Health care while travelling in Belgium
Your entitlements
Belgium's health care system provides benefits for hospital, medical, pharmaceutical, some allied services and ambulance during your stay. Varying patient charges apply for all services.
If you will be staying in Belgium for more than one year, you should register with a health fund. You will be issued an SIS card, which can be used at the health fund to claim for medical treatment. The SIS card can be used at hospitals and pharmacies to direct bill expenses to the fund. There are patient co-payments on all services.
You should pay the practitioner and take the account, with your Medicare card, to any health insurance fund for reimbursement. Health insurers have offices throughout Belgium. A list can be found at www.inami.fgov.be
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You should present your Medicare card when receiving the health services below.
- Medical treatment with general practitioners, specialists and some dental and allied health services such as physiotherapy when referred by a doctor. The patient attends a practitioner of choice and pays the fee. The health insurance fund will refund 60-75 per cent of the fee, depending on the type of treatment.
- For hospital services, you will have to pay a charge for admission, a small daily fee and co-payments on health services. The hospital will contact a health insurance fund to arrange payment for the treatment. If you have registered with a health insurance fund because you are staying for more than one year in Belgium, present your SIS card to the hospital.
- Reimbursement of pharmaceutical medicine depends on their category. Refunds can be claimed from any health insurance fund. If you have a SIS card, the pharmacy will direct bill the fund.
- Ambulance travel will be reimbursed at 33 per cent of the cost by the health insurance fund.
Reimbursements will be provided from health insurance funds on the presentation of your Medicare card.
What is not covered?
- The fee will not be refunded by the health insurance fund for medical treatment provided
- You will have to pay a charge for admission, a small daily fee and co-payments on health services provided in a hospital
- Some pharmaceutical medicine will be refunded in full depending on their category
- The full fee for ambulance travel will not be reimbursed
More information
For more information download a copy of the Health care while travelling in Belgium information sheet [PDF, 341Kb]
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Last updated: 3 August, 2010