Expats Insurances: moving to Belgium? Welcome! But don’t forget your insurance policies.
When you settle down in Belgium, you will have to arrange your insurances, besides a number of other obligations.
As an insurance broker, our team will be happy to help you with this.
Below, you will find a guideline of which insurances are mandatory, necessary or advisable.
Which insurances are mandatory in Belgium?
Whether by law or by contract, a number of insurance policies are compulsory for private individuals. Here is an overview.
The law requires every owner who brings his motor vehicle into circulation to take out a Third Party Liability Car Insurance (BA auto). Your Third Party car insurance covers the injuries of your passengers and the damage to other road users caused by an accident for which you are responsible. This cover applies in most European countries. The cover for injuries is unlimited.
In addition, you can take out a full casco or mini casco cover (damages to your own vehicle), car assistance, driver’s insurance and legal aid coverage.
If you rent a house or flat, you are obligated to subscribe a home insurance or tenant insurance. The explanation is simple: the tenant is supposed to be responsible for damage to the rental property. To avoid paying for the costs, the tenant must take out his own home insurance.
In addition to home insurance, you can also insure your household effects, as well as the optional theft guarantee for household effects.
The legal assistance guarantee is also a guarantee not to be missed.
Belgian social security
In Belgium, everyone contributes to a compulsory health insurance system that guarantees health care and the choice of doctor (social security). It includes a number of basic guarantees, such as health insurance, unemployment benefit, pension accrual and replacement income in case of illness or disability.
For this part of insurances you have to apply to a health insurance fund (ziekenfonds) or to the HR department of your employer.
Which insurances are highly recommended in Belgium?
Even though the following insurances are not compulsory, they cannot be missing in the insurance package of every family.
Family insurance is not compulsory, but it is highly recommended. Even if you are single, have no children or if you have no pets. Because everyone makes a mistake now and then.
Family insurance covers material and physical damage that you, your family members or your pets may cause to others in Belgium or abroad and in the scope of your private life. The cover is worldwide.
Provides an additional reimbursement on top of your Belgian social security health insurance. Often this insurance is offered by the employer as an extra legal advantage, but not always and not for all family members.
The additional hospitalisation insurance covers the medical medical costs incurred during hospitalisation which is directly related to an illness or accident, pregnancy or childbirth and which you as patient must pay yourself. The Belgian social security does not reimburse all the expenses and remain at the expense of the insured.
Which other insurances are possible in Belgium?
Even though the following insurances are not compulsory, they cannot be missing in the insurance package of every family.
You can take out a legal protection insurance separately from any other insurance cover.
The areas covered by legal protection insurance are then broader than when linked to another insurance policy. These areas vary according to the policy you have chosen: consumer problems, disputes relating to employment law, concerning a building, with the tax authorities, etc.
Tax advantage: in order to encourage the purchase of comprehensive legal expenses insurance, the legislator has provided for a tax benefit of 40% of the premium.
In addition to extended medical assistance, travel insurance guarantees reimbursement of medical expenses incurred abroad, as well as medical expenses for follow-up treatment in Belgium for care covered abroad.
Cancellation insurance covers the financial loss that you and your family would suffer if you were unable to take a planned trip. It may also provide for the reimbursement of unused holiday days in the event that the trip is interrupted.
There are temporary travel assistance agreements and yearly agreements that are valid for all travels in that year.
A guaranteed income insurance offers an income guarantee in case of incapacity for work. It is possible to take out such insurance until retirement age or, if you wish, for a limited period of time.
You can take out guaranteed income insurance yourself, but it is also possible that your employer has a contract for his personnel, of which you are part.
Income protection insurance is for those who want financial security in case they lose (part of) their income due to disability. In other words, this insurance does not apply to people who have no professional income, such as a house husband or wife or a pensioner.
Of course, this is only a selection from our total offer.
Do you want a personal offer according to your needs or do you have questions about one of these topics, contact us by phone +3292455795 , whatapp +32495226924 or send an email to info[at] dcinsurance.be