Expats and foreign national professionals
Moving to Belgium is already a big step. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about your health. Helan guides you through the Belgian healthcare system.
Helan as a point of contact for expats
As an expat, you may still be left with a lot of practical questions: How do I arrange my health insurance abroad? Where can I go for medical help? And exactly what benefits does the Belgian healthcare system and especially my membership with Helan offer?
Helan Independent Health Insurance fund gives you instant clarity. We make sure the process of joining the health insurance fund happens quickly and correctly, explain clearly what rights and reimbursements you have, and help you to choose the right additional insurance.
What is more, you will receive personalised support in your own language, both digitally and person-to-person, helping you to start your new chapter in Belgium without any worries.
Living and working in Belgium
As an international employee or expat, you should go through all the information in order to make an informed choice.
Download all the information here
Questions and answers about the Belgian healthcare system
The role of health insurance funds and Helan
If you work in Belgium, you are automatically a member of the social insurance system. This system allows a large portion of your health expenses to be reimbursed, such as a visit to the doctor or pharmacy or hospitalisation.
This reimbursement is not provided directly through the government, but through the health insurance fund that you are required to join. If you choose Helan, we become your partner within this system and make sure everything runs correctly and smoothly.
Helan also offers additional benefits that make your life in Belgium easier: discounts on sports and wellness, glasses and lenses, mental healthcare, prevention and more. So you are not only properly covered, but also well-supported, right from your first day of work in Belgium.
The Belgian healthcare system in a nutshell
A clear summary of everything you need to know about healthcare in Belgium as a foreign national employee.
Statutory health insurance
This is the government's compulsory insurance that is arranged through your own health insurance fund. This statutory health insurance enables you to get reimbursements for such things as doctor's appointments, costs for medication and treatments with the physiotherapist. However, benefits on the basis of incapacity to work or long-term illness are also covered by statutory health insurance.
Additional advantages
Each health insurance fund offers additional advantages on top of the statutory minimum, which come in very handy. The advantages with Helan include:
- Reimbursement for sports activities or fitness subscription
- Tailored reimbursements for young families: up to 300 euros birth contribution, up to 150 euros discount on your baby outfit, up to 300 euros for maternity care and much more
- Contributions for glasses or lenses and mental healthcare
Extra insurance
These insurance products are optional, but offer great peace of mind.
- Hospitalisation insurance: protection from high costs in case of hospitalisation.
- Dental insurance: contribution for dental care, orthodontics and routine check-ups.
Helan is a wellbeing group
We support 1,000,000 customers to live autonomously and with a high quality of life as much as possible. We do this through a broad and diverse range of services tailored to each stage of life.
Customers of the health insurance fund have access to the entire Helan Wellbeing Group, which includes the following entities:
If you are sick: Consult a doctor
If you are sick or in need of medical attention, make an appointment with a general practitioner (by phone or online).
Contracted or non-contracted
- Contracted doctors follow official, agreed rates. So you never pay more than necessary.
- Non-contracted doctors may charge their own fee supplements. As a result, your consultation may turn out more expensive.
Not sure whether your doctor is contracted? You can find the contracted status on the website of the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI).
E-certificate or paper doctor's bill
Most general practitioners work with a digital doctor's bill known as the eAttest (or e-certificate). The doctor will then send proof of your consultation directly to your health insurance company. This means you don't have to submit anything, Helan automatically sends the reimbursement to your account.
If you are a member of a Belgian health insurance fund such as Helan, then your general practitioner is probably using the eAttest.
If you still get a paper doctor's bill, you should stick a white Helan-branded adhesive stamp on it and deliver it by post (Boomsesteenweg 5, 2610 Wilrijk) or via a Helan letterbox near you.
Full amount or third-party payer arrangement
Third-party payer regulations determine how much you pay at the doctor's. If your doctor applies that arrangement, he or she will charge most of it directly to your health insurance fund. You pay only the non-reimbursable portion of medical expenses, which is usually only a few euros.
In other cases, you first pay the full amount (about €25 to €35).
- If your doctor works through the eAttest, reimbursement will follow automatically.
- In the case of a paper doctor's bill, submit it as explained above.
Picking up your medication at the pharmacy
After your visit to the doctor's, you will be given a prescription for medication. In Belgium, this is issued on presentation of:
- A Belgian identity card or an isi+ card with a Helan-branded adhesive stamp from Helan
- A diplomatic document with a Helan-branded adhesive stamp In either case, you can go to the pharmacy without a problem. The reimbursed portion of your medication is settled immediately there and you pay only the non-reimbursable portion.
What if you don't have any of these documents?
No problem. In that case, you will have to pay the amount in advance and ask your pharmacist for a BVAC certificate ('BVAC-attest') or an appendix 30 document. You use this to request your reimbursement from Helan afterwards. You should post the original copy to Helan Onafhankelijk ziekenfonds, Boomsesteenweg 5, 2610 Wilrijk.
Hospitalisation for treatment
Sometimes a visit to a doctor is not enough and you need to go to the hospital for an examination or treatment. In Belgium, hospitals usually work directly with your health insurance fund, so you don't have to pay everything in advance yourself.
On admission to the hospital, show your identity card or foreign national's card. This allows the hospital to see immediately that you are a member of Helan. After your stay, you will receive a hospital bill showing the portion paid by Helan and the personal share (non-reimbursable portion) that you still have to pay yourself.
With hospitalisation insurance from Helan, you have extra cover; it also reimburses expenses not covered by basic insurance, such as a single room, additional tests or follow-up care.
Incapacity to work due to illness or pregnancy
If you are temporarily unable to work due to illness, an accident or pregnancy, you can receive a replacement income in Belgium, if you meet certain conditions. This period starts after you provide Helan (confidentially) with a certificate of incapacity to work that states your diagnosis.
Illness, accident or pregnancy
- You have paid contributions to Belgian social insurance for at least 12 months
- Or you can present an E104 document showing your periods spent in another EU country.
If you are a recent graduate or have recently worked in another EU country, the waiting period may be waived and you will receive benefits sooner.
Pregnancy and birth
- Maternity leave: 15 weeks for employees, 12 weeks for the self-employed (if you have been a member in the Belgian social insurance systems for at least 6 months). This may be longer in the case of a multiple birth or if the baby remains in the hospital.
- Parental leave (formerly known as paternity leave) for fathers and co-parents: up to 20 days.
Send us the birth certificate from the Belgian municipality as soon as possible so that we can correctly start up your replacement income for maternity or parental leave.
Alle info in een handig overzicht zodat je je kan focussen op je zwangerschap en bevalling.
Travelling abroad
If you are planning a trip within the EU, always take your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you. You easily apply for one digitally via the My Helan app or order a hard-copy version if you allow enough time. In case of a medical emergency, call Mediphone Assist on +32 2 778 94 94. This helpline is available 24/7.
End of your assignment in Belgium
If your career move to Belgium is over and you are ready to return home, make sure you contact us. We will update your medical records.
If you live in an EU country, we will provide you with an E104 document. This summarises all your insurance, working and residence periods in EU member states. If you are moving back to another country after your period in Belgium, you must report your relocation to the municipal authority. You will then receive what is known as a model 8.
Joining Helan
Completely convinced Helan is the right choice for you? That's great! Joining is easy: simply provide us with your details using the link below and we'll arrange your membership with Helan Health Insurance Fund, Helan Care Fund or Hospitalia or Dentalia Up additional insurance.
What benefits can you count on?
Up to 1,500 euros for speech therapy
Orthodontics benefit up to 1,050 euros
Up to 50 euros for sports club or
youth associations
Up to 190 euros for youth activities
Up to 50 euros for orthotic insoles
Free Heyo holiday camp for children
aged 3, 6 and 9
Up to 50 euros for glasses and eye patches
Up to 30% discount on Heyo holiday camps
Affordable childminder when your child is sick
Up to 120 euros for psychotherapy
Helan also makes dental and hospital insurance affordable
This means even international employees can get extra cover against unexpected medical expenses.
Why choose Helan?
- Affordable and accessible insurance
- Financial security in case of hospitalisation or dental care
- Fast, transparent reimbursement
- Clear explanations in understandable language
Practical questions and answers about joining
You will need the documents below to complete your membership:
- An international passport or identity card
- An address in Belgium
If you work in Belgium and officially live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you have to join a Belgian health insurance fund to get an S1 or S072 form for the insurance provider in your country of residence. Each health insurance fund organises the reimbursement of care in its own territory.
Everyone who lives or works in Belgium is required by law to join a health insurance fund. However, you are free to choose which health insurance fund suits you best, such as Helan.
Helan helps you to get Belgian social insurance sorted quickly so you can go to the doctor, pharmacy or hospital without having to worry. We help you step by step with your membership, explain everything clearly and make sure your reimbursements happen automatically.
Plus, you get additional advantages with Helan: reimbursement for sports and wellness, discounts on glasses and mental healthcare, and affordable insurance for hospitalisation or dental care.
The EHIC applies mainly to short-term stays and urgent care. If you are staying longer in Belgium, then it is necessary to join a Belgian health insurance fund such as Helan. This allows you to enjoy full cover and easier reimbursements.
To be a customer of a health insurance fund, you must pay a monthly contribution.
A consultation with a general practitioner usually costs between €25 and €35. Some doctors apply the third-party payer arrangement: in this case, the doctor charges most of it directly to your health insurance fund and you pay only the personal portion or non-reimbursable amount, which is often only a few euros. In addition, if your doctor works with the eAttest, the reimbursement will go through Helan automatically, and the money will be in your account within a few days.
The reimbursement for your doctor's visit depends on how your doctor works.
- If your doctor uses the eAttest, he or she will send the proof digitally to Helan and you will automatically receive the reimbursed amount in your account.
- If you still get a paper doctor's bill, you should stick a white Helan-branded adhesive stamp on it and deliver it by post or via a Helan letterbox near you.
You will then be reimbursed for most of the amount paid within a few days.
- The eAttest (e-certificate) is the digital version of the paper doctor's bill. If your doctor works with the eAttest, the proof of your consultation is sent directly to your health insurance fund digitally. You don't have to submit anything yourself, and Helan automatically sends the reimbursement to your account.
- If you still get a paper doctor's bill, just send it to Helan, with a white adhesive stamp on it.
The non-reimbursable portion (known as 'remgeld') is the portion of medical expenses you pay yourself, in addition to the amount reimbursed by your health insurance fund.
When you visit a doctor or go to hospital, the health insurance fund pays most of it directly to the healthcare provider.
You pay only the non-reimbursable portion, which is usually only a few euros. The amount depends on the type of treatment and whether your doctor applies the third-party payer arrangement.
If you are hospitalised in Belgium, the hospital usually works directly with your health insurance fund, so you don't have to pay for everything yourself. On admission to the hospital, simply show your identity card or foreign national's card. This allows the hospital to see immediately that you are a member of Helan.
After your stay, you will receive a hospital bill that clearly states what part Helan pays and what part you still have to pay yourself. This is the personal portion or non-reimbursable portion.
If you also have hospitalisation insurance through Helan, then many additional costs will be fully reimbursed, such as choice of room, additional tests or follow-up care.
Yes, you can already do a lot of things digitally. For example, via the My Helan app and My Helan Web, you can request advantages, view reimbursements, order adhesive stickers or make an appointment.
If you receive only paper doctor's bills, the law requires that you always submit an original in order to get a reimbursement.
Helan will ensure that your file is closed correctly and that you no longer pay unnecessary premiums.
If you still receive a bill from a Belgian hospital or doctor afterwards, Helan will still help you to settle it even after you leave.