Social security

Belgium has highly developed social services.
A proportion of the gross salary of all workers in Belgium
goes towards financing the national social security system.
Employees' contributions are automatically deducted by
their employer. For researchers, mandatory social security
contributions and the type of cover to which they are
entitled depends on their status and nationality.

Nationals from the European Economic Area¹

and Switzerland (30 countries)

According to Belgian legislation, the fellowship/gross salary is subject
to full social security contributions. As such the personal contribution
amounts 13,07% of the gross remuneration.

This covers health care, incapacity for work (illness, maternity/paternity leave, labour accidents and occupational diseases), retirement and unemployment. It also entitles the researchers to benefit from child allowances.

The doctoral students with a fellowship are considered as employees when it comes to the social status (due to the fact that their scholarship is subject to social security). However, they are treated as student aiming to obtain a doctoral degree when it comes to their stay in Belgium (e.g. residence permit).

Nationals from outside the European Economic Area

Researchers coming from a country with which Belgium concluded a bilateral social security treaty² are subject to full social security contributions. As such, their personal contribution amounts 13,07% of the gross remuneration.

This covers health care, incapacity for work (illness, maternity/paternity leave, labour accidents and occupational diseases), retirement and unemployment. It also entitles the researchers to benefit from child allowances.

Researchers coming from a country with which Belgium did not conclude a bilateral social security treaty are subject to partial social security contributions. As such their personal contribution amounts 4,7% of the gross remuneration.

This covers health care, incapacity for work (illness, maternity/paternity leave, labour accidents and occupational diseases) and child allowances but not unemployment and retirement.

If you need further information on this matter, don't hesitate to contact the nearest EURAXESS Service Centre.