188体育

You must have health insurance cover to live in Belgium. You get health insurance by joining a health insurance fund called a 鈥榤utuelle鈥� or 鈥榸iekenfonds鈥�.

You may still have to pay for the medical care or health services that you use, but your health insurance fund will pay you back for some of your healthcare costs.

UK nationals usually access the Belgian healthcare system in one of these ways:

• joining a health insurance fund and also paying social insurance contributions
• using a UK-issued GHIC or EHIC for temporary stays when studying, or as a 鈥榩osted鈥� (detached) worker
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with one of the health insurance funds (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Belgium鈥� below)

Healthcare if you live and work in Belgium

If you are planning on moving to Belgium, see the guidance on Living in Belgium for more information about visa and residency requirements.

You must show proof of required healthcare cover:

• before you can register as a resident
• when you apply for a visa

For details about the healthcare cover required for residency applications contact local authorities in Belgium or the appropriate Belgium embassy or consulate in the UK.

To access the state healthcare system you must also:

• get health insurance by joining a health insurance fund (called a 鈥榤utuelle鈥� or 鈥榸iekenfonds鈥�)
• pay social insurance contributions

Your dependants will be covered by your health insurance.

You can also take out supplementary insurance from your health insurance fund. This is optional. You can pay a higher annual insurance fee so that you do not have to pay for hospital stays or dental care, for example.

You may be entitled to a Belgian EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension (see 鈥楿K-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Belgium鈥� below).

How to register for healthcare

You first need to register as a resident and you鈥檒l be given a national residency card.

You then need to sign up to make social insurance contributions.

If you鈥檙e employed by a Belgian employer, they鈥檒l usually do this for you.

If you鈥檙e self-employed, .

If you鈥檙e not working, you can .

Some people do not need to pay social insurance contributions. For example, if you鈥檙e unemployed or disabled.

You also need to join a health insurance fund. To do this, book an appointment at the local office of your chosen fund.

Once you鈥檝e registered with a health insurance fund, your national residency card will be updated to show your membership. Show this when you visit a doctor.

You can book an appointment with any GP. You do not need to register with them first.

How to access healthcare services

on the Health Belgium website.

How much you鈥檒l pay

Joining a health insurance fund normally costs 120 to 150 euros per year on top of your social insurance contributions.

You need to pay for most medical treatment but you can apply to your insurance fund to be reimbursed up to 80% of the cost. You do not need to pay for surgery.

Some hospitals, pharmacies and ambulances are able to bill your health insurance fund directly.

Example costs include:

• GP appointments: 27 euros
• hospital stays: 137 euros per day
• dental appointments: 22 euros

The cost of medicine varies depending on the medicine.

If your UK employer has sent you to Belgium temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)

A posted worker, also known as a 鈥榙etached worker鈥�, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in Belgium using a GHIC, EHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. They can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: getting and using an S1 form in Belgium

There鈥檚 different guidance if you have an S1 as a posted worker (see 鈥業f your UK employer has sent you to Belgium temporarily (鈥榩osted workers鈥�)鈥� above).

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you鈥檙e a resident in Belgium and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit. See abroad on the NHS website for more information about eligibility.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you鈥檙e a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you鈥檙e eligible.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Belgian system.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in Belgium on the same basis as a Belgian citizen.

You鈥檒l also get:

• a UK-issued聽GHIC 辞谤听EHIC聽for travel
• planned treatments in other EU countries

You can find out more about聽聽and the rules on聽聽on the NHS website.

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Belgium than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

If you鈥檙e entitled to an S1 form as a dependant of a State Pensioner, your health cover will be cancelled once you begin claiming your UK State Pension.

You will be sent a new S1 form to your registered address from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services. You must register this form to ensure continuation of healthcare cover.

You are responsible for informing NHS Overseas Healthcare Services if you change your address or your circumstances change.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension or another qualifying exportable benefit, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services (see contact details above).

How to use an S1 form in Belgium

You must register your S1 form with your health insurance fund.

Once registered, your residency card will be updated. This will show you鈥檙e entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Belgian citizen.

Studying in Belgium

You should apply for a Student GHIC to get medically necessary, state-provided healthcare for the duration of your study period in Belgium, whether this is for part or all of your course. This means that you鈥檒l get necessary healthcare services on the same basis as an Belgium citizen either for free or at a reduced cost.

If you already hold a valid Student EHIC you can use this until the card expires.

on the NHS website.

Getting treatment in the UK

Because the NHS is a residency-based system, under NHS rules UK nationals who move abroad on a permanent basis may lose their entitlement to free NHS healthcare.

If you are a UK national and move to the EU, you should not expect to be able to use NHS services for free when visiting the UK unless you have an EHIC, PRC or S2 to show your healthcare costs are funded by the EU country in which you now live, or another exemption applies.

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes:

• UK war pensioners
• UK government employees
• UK nationals living in the EU on or before 31 December 2020, once they have a registered, UK-issued S1

Read more about using the NHS when you no longer live in the UK (see 鈥楿K nationals who no longer live in the UK鈥� in Healthcare for visitors to the UK from the EU).

If you return to live in the UK you鈥檒l be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.