Student health insurance in Belgium

If you’re coming to Belgium to study and are looking for your first health insurance plan, you’re eligible for expat health insurance. If you want to get covered quickly in order to obtain your visa or temporary residence permit, you can sign up entirely in English for this affordable health insurance. However, it’s not a long-term solution. There’s a maximum term limit of five years.

Yes, every person in Belgium -including students- needs to be covered by a form of health insurance. If you're a student coming from outside the EU/EEA, you'll need to show a proof of health insurance when applying for your visa. If you're already in Belgium, you have to register for the public health insurance called mutuelle.

More information on this can be found here.

If you're coming from outside the EU/EEA, you'll need to apply for a student visa. More information on the Belgian visa application process can be found here.

Upon your arrival in Belgium, there are a few things you need to take care of:

• Officially enrolling in the university
• Getting public health insurance
• Finding accomodation
• Opening a Belgian bank account

A complete guide for studying in Belgium can be found here.

Expat health insurance is suitable for anyone who is relocating to Belgium, regardless of their employment status. Students, freelancers and job seekers are all eligible to get covered with this policy.

Yes, this policy meets the legal requirements (€30,000 minimum coverage and repatriation) for getting your first visa or residence permit in Belgium and after signing up you will receive a document that qualifies as the official proof of your health insurance for the Belgian authorities.

However, it may not meet the requirements to renew your visa or residence permit. If you need help getting health insurance to renew your visa or residence permit, reach out to us. We can talk you through your options after having expat insurance.

If your visa is denied, this will happen before your planned arrival in Belgium, and therefore before your policy start date.

You can simply cancel the policy in one click from your Feather account, and you’ll be fully refunded automatically.

Refunds usually arrive within 3 working days, depending on your bank.

Immediately. Your policy documents will be waiting for you in your Feather account after you finish signing up. You can use these documents as proof of health insurance for your visa or residence permit application.

Expat health insurance has a maximum term limit of five years. This five-year term starts on the first day you arrive in Belgium. For example, if you moved to Belgium on the 1st of January 2020 but signed up for Expat Insurance on the 2nd of June 2021, you can only remain on the policy until the 1st of January 2025.

Monthly cancellation

Our expat health policies work with a monthly cancellation, which means that you can cancel it anytime. Whenever you cancel, you will no longer be charged during the next monthly billing cycle.

Start date within 14 days of purchase

If you purchase a policy that becomes active within 14 days of purchase, you have 14 days from the date of purchase to cancel your policy and receive a full refund (as long as no claims were made during this period).

Start date in the future (over 14 days of purchase)

If you purchase a policy with a start date in the future (over 14 days), you can still cancel the policy before it has started and get a full refund.

Yes, you'll have to pay upfront. We suggest paying the doctor or clinic as soon as possible to avoid any late fees. Following that, submit photos of all invoices, receipts, and documents related to the incident in your Feather account to get reimbursed. There is a €25 copayment per event that will be deducted from the reimbursement. The reimbursement will be made to you, not to the doctor.

No. Unlike some travel policies, this policy is not limited to emergencies. If you have a new illness and need to go see a doctor for it, the policy will cover the costs relates to your doctor visit and the costs of any prescribed specialist visits or drugs related to this issue. The policy does not cover treatment for issues that existed before the policy was purchased or doctor appointments for a regular check-up.

Yes, the expat health insurance will cover some dental treatments for new dental conditions requiring pain relief like simple fillings and emergency cleanings. This treatment is covered for up to €500 per year. Preventative dental treatments like check-ups and routine cleaning are not covered.

Before arrival, signing up to a public health insurance fund is usually not possible. Feather's student health policy is designed to bridge that gap.

As soon as you have arrived, you can join a public health insurance fund if you have a Belgian address and the certificate of enrolment from your university.

You can sign up for public health insurance with Feather once you're eligible. We then cancel your expat health policy for you, ensuring a smooth transition and no gap in coverage.