Browse Topics
Tools
Editor's choice

Doing business in Belgium

A guide to doing gaffe-free business here.

Belgium country factbook

Includes geography, people, government, economy and transnational issues.

Student accommodation in Belgium

Find an affordable roof over her head.

50 years on, Asterix still holding out

Heroic Gauls celebrate their half century.

The not-so-secret recipe for Belgian frites

Kimberley uncovers the sacred rituals of Frite Almighty.

How to repatriate successfully

Tips for managing a successful relocation back home.

Internaxx Stock Market
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.3 0.50
DAX 5252.45 1.50
IBEX 30 10726.8 0.59
CAC 40 3377.59 1.40
FTSE 100 4564.5 0.79
AEX 276.85 0.95
DJIA 9096.72 -0.13
Nasdaq 1975.51 0.39
FTSE MIB 20341.67 1.65
TSX Composite 10570.54 -1.74
ASX 4148.9 -0.60
Hang seng 20135.5 -2.37
Straits Times 0.00
ISEQ 20 442.48 0.27
You are here: Home Finance & Business Pensions & Insurance Insurance in Belgium

Pensions & Insurance

archive
Print Email Comment Subscribe
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size

03/06/2008Insurance in Belgium

Health, home and car insurance, here is our comprehensive guide to good coverage in Belgium.

Health insurance

Health care insurance is a part of the Belgian Social Security system and to benefit you must join a health insurance fund mutuelle(mutualité)/ziekenfonds(mutualiteit). Once you are employed by a Belgian company, your contributions and those of your employer will be automatically deducted from your salary by the ONSS (National Office of Social Security).  Then you sign up with a health insurance fund, which will reimburse your medical costs.  To take you on they will need a written certification of employment signed by your employer.

You are free to choose any company you want. Although most of them are affiliated to a religious or political institution, there is no real difference because reimbursement rates are fixed by the Belgian government. These funds do not, however, cover 100 percent of your bills; you may get around half to three-quarters of a typically doctors or specialists visit. Check also with your doctor that what he prescribes is refundable. Pharmacies maintain a state advised list. Consequently many people opt for additional private insurance (complémentaire). Once insured you get a standardised credit card style SIS card which you will need in pharmacies and hospitals. You also get a sheet of Dickensian stickers (vignettes) which you need to attach to a doctor's bill to get a refund.

EU nationals can benefit from the European Health Insurance Card (replacing the old E111 form) which offers cover across the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. You need to specifically apply for this and also be aware that the card usually needs to be renewed annually.

The government Social Security department has recently published a useful, if not complex, online guide to the system, which is available in English:

 www.socialsecurity.fgov.be.
Have your Belgian News delivered straight to your inbox - sign up for our e-mail newsletter now!

Print Email Comment Subscribe

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating

2 reactions to this article

Brian Iselin posted: 22-10-2008 | 4:44 PM

I note your comment that car insurance is expensive. I just received a quote from ING for comprehensive cover for a VW Golf: more than 3000EUR. That is more than expensive: I am flabbergasted. You might consider changing your text to: Car insurance in Belgium is appalingly expensive.

Kris posted: 19-11-2008 | 11:15 AM

I left my car on the street and three hours later I found it completely crushed. No phone number left behind, no evidence, no whitness. I had a Mini Omnium, or "Low-cost comprehensive policy", as you call it, and it doesn't pay me at all. Not even for total loss, as it is my case. So I do not recommend it to anyone.Even if the Full Omnium is expensive, go for it. By the way, Brian, 3000 Euros is way too much for a Golf. Change company. :-)

Reply
Finance essentials
Finance forums
participate in the forums
Finance expert Q&A
ask your question
Finance A-Z listings
find the business you need
Discussion Forums

Housing

Typical rent in Leuven center, by Caday

Gay & Lesbian

Looking for other Lesbian or Bisexual Expats, by chalks

Learning the Language

Someone to practice French?, by deashelle

Discuss Belgian Culture

Food in belgium, by joanne2009

Hobbies

Expat Grocery Store, by Demona

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Looking for work in Belgium

Looking for work in Belgium

This handy guide from Expertise in Labour Mobility includes how to write a CV, application procedure, interview dos and don'ts, Belgian management culture.

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Practical, easy-to-use, free and... in English

Belgium’s first alternative directory assistance services - available through the shortcode 14-14 - can now be accessed on the internet.

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Finding a rental home in Belgium

Moving to Belgium presents a host of challenges to expats, not least of all finding the right home.

Learning to cope with life abroad

Learning to cope with life abroad

The psychological effects of global mobility can be physically painful.