Public health insurance for expats in Belgium for €10.30/month

If you are a Belgian resident and you pay social security contributions, you must join a health insurance fund.

If you are registered in Belgium as a resident, but you're not paying social security contributions, you can still join a public health insurance fund.

If you are unsure about your situation, reach out to us on WhatsApp or book a free consultation to check your options.

If you're living in Belgium as a retiree and you receive a Belgian pension, you can join a public health insurance fund.

If you do not receive a Belgian pension, you will first need to declare your income from abroad and pay social security contributions. As soon as this is done, you will be able to join the public health system.

Yes, there is no medical questionnaire to be filled and no medical history that can make you unfit to join a public health insurance fund.

Nevertheless, there are certain specific costs and medications that might not be covered, as is decided per Belgian law.

No, you can join and be covered until any age.

In order to be eligible to join a public health insurance fund (mutuelle or ziekenfonds) in Belgium, you need to have a national identification (INSS) number.

You need to be a Belgian resident to have this number, and based on this number the health insurance fund will be able to check if you are contributing to the social security. If you are contributing (or have contributed) to the system, you will also be allowed to benefit from it by joining a Belgian mutuelle or ziekenfonds that can intervene in your medical expenses.

If you're not working in Belgium and therefore also not contributing to social security, you can't join a mutuelle. In this case, Feather's expat health policy can bridge the gap. You can take out this policy for €72/month and cancel it as soon as you are eligible for public health insurance.

There is one exception: if you are a student enrolled in a Belgian university, you can join public health insurance with the enrolment certificate from the university.

Public health insurance is organised by public health funds, also called mutuelle (FR) or ziekenfonds (NL). If you are living in Belgium and contributing to social security, joining a public health insurance fund is mandatory. If you're a Belgian resident but not contributing to social security, you can join the public health insurance under specific conditions.

It is decided by law what the public health insurance covers, which leads to 60-70% of most common medical costs. The companies (mutuelles/ziekenfondsen) that offer this public insurance, offer private top-ups and small extras that provide more coverage.

On top of that, there are also broader private health coverage packages, that cover a wide variety of conditions and medical expenses, but often also only as a top-up for those already covered by the public system.

Everyone in Belgium needs to have a form of health insurance. The people who are not eligible for public health insurance, can take out a private insurance policy. Feather's expat policy is an example of such insurance.

If you are a Belgian resident and you pay social security contributions, you must join a health insurance fund. As soon as you are enrolled in this public insurance, you can usually cancel your international insurance. There is no need to have the two.

If you want to take a private insurance on top of the public one, you should look for one that adds on to the public one to ensure a maximum coverage. The international policies usually cover roughly the same or less than the public insurance.

Feather helps people sign up to Helan, an independent mutuelle that offers great support for English speakers.

Yes, you can add your partner for the same price of €10.30 per month. Any dependent children can join for free.

Yes, if you are registered with a Belgian public health insurance fund, you will receive a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card entitles you to a refund for unexpected medical care in the EU.