Are you coming to work and live in Belgium?
If you have come to work and live in Belgium, and if you are bound by a Belgian employment contract, you must join a Belgian mutual insurance fund. You will therefore be covered at the level of health care and compensation.
Healthcare cover
A right to reimbursement linked to the health care cover will start directly (if this is your first registration in Belgium).
Cover for incapacity for work
With regard to the right to incapacity benefits (inability to work etc.) it will be open after a six-month probationary period.
Exceptions: if you are subject in one of the countries of the European Union or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and you have been registered with a health insurance fund in your country of origin then you may be exempted from this six-month probationary period. For that purpose, you must provide the E104 document (certificate relating to the total periods of insurance, employment or residence), which you can obtain, upon request, from the social insurance agency with which you are registered.
In the case of the United Kingdom, you will only be able to obtain the form E104 if you started your career in the United Kingdom before January, the 1st, 2021. Those who started their career in the United Kingdom after January, the 1st, 2021 will have to complete the six-month probationary period.
You are coming to work in Belgium and you are living abroad
You are considered as a border or migrant worker.
If you live in one of the countries of the European Union or the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you must join a Belgian health insurance fund. You will then receive an S1 form from the insurance fund with which you must register with an insurance fund in your country of residence. You can then benefit from reimbursement of health care costs in Belgium and in your country of residence.
If you reside in another country or if you wish further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the international conventions service.
You are coming to live in Belgium and you are working abroad
You are considered as a border or migrant worker.
If you are working in a European Union country or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you should join in your country of employment. Your country of employment issues you with an S1 form with which you must join the Belgian mutual insurance fund. You can thus benefit from the compensation for the health care in your country of employment as well as in Belgium.
If you are working in another country or if you wish to receive further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the international conventions service.
Have you been posted to Belgium?
You are working for a company abroad which is posting you to Belgium.
If a company established in the European Union or the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland has posted you, your country of employment issues you with an S1 form or a European card with which you must join the health insurance fund in Belgium. You may then benefit from the reimbursement of health care costs in your country of employment as well as in Belgium.
If you are seconded/posted by an undertaking established in another country or if you wish further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the international conventions service.
Are you a pensioner?
You are considered as a pensioner when you receive a retirement pension, a survivor’s pension, a disability pension etc. from abroad.
If you are receiving a pension from a European Union country or Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and you come to live in Belgium, the country that pays your pension issues you with an S1 form with which you should join the health insurance fund in Belgium. You may then benefit from reimbursement of health care costs in the country paying your pension as well as in Belgium.
If you receive a pension from another country or if you would like further information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the international conventions service.