Living in Belgium

This page will be updated regularly. If you have a question, contact us through our web form.

EU Exit updates

To keep up to date with information about EU Exit:

• read UK nationals in the EU: essential information
• sign up to email alerts to this guidance
• follow the British Embassy in Brussels on Facebook and Twitter
• read the 14 February 2019 update from the Belgian government on UK nationals’ rights to reside if there is a deal and if there is no deal
• look at the Belgian portal for information on Brexit and the federal legislation on no deal
• if you are resident in Flanders or Wallonia, read a summary of the Flemish Decree on no deal or the Wallonian Decree on no deal. If you live in Brussels Capital, links to the legislation will be added as it becomes available. The Flemish, Walloon and Brussels decrees are complementary to the federal legislation and deal with the specific policy domains for which the regions are competent to act, such as taxation, integration, education, social affairs etc.

If you have further questions:

• contact us through our web form if you have a specific question on how the UK’s departure from the EU will affect your rights
• you can also attend a citizens’ outreach meeting which are held across Belgium. These are organised by the British Embassy in Brussels to update UK nationals about the UK leaving the EU

Residency

You may want to check the entry requirements for Belgium.

You must carry an ID at all times.

You must register at your local town hall (commune/gemeente) within 8 days of arriving in Belgium. You might be asked to bring:

• 4 passport-sized photos
• originals and copies of your passport
• the lease for your apartment or house
• documents proving you can support yourself in Belgium, such as your employment contract or proof of your pension
• proof of health insurance
• the required fee, which is usually €20

You may be given further forms for you or/and your employer to complete and return.

The police will verify your address by making a house call. If you’re not at home when a police officer calls, the officer will leave a card giving you an appointment at your local police station.

Once the police have verified your address, you’ll get a statement of registration and you can apply for an electronic residence card, valid for 5 years.

Read the 14 February 2019 update from the Belgian government on UK nationals’ rights to reside if there is a deal and if there is no deal.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, there will be no change in residency rules or registration procedures for British citizens arriving in Belgium till the end of December 2020.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, British citizens arriving in Belgium will be subject to the residency rules and registration procedures for third country nationals, with a few exceptions. We will update this page as information is available.

Passports and travel

You can apply for or renew your British passport online from Belgium. If you cannot get a passport in time for your trip, you may be able to get an emergency travel document or ‘emergency passport’.

Passports and travel after EU Exit

You should check your passport is suitable for travel before you book your trip.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, there will be new travel rules.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the European Commission has proposed that British citizens would not need a visa for short stays in the Schengen area or elsewhere in the EU. You may be able to stay for up to 90 days in any EU country, within a 180 days period.

Please read the travel advice for Belgium on entry requirements.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, nothing will change until the end of 2020. In this time you can continue to travel freely in the Schengen area with your UK passport. What happens after 2020 will be part of the next phase of negotiations.

Please read the travel advice for Belgium and sign up for up-to-date information on local laws, safety and emergencies.

Healthcare

You must register with a health care insurer (mutuelle/ziekenfonds) to access the healthcare system. Both you and your employer must make contributions to your social security and health care system through the mutuelle/ziekenfonds. The amount you have to pay is set by the Belgian government.

When you visit a doctor or pharmacist, you need to pay and then send the receipt to your mutuelle/ziekenfonds. The amount you’ll be refunded depends on the health services covered by your insurance.

If you are resident in Belgium, you should not be using an European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the UK to access healthcare in Belgium.

You can read the NHS’s guidance on healthcare in Belgium.

You can read our health advice for Belgium.

You can find English-speaking doctors.

You should also check your prescriptions are legal.

Healthcare after EU Exit

Please consult the Belgian site on health and social security entitlements.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal your current rights on access to healthcare will continue until the end of 2020.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Belgian Federal government has approved a bill that, contingent on reciprocity, will preserve current social security rights, including healthcare, for British citizens already resident in Belgium, unaffected until 31 December 2020. This bill will become law applicable to all branches of social security that are part of the federal competence in Belgium (pensions, unemployment benefits, healthcare, incapacity and invalidity benefits, benefits for occupational accidents and illness).

Working in Belgium

If you registered as a resident in Belgium whilst the UK was a member of the European Union, you have the right to work in Belgium whether the UK has left with a deal or without a deal. Read our guidance on working in another EU country.

You may need to apply for a:

• UK police certificate
• Belgian criminal records certificate (extrait de casier judiciaire/uittreksel uit het strafregister), which you can request at your local town hall (commune/gemeente)

If you’re planning to start a business, provide a service, or do a job in a regulated profession after the EU leaves the EU, further guidance can be found here.

Please also consult the Flemish, Wallonian and Brussels Capital guidance depending on where you live and where you want to set up business, as there are some temporary exemptions for British nationals arriving in Belgium after the UK leaves the EU but before 31 December 2020.

Studying in Belgium

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, there will be no change for UK nationals studying in Belgium until the end of 2020.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Flemish government has said that those already in education and higher education can continue until the end of the academic year 2020/2021. From discussions with the governments of Wallonia and Brussels Capital, we know they have legislation in train to do the same. We will provide links to that legislation when it is available.

UK students in Belgium can also read the no deal guidance on:

• continuing studies in the EU/Belgium
• student finance arrangements

Money and tax

The UK has a double-taxation agreement with Belgium to ensure people do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. You can ask the relevant tax authority individual questions about double taxation relief.

You can read guidance about:

• telling HMRC if you leave the UK to live abroad
• the tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• paying income tax in Belgium

We recommend you get professional advice on paying tax in Belgium.

All residents must declare assets outside Belgium, including bank accounts, securities, rights, insurance, annuities and property. The declaration is separate to the annual tax return, and there are severe penalties and criminal charges for not doing this.

National insurance

You may be able to pay National Insurance while abroad so that you protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

Money and tax after EU Exit

The UK’s double taxation agreement with Belgium will not change once the UK leaves the EU.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it may become more expensive to use your UK bank card in Belgium. Read our guidance on using a bank card, insurance or other financial service if there is no Brexit deal.

Pensions

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

If you retire in Belgium, you can claim:

• your UK state pension or new UK state pension
• your Belgium pension if you’ve worked in Belgium, through the Federal Pensions Service
• your pension from working abroad, if you have worked in other EU countries.

Life certificates for UK State pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible - your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Pensions after EU Exit

The UK government will continue to pay the UK state pension to those eligible after the UK leaves the EU.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, you can read our guidance on benefits and pensions in a no deal scenario.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal and you work and pay social security contributions in Belgium, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Belgian pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after the end of the implementation period.

Benefits

You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Belgium.

You should:

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live abroad
• use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while you’re abroad

If you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks, many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you.

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.

You may be eligible for Belgian benefits. To find out if you are entitled to Belgian benefits and how to claim them, you can:

• read about Belgian social security benefits
• read the European Union’s guidance on claiming benefits in an EU country like Belgium
• speak to a social worker (assistant social/maatschappelijk werker) at the public welfare centre of your local commune/gemeente (CPAS/OCMW)

Benefits after EU Exit

The UK government will continue to pay the UK state pension, child benefits, and disability benefits to those eligible in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal and you work and pay social security contributions in Belgium, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for Belgium contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after the end of the implementation period.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Belgian Federal Government has approved a bill that will keep the social security situation of British citizens in Belgium unaffected until 31 December 2020, to honour the principle of reciprocity between Belgium and the UK.

You can also read our guidance on benefits and pensions in a no deal scenario.

Driving in Belgium

If you are a resident in Belgium, you should exchange your UK licence for a Belgian driving licence before the UK leaves the EU, as your UK licence may no longer be valid after the UK leaves the EU. You can still use your Belgian licence in the UK for short visits or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test if you return to live in the UK.

For information on driving in Belgium, read the guidance on:

• driving licence renewals and exchanges
• what you need to drive abroad
• road travel in Belgium

When driving in Belgium, you should always have:

• your driving licence
• your car papers
• your insurance paper
• your MOT or Control technique certificate
• your passport or ID and those of your passengers

Read the guidance on driving licences for residents and visitors provided by the Belgian Federal Public Service for Mobility.

Vehicles

Contact your vehicle insurance provider to obtain a motor insurance Green Card. The Green Card for your vehicle covers your trailer. If your trailer is not attached or exceeds 500 kg you will need an additional Green Card for it.

Read the guidance on car insurance validity when travelling to Belgium.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

If you spend more than 6 months of the year in Belgium with your UK-registered car, you must register your vehicle with the Belgian authorities. You can read the European Union’s guidance on car registration rules and taxes. You may be exempt from some of these taxes. If so you will need certificates of exemption.

Driving after EU Exit

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, driving licence rules will stay the same during the implementation period.

Read the guidance on driving licences for residents and visitors provided by the Belgian Federal Public Service for Mobility.

Voting

You may be able to vote in some UK elections.

You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter if you would like to vote

Whilst the UK is a member of the EU, if you’re resident in Belgium, you can vote and stand in Belgian local municipal and European parliamentary elections. To do so, you must:

• register on the municipal register where you live
• formally declare your intention to vote and register on the local electoral roll
• confirm your status every 2 to 5 years to remain registered and be able to vote

You cannot vote in federal or regional elections in Belgium.

Voting after EU Exit

Once the UK leaves the EU, UK nationals will no longer be eligible to vote in European Parliament elections.

We are pursuing bilateral arrangements with individual Member States to secure the right to vote in local elections for UK nationals living in the EU, and EU citizens in the UK. UK nationals resident in Belgium for more than 5 years will continue to be able to vote in local elections after the UK leaves the EU.

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in Belgium, you will need to register the birth abroad.

If someone dies in Belgium you can:

• read guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad
• read guidance for UK nationals bereavements in Belgium
• find a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Belgium

Find out how you can get married abroad.

Find out about notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Belgium.

You may also need:

• English-speaking lawyers and translators in Belgium
• the British Charitable Fund

Accommodation and buying property

Read guidance on how to buy a property in Belgium.

Pets

When the UK leaves the EU, you will still be able to travel to and from the UK with a cat, dog or ferret but the rules will change. You can read guidance on pet travel to Europe after EU Exit.

While the UK is still a Member State you’ll be able to travel with your pet to the EU under the current pet travel rules using your current EU pet passport.

If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you’ll have to visit your vet to get a pet passport.

Read guidance on returning your cat, dog or ferret to the UK.

For moving pet horses and other equines read guidance on export horses and ponies: special rules.

Emergencies

You can dial the European emergency number on 112 or:

• 100 for medical emergency and fire brigade
• 101 for police

Consult the Belgium emergency numbers.

If you need urgent consular help, contact the British Embassy Brussels.

Returning to the UK

Check if your tax status will change if you return to the UK.

Tell the UK and Belgian authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently. To help prove you are now living in the UK, you should deregister with your local town hall (commune/gemeente).

To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.

Disclaimer

This information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Belgian authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.