surgery. Although this varies per country and healthcare provider, these are the most common conditions:
- You must be at least 20 years old. If you are 18 or 19, you will often need consent from your parents or legal guardians.
- You have socially transitioned at least one year ago.
- You must have been undergoing hormone therapy for at least one year (without interruption).
- You must consult both a psychiatrist in your own country and in the country where the surgery will take place (this is usually, but not always, arranged by the hospital abroad).
- You must be physically fit enough for surgery. Abroad, the same requirements regarding BMI and smoking generally apply as in the Netherlands. You can find out more about these requirements on the page dedicated to the operation itself.
- You have support from friends and/or family in the country where the operation is taking place.
Make sure you are well prepared for the procedure. You can find more about the preparations you can make here. The country where the procedure is carried out may require additional preparations.
Cost indication
Genital reassignment surgery can be very expensive. The costs range from approximately €30,000 to €100,000; this varies depending on the surgical technique and the country or clinic. Additional costs may sometimes apply for hospital stays, post-operative care, consultation fees, medication or transport.
Whether the costs of genital surgery abroad are reimbursed depends on your health insurance policy. There are no fixed rules on this; the insurer assesses each case individually to determine whether reimbursement is possible. If you wish to undergo surgery abroad, it is therefore essential to obtain prior authorisation from your health insurer, otherwise you will not receive any reimbursement. You can find more information and tips on applying for reimbursement for genital surgery abroad on the Transvisie website.
Recovery period
Recovery after the operation is a lengthy process. You should allow for a stay of at least 3 to 4 weeks in the country where you have the operation. For any future corrective procedures, you can usually go to another healthcare provider, but reimbursement depends on the severity and medical necessity of the correction.
Follow-up
To monitor the progress of your recovery and prevent complications, you will need to attend regular check-up appointments with a local doctor after the operation. It is therefore important that, before your operation abroad, you have already established contact with a doctor in the Netherlands who can see you for these check-ups.
This text was edited on 3-11-2026
Next Step
We recommend that you go through all the information chapters step by step to get a complete picture of the various treatment options and the process involved!We strive to keep this information up to date. Do you have any additions or comments regarding the information above? Please email us at [email protected]
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Sexual Activity
On this page, you will find more information about possible changes to your sex life following genital surgery
Social and emotional support