Detailed guide: Living in Belgium

What you should do

You should:

Coronavirus

You should follow the advice of the Belgian Government and your local authority. You can also read our Belgium travel advice for our latest guidance.

Stay up to date

You should:

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.

The Withdrawal Agreement

If you were legally resident in Belgium before 1 January 2021, your rights will be protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. You must apply for a new residence status before 31 December 2021 to secure your rights.

You should also read our guidance on living in Europe.

Visas and residency

Residency

If you were resident in Belgium before 1 January 2021, you must apply for the new residence card (‘M’ card) by 31 December 2021. This residence card is for UK nationals and their UK or non-EU family members who have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Read the Office for Foreigner’s guidance for detailed information on the application process.

Note that residency is separate to citizenship.

If you have an ‘E’ or ‘E+’ card

You should have received a letter from the Belgian State Secretary for Asylum and Migration about the new residence card (‘M’ card). If you did not receive the letter, and think you should have, contact your local municipality (‘commune’ in French, ‘gemeente’ in Dutch).

Your local municipality will get in touch with you directly to outline the application process. You must follow the steps and deadlines outlined by your municipality, as these may differ locally.

You will need to provide a criminal record extract. The extract can be from the UK, Belgium or another country where you lived prior to Belgium. The UK extract can be issued by either DBS or ACRO. A Belgian extract (‘extrait de casier judiciaire’/’uittreksel uit het strafregister’) can be obtained from your local municipality.

You must apply for the ‘M’ card by 31 December 2021. If your application is successful, your ‘M’ card will be valid for 5 years. If you already have permanent residency, your ‘M’ card will reference this and will be valid for 10 years.

If you do not have an E or E+ card

If you started the process of registering your residency at your local municipality (commune/gemeente) before 1 January 2021, but have not completed it, you will not have an ‘E’ or ‘E+’ card. Your residency application will still be assessed under both previous EU rules and the new requirements for the ‘M’ card.

In line with previous EU rules, you may have to provide:

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

You will also need to provide a criminal record extract (see above).

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

Once your address has been verified, you’ll get a statement of registration and you can apply for an electronic residence card. This is valid for 5 years and costs around €20.

You must inform your local municipality (commune/gemeente) if your circumstances change. For example, tell them if you move home or change your marital status, so that registration can be kept up-to-date. This applies to everyone in your household.

Read the Belgian government’s guidance on residency rights.

Special ID card holders

If you were resident in Belgium on a special ID card (‘P’ or ‘S’ card) before 1 January 2021, you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. You can choose to register with your commune/gemeente and obtain the new ‘M’ residency card at any time.

Read the Belgian government’s guidance on special ID holders.

Moving to Belgium

Check the entry requirements for Belgium and read the Belgian government’s guidance on residency documents.

Healthcare

You must register with a health insurance fund (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.

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

Check the Belgian government guidance on health and social security entitlements. Read our guidance on healthcare in Belgium and make sure you are correctly registered.

If your UK employer has sent you to Belgium temporarily, your access to healthcare is different. Find out how to access healthcare as a posted worker.

State healthcare: S1

An S1 form allows you to access to UK-funded healthcare in Belgium. If you have a registered S1 form and were living in Belgium before 1 January 2021, your rights to access healthcare will stay the same if you are either:

receiving a UK State Pension
receiving some other ‘exportable benefits’
a frontier worker who lives in Belgium and commutes to work in the UK

Read our guidance on using an S1 form in Belgium to ensure you are registered correctly for healthcare.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you were living in Belgium before 1 January 2021, you may be eligible for a new UK-issued EHIC if you’re:

a UK student in Belgium
a UK State Pensioner with a registered S1
a frontier worker with a registered S1

Apply now for a new UK EHIC.

If you are a resident in Belgium and your healthcare is covered by the Belgian authorities, then you may be entitled to a Belgian EHIC. You will be able to use your Belgian EHIC for emergency or needs-arising care in the EU, EFTA states, Switzerland and in the UK. Apply for a Belgian EHIC through your Mutuelle or Ziekenfonds.

An EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance.

For more information read our guidance on healthcare when travelling in Europe and advice on foreign travel insurance.

You should also read guidance on:

Passports and travel

You should carry your residence card, as well as your valid passport when you travel. If you have applied but not yet received your card, carry your certificate of application (“annexe” 8, 56 or 57).

If you have not yet applied for a residence card, you should carry evidence that you are resident in Belgium. This could include a tenancy agreement or a utility bill in your name, dating from 2020.

If you cannot show that you are resident in Belgium, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the Schengen area, and your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in Belgium.

Passports

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. You can apply for or renew your British passport from Belgium.

You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland). This requirement does not apply if you are entering or transiting to Belgium, and you are in scope of the Withdrawal Agreement.

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.

Renew your passport before booking your travel if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

As a non-EEA national, different border checks will apply when travelling to other EU or Schengen area countries. You may have to use separate lanes from EU, EEA and Swiss citizens when queueing. You may also need to show a return or onward ticket.

Entry requirements

You can travel to other Schengen area countries for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa for purposes such as tourism.

To stay longer than 90 days in any 180-day period, to work or study, or for business travel, you must meet the entry requirements set out by the country you are travelling to. This could mean applying for a visa or work permit.

Periods of time authorised by a visa or permit will not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

Different rules will apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

Travel to the UK and Ireland has not changed.

Driving in Belgium

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

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

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

Driving in the UK with a Belgian licence

You can use your Belgian licence in the UK for short visits, or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test. We will update these pages if there are any changes to the rules, as soon as information is available.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Belgium

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

If you are registered as a resident in Belgium, 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.

Working in Belgium

If you were legally resident in Belgium before 1 January 2021, you have the right to work, as long as you remain legally resident.

If you are planning to come to Belgium to work, you may need a work permit. Read the Belgian government’s guidance on work permits.

To apply for a job 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 municipality (commune/gemeente)

Frontier workers

If you live in Belgium and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or EFTA country before 1 January 2021, you may need a permit to show that you are a frontier worker. You must also apply for the new residence card (‘M’ card).

If you live in the UK or another EU or EFTA country and regularly commuted to work in Belgium before 1 January 2021, you must apply for the new frontier worker permit (‘N’ card). Contact the local municipality (commune/gemeente) where you work for more information.

Posted workers

If you were posted to Belgium before 1 January 2021, you must apply for a new residence status to secure your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Education and professional qualifications

You will be eligible for broadly the same support as Belgian nationals, as long as you were legally resident in Belgium before 1 January 2021. You must apply for the new residence card (‘M’ card).

Read our guidance on:

Professional qualifications

You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in Belgium. When doing this, you will be subject to the third country regulations.

If you need to take action to secure the recognition of your academic or professional qualification in Belgium, visit the Business Belgium website.

If your qualification was officially recognised by the relevant regulator in Belgium before 1 January 2021, make sure you understand the terms of your recognition decision by checking with that regulator.

Money and tax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Belgium to ensure you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Belgium have not changed.

Read guidance about:

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Belgium.

Declaration of assets

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.

All non-residents have a legal obligation to file an annual Belgian tax return if they receive income, including a pension, from Belgium.

National Insurance

Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Belgium.

Banking

Whether UK banks can provide services to customers living in the EEA is a matter of local law and regulation. Your bank or finance provider should contact you if they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your provider or seek independent financial advice.

Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on banking, insurance and financial services changes for more information on cross-border banking.

Pensions

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Belgium.

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:

Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on pension and retirement changes for more information on cross-border pensions.

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.

Benefits

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Belgium.

Tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

Check which UK benefits you can claim while abroad and how to claim them.

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:

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

Voting

If you have been resident in Belgium for more than 5 years, you can vote in local 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 or European Parliament elections.

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. For this, you can:

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:

Find out how you can get married abroad.

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

You may also need:

Accommodation and buying property

Read guidance on how to buy a property in Belgium.

Pets

If you have a pet passport issued by Belgium or another EU member state, you can use it to travel with your pet to Great Britain and elsewhere in the EU.

A GB-issued EU pet passport is not valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. You should speak to your vet before you travel to get the necessary pet travel documents and ensure you’re compliant with the EU Pet Travel Regulations.

Read guidance on:

Check the rules of the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel.

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

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.

If you have further questions

Disclaimer

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

Source