Testing for coronavirus
If you have symptoms such as a cold, cough, fever or sudden loss of smell or taste, you can get tested to see if you are infected with coronavirus. This will help us control the spread of the virus and protect one another. Read more about testing for COVID-19.
Register for a coronavirus test
If you have (mild) symptoms of COVID-19, make an appointment to get tested. Call the toll-free number 0800 1202 (or +31 850 659 063 if you're calling from a foreign phone) or make an appointment online using your DigiD (choose 'English'). Be sure to have your citizen service number (BSN) at hand.
You can only make an appointment online or by phone if you have one or more symptoms of COVID-19, such as:
- cold-like symptoms
- a stuffy nose
- a runny nose
- sneezing
- a sore throat
- a cough
- fever
- or sudden loss of smell or taste.
If you have severe symptoms or belong to an at-risk group, contact a doctor or hospital emergency department. In a life-threatening situation, always call 112.
Testing people who do not have symptoms
Until the end of November, only people with symptoms of COVID-19 could get tested. As of 1 December, people who do not have symptoms can also get tested if one or both of the following apply:
- Contact tracing has shown they have been in close contact with an infected person.
- They have received a notification from the CoronaMelder app following contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
People can be tested 5 days after their last high-risk contact. The GGD or CoronaMelder app will explain how to arrange a test, which will involve calling a different telephone number. If the results are negative, they will be able to leave quarantine.
Test does not show whether you have already had coronavirus (COVID-19)
The test only shows whether you are infected with coronavirus at the moment the test is taken. It does not show whether you were infected with coronavirus, but have since recovered.
Testing children for coronavirus
Young children and children in the first 2 years of primary school
Young children (aged 0 to 3) and children in the first 2 years of primary school (aged 4 to 6 or 7) do not need to be tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
If your child is very sick, contact your family doctor. They will decide whether your child needs a test. A test can also be arranged for a child who develops symptoms following contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. Contact your regional municipal health service (GGD) (only in Dutch). If your child is tested, keep them at home until you receive the results.
Children in primary school (3rd year and up)
Children in the 3rd year of primary school and up (aged 6 or 7 to 12 or 13) do not need to be tested if they only have cold-like symptoms. However, you are advised to arrange a test for a child who:
- has a fever or shortness of breath;
- develops symptoms following contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
As the child’s parent/carer, you can make an appointment by calling the toll-free number 0800 1202 (or +31 850 659 063 if you're calling from abroad). If your child is tested, keep them at home until you receive the results.
If your child is very sick, contact your family doctor.
Children in secondary school
Children of secondary school age (12 or 13 to 18) must stay home if they have COVID-19 symptoms, and get tested. As the parent/carer of a teenager, you can make an appointment for them (choose 'English'). You can also make an appointment online if your child has their own DigiD. If you make an appointment by telephone, your child will be asked to give consent for the test over the phone. Teenagers aged 16 and 17 can also make an appointment themselves.
If your child is very sick, contact your family doctor.
Testing at a GGD test location
When you call 0800-1202 (or +31 850 659 063 if you're calling from abroad) you’ll be connected to an assistant. This is not a doctor. The assistant will find the first available appointment for you. Some test locations can only be accessed by car.
Stay at home until it is time to go to the test location. Bring proof of identity and confirmation of your appointment with you. Your details will be checked when you arrive.
A GGD staff member will use a cotton swab to collect mucus from your throat and nose. The swab will go deep into your nose and throat. It will not hurt, but will probably feel uncomfortable. Go home immediately after the test and stay there until you get the results.
Coronavirus test results
If you made an appointment by telephone, you will receive your result by telephone as soon as possible. If you made an appointment online, you will receive a telephone call only if you test positive. The municipal health service (GGD) will call you. You do not need to call them.
If your test comes back negative, you can confirm your result by logging in to the coronavirus test website using your DigiD (choose 'English'). You will be notified by email when your result is available on the website, normally within 2 days.
If the test is negative, you are not infected with coronavirus. But you must still continue to observe the general measures. If the test shows that you do have COVID-19, someone from the GGD will call you for contact tracing.
Contact tracing
Contact tracing means working out where you may have contracted the infection (the source). The GGD also looks at who you have been in contact with (PDF, 210 KB), and who you may have infected (your contacts). The purpose of contact tracing is to prevent the virus from spreading further. You and your contacts will be given specific instructions on what to do. You and family members or other people that you live with must in any case stay at home. The GGD will explain what this means. It is important that you inform your GP, employer and/or company doctor of the results of the test.
Communication tools
Download posters and leaflets about testing for coronavirus.