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This guide is for UK citizens living, working or studying in Belgium; guidance is different for those visiting the country.
For those legally resident in Belgium up to and including December 31 2020, access to healthcare in the country will stay as is for the entire duration of residency.
It is compulsory to be covered by health insurance to be an official resident of Belgium. Health insurance is obtainable via the national scheme, known as both ‘mutuelle’ and ‘ziekenfonds’.
Residents sometimes pay for medical treatment, but this is refunded by the mutuelle / ziekenfonds system.
At present, access to healthcare for UK nationals is available via the following routes:
enrolling in a health insurance fund and paying social insurance
via a UK-issued European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) (for temporary residents)
obtaining a UK-issued S1 form to access the national fund.
The S1 system gives access to mutuelle / ziekenfonds healthcare to UK citizens on the same basis as to Belgian nationals. Recipients of UK state pensions and some other British benefits are eligible for S1 status.
Healthcare for British Belgian residents
It is essential to register as a resident if staying in Belgium for 3 months or more.
As part of registering as a resident, healthcare must be applied for, via:
the national scheme (mutuelle / ziekenfonds), plus
payment of social contributions.
Any dependents can be added to a health insurance plan.
It is possible to take out additional health insurance cover, although this is optional. Higher levels of insurance cover things like hospital stays and dental treatment.
People registered as Belgian residents on or before 31 December 2020 will retain the same level of healthcare after that date, for as long as residence continues. In this case, from 1 January 2021, healthcare will be provided in the same way as for Belgian nationals.
Registered Belgian residents who qualify for a UK state pension can also apply for healthcare via the S1 system.
Registration process
The first step is registration as an Belgian resident.
With registration comes a national residency card.
For employed people, the employer will sign workers up to the national health insurance scheme. The self-employed must register with the National Institute for the Social Security of the Self-employed (NISSE).
Social contributions are not compulsory in Belgium for certain categories of residents, including the unemployed and disabled.
All residents, however, must join a health insurance fund of some kind. Exactly which one will depend on individual circumstances.
Once enrolled with a health insurance fund, the national residency card is updated. This can then be taken to a doctor’s surgery or other facility for treatment.
It is not necessary to register with a doctor in Belgium.
Costs
Healthcare cover costs between 120 and 150 euros per year, on top of any social insurance.
When accessing healthcare, payment will be required; however, up to 80% of this is redeemable through health insurance. Any necessary surgery is free of charge in Belgium.
Some medical facilities, including pharmacies and hospitals, bill the healthcare fund directly.
Typical costs for healthcare are:
general practitioner appointments: 27 euros
hospital stays: 137 euros per day
dentists’ appointments: 22 euros.
Prices of medicine vary according to the medicine itself.
Posted workers
Posted workers are UK residents who are usually employed (including self-employed) in the UK, but have been ‘posted’ abroad to work in another country within the European Economic Area (EEA) for a specific period of time. Belgium is in the EEA.
Up until 31 December 2020, posted UK workers can access healthcare in Belgium via the EHIC system.
Non-UK residents posted in Belgium will require healthcare using a different route; HMRC has help advice for workers in this situation.
Both the EHIC and S1 healthcare provision systems remain in place for the duration of 2020.
S1 healthcare for UK citizens resident in Belgium
UK nationals registered as Belgian residents are eligible for state-funded healthcare, provided they receive:
a UK state pension
one or other ‘exportable benefits’.
(Note: Not all UK benefits claimable abroad entitle the claimant to UK-funded healthcare.)
Posted workers and frontier workers (those working in a different country to that of their registered residence) may be able to claim healthcare cover via the S1 system. Contact HMRC National Insurance for details.
Once registered as an Belgian resident, the S1 healthcare form covers the applicant and any dependents. The form is filled in as part of the residency application.
Obtaining an S1 form
Recipients of UK state pensions or other exportable benefits should apply for an S1 form from the following:
NHS Overseas Healthcare Services
Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Saturday, 9am to 3pm.
Using the S1 form in Belgium
Once the S1 form is completed, it should be registered with a health insurance fund.
After registration with the fund, the residency card will be updated with its details. Healthcare is then available on the same basis as for Belgian citizens.
UK citizens registered as Belgian residents as at 31 December 2020 will continue to receive the same level of healthcare via the S1 system after that date, providing they:
receive a UK State Pension;
receive another ‘exportable benefit’; or
are a frontier worker (someone who works in one country while resident in another).
This coverage also ensures:
continued access to healthcare in Belgium with the UK-issued S1 form;
a UK-issued EHIC for travel;
planned treatments in other EU countries via the S2 system;
access to the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales when in the UK.
UK students living in Belgium
Students studying in Belgium should apply for a Student European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This version of the EHIC gives access to healthcare for a longer period.
EHIC does not replace health insurance; this should be taken out by the individual student before travelling abroad, and cover the length of the course of study.
Students can also apply for healthcare cover via the S1 system; this requires registration as an Belgian resident.
Students registered with the EHIC system before 1 January 2021 will continue to receive healthcare cover in Belgium for the duration of their course.
Returning to live in the UK
Any UK citizen returning to the country to live permanently is entitled to full access to the National Health Service (NHS).