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

• Health
• Home
• Car

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.

Addresses

La Mutualité Chrétienne
www.mc.be
Brussels 02 501 5800
Liège 04 230 1616
Gent 09 224 7711
Antwerp 03 221 9251

La Mutualité Libérale
www.mut400.be
Brussels 02 501 5800
Liège 04 230 1616
Gent 09 224 7711
Antwerp 03 221 9251

La Mutualité Libre
www.mloz.be
Brussels 02 444 4111
Liège 04 344 8611
Gent 09 269 8501
Antwerp 03 201 8400

La Mutualité Neutre
www.mut206.be
Brussels 02 733 9740
Liège 04 254 5411
Gent 053 76 9999
Antwerp 03 491 0999

La Mutualité Socialiste
www.mutsoc.be www.socmut.be
Brussels 02 506 9611
Liège 04 341 6211
Gent 09 265 5500
Antwerp 03 232 6975

Partena
www.partena.be

 

Home Insurance

Whether you own or rent your property, you need to get insurance.  Almost all rental agreements in Belgium require the tenant to take out insurance on the rented property within 30 days of signing a lease.  This insurance is required by the Belgian Civil Code, which holds a tenant responsible for any damage to the building unless proof can be given that it was not his/her fault.  If you are renting, take your lease with you when you arrange your insurance.  You are also responsible for providing cover against third party liability, but the owner is required to have a policy covering the property against earthquakes, lightning, fire, etc.  If you are in furnished accommodation you are required to take out insurance against damage to the landlord's furniture.  

Homeowners may have a policy linked to their mortgage but there is no obligation to do this. Additionally if you employ a part-time or full-time cleaner or nanny you need to take out special low-cost liability insurance for when they slip on the stairs. Home buyers are responsible for the insurance after signing the compromis de vente - around 4 months before they get the keys.

Contents insurance is not compulsory but advisable. Remember that theft is not covered automatically in contents insurance: it is an option. Valuable personal items such as jewellery or cameras, may require an All Risks policy, which will cover you for damage or loss in or out of the home. Premiums on these for desirables such as laptop computers are high.

Insurers

ING
02 728 9111
www.ing.be

Frame
016 353 246
www.frame-pfp.be

KBC
078 152 153
www.kbc.be

Winterthur-Belgique
02 519 7411
www.winterthur.be

Both renters and home owners must have insuranc

Car Insurance

Belgian car insurance is expensive, and it is the car not the driver which is insured.  This means that anyone can drive your car, but if you want cover for injury sustained by the driver, you need to ask for additional coverage.  Not all companies provide this, so shop around.  

The minimum insurance required by Belgian law is Third Party Liability, which covers death, bodily injury or physical damage that you cause to another person.  You can opt for Fully Comprehensive cover, which provides for most eventualities including vandalism, fire, theft or damage resulting from a collision. There is an excess payable by the insured for each claim, varying with the value of the car.  A special low-cost comprehensive policy is also possible but only covers you if the accident is not your fault which may be hard or tedious to prove.  Once you have decided on your insurance policy, the company will issue you with a Green Card, which you should keep in your car at all times, since the police can demand to see it.  

You will also receive an accident report form, which you must keep in your car. Ask for additional copies in French, Dutch and your language, so you can complete it more easily.  If an accident happens, do the following:  ask for the other driver’s Green Card as proof of insurance;  get names and addresses of any witnesses before they leave the scene;  fill in the accident report form (and get both parties to sign);  state the facts but nothing else regarding liability.

Only some insurers will recognise any claim-free driving experience you have accumulated in other countries.  Those that do offer up a discount for a good driving record.

Updated June 2008

[Copyright Expatica 2006]