Living in Belgium

This page tells you what to do ahead of Brexit. It will be updated if anything changes, including if a deal is agreed.

Stay up to date on Brexit

TheTo UKkeep isup leaving the EU. This page tells you how to prepare for Brexit and will be updated if anything changes. You should:date:

• sign up to email alerts to this guidance
• follow the British Embassy in Brussels on Facebook and Twitter

Attend a citizen outreach meeting

The British Embassy regularly holds events across Belgium for UK nationals. Attend one of our citizen outreach meetings to keep up to date on working and living in Belgium after Brexit.

You can also:

• read Living in the EU: prepare for Brexit
• 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 Livinga summary of the Flemish Decree on no deal or the Wallonian Decree on no deal. If you live in Brussels Capital, links to the EU:legislation preparewill 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 Brexitwhich the regions are competent to act, such as taxation, integration, education, social affairs

For more information you can:

• contact us through our web form if you have a specific question on how Brexit will affect your rights

Visas and residency

Check the entry requirements for Belgium.

You must carry photographic 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 and/or 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,years.

Read atthe 14 February 2019 update from the Belgian government on UK nationals’ rights to reside if there is a costdeal ofand aroundif €20.there’s no deal.

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Healthcare

You must register with a healthcare insurer (mutuelle/ziekenfonds) to access the healthcare system if you are resident in Belgium. If you are working, both you and your employer will make contributions to your social security and healthcare system through the mutuelle/ziekenfonds. The amount you have to pay is set by the Belgian government.

Read the NHS guidance on who can access healthcare in Belgium and how to register.

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 live in Belgium and receive an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit, you may currently be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You will need to apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are resident in Belgium, you must not use your EHICEuropean Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the UK to access healthcare in Belgium.

When you travel from Belgium for a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you can use an EHIC to access state-provided healthcare in that country. During that short stay:

• the EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home
• an EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance
• for more information read our travel advice pages and advice on foreign travel insurance

If you are a student, read the NHS guidance on healthcare and studying abroad.

Read our health advice for Belgium.

You can find English-speaking doctors in Belgium.

Check your prescriptions are legal in Belgium.

Healthcare after Brexit

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Driving

Working in Belgium

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Vehicles

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Working yourin vehicleBelgium insuranceafter 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.

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Working

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Studying in Belgium after Brexit

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• student informationfinance read arrangements
• studying in the European Union after Brexit.

Professional qualifications

The European Commission has published guidance on professional qualificationsqualifications..

If you have already been recognised by an EU country as holding valid professional qualifications, this will remain valid after Brexit.

If you havehold not had your professional qualifications recognised,obtained youin will have until the endUK ofbefore theBrexit, implementation period on 31 December 2020 to submit an application under the current rules.

If you needshould toobtain take action to secure the recognition of your academic or professional qualification in Belgium,a visitEU27 theMember BusinessState Belgiumbefore website.Brexit.

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. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

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

You should 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 if you do not comply.

National Insurance

Find out if you can pay National Insurance while abroad so that you protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

If you are employed or self-employed in the EU or EEA and you have a UK-issued A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to UK legislation until the end date on the form.

If the end date on your form is after 31 October 2019, you should contact the relevant EU, EEA or Swiss authority to confirm whether you need to start paying social security contributions in that country after 31 October, as well as UK National Insurance contributions.

Find out more about social security contributions after a no-deal Brexit.

Money and tax after Brexit

Brexit will not change existing double-taxationdouble taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Belgium.

Pensions

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Pensions

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If you retire in Belgium, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pension Centre to claim
• your Belgium pension (in Dutch and French) 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 Brexit

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If youthere areis livinga indeal Belgiumand by 31 December 2020, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.

If 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

ThereAlso, willread beour noguidance changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claimingpensions UKif benefitsthere’s inno the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.deal.

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

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

You may be eligible for Belgian benefits. Find out if you are entitled to Belgian benefits and how to claim them:

• 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)

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

Benefits after Brexit

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If there is 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 BelgianBelgium contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after the end of the implementation period.

If there’s no 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.

Read the guidance on benefits and pensions in a no-deal scenario.

Driving in Belgium

If you are a resident in Belgium, exchange your UK licence for a Belgian driving licence before Brexit. 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, 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

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 to Belgium

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 Brexit

If there is 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 Brexit

UK nationals resident in Belgium will no longer be eligible to vote in European Parliament elections after Brexit.

UK nationals resident in Belgium for more than 5 years will continue to be able to vote in local elections after Brexit.

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[notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Belgium.Belgium].(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-and-documentary-services-guide-for-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

CurrentWhen petthe 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 staychange. Read guidance on pet travel to Europe after Brexit.

While the sameUK duringis still a Member State you will be able to travel with your pet to the implementationEU perioduntilunder 31the Decembercurrent 2020.pet travel rules using your current EU pet passport.

If you’reyou are travelling with your pet for the first time you must visit your vet to get a pet passport.

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

For moving pet travel.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

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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.