This chapter tells you what you need to know if you have paid social insurance contributions in other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) or in Switzerland and you come (or return) to Belgium.

In what situation can I claim?

If you leave to go and work in another country in the European Union, or in another country covered by the same rules, in general you will no longer pay your social security contributions in Belgium but rather in the new country where you are working.

If you have lived, worked and/or paid social insurance contributions in another country in the EU, or in a country covered by the same rules, the period of your stay in one of those countries, the period during which you worked there or the contributions you paid there can be taken into account for the purposes of calculating your benefits in Belgium.

European regulations guarantee that:

• in Belgium you will have the same rights and the same obligations in relation to social security as a Belgian worker;
• your periods of work and your social security contributions in another country and in Belgium will be taken into consideration in assessing your entitlements to social security benefits in Belgium;
• in certain circumstances you will be able to receive the social security benefits of your country of origin when you reside in Belgium;
• your periods of work in other countries will be accumulated for the purposes of assessing your entitlements to social security and for the calculation of the amounts, for example retirement pensions, in Belgium.

What conditions do I need to meet?

The procedures for the granting of social security benefits are set out in the regulations. The relevant benefits are:

• family benefits;
• healthcare benefits;
• sickness benefits (including maternity and paternity benefits);
• invalidity benefits;
• benefits in respect of accidents at work;
• benefits in respect of occupational diseases;
• unemployment benefits;
• retirement pensions;
• survivors' pensions.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

If you have worked in another country in the European Economic Area or in Switzerland and you come (or return) to Belgium, you must have:

• Evidence of your health insurance contribution with form E104 and U1 which you can obtain from your social security fund in the country you are leaving. Make sure you check with them that you have all the necessary documents.

If you are in receipt of unemployment benefit in another EEA country or in Switzerland, you can export these benefits to Belgium so that you can look for work there. You should fill in form U2

When you contact your insurance fund in Belgium to apply for social benefits you should advise them of:

• the country where you worked;
• the name and the address of your employer there;
• the period during which you worked there;
• your social security number.

Jargon busters

• Form E104: certification in relation to the totality of the periods of insurance, employment or residence. This document summarises the periods of insurance completed in a Member State. It is used by the relevant department in another State where the person is working, for the purposes of acquiring rights to sickness, maternity and death insurance benefits (allowances) when a worker starts work in a particular State but does not meet that State's conditions for claiming benefits.
• Form U1: Periods to be taken into account for the granting of unemployment benefits. It is aimed at unemployed persons who claim benefits in one Member State after having worked in another Member State.
• Form U2: maintenance of the right to unemployment benefits. This form is designed for the unemployed worker who wants to transfer his place of residence to another Member State in order to look for work there.
• EEA: European Economic Area. The 28 Member States of the EU except for Croatia, plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Forms you may need to fill in

Know your rights

The links below allow you to find out more about your rights. These sites are not dependent upon the European Commission and so do not represent the viewpoints of the latter;
Social security portal:

• https://www.socialsecurity.be;
• for your social security rights.

Commission publication and websites:

• http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=849&langId=fr.

Who do you need to contact?

The National Employment Office (ONEM) Find the office where you live:

• https://www.onem.be.
• Address (central administration): Boulevard de l'Empereur 7 - 1000 Brussels
• Telephone number (main): +32 25154111
• Website: https://www.onem.be

National Institute for Sickness and Invalidity Insurance (INAMI)

• Address: Avenue de Tervueren 211 - 1150 Brussels
• Telephone: +32 27397111
• Email: communication@inami.fgov.be
• Website:  http://www.inami.fgov.be/fr/Pages/default.aspx

Auxiliary Fund for Sickness & Invalidity Insurance (CAAMI)

• CAAMI web page to find your nearest regional office.

To contact the mutual insurance funds:

• National Alliance of Christian Mutual Insurance Funds
• National Union of Non-denominational Mutual Insurance Funds
• National Union of Socialist Mutual Insurance Funds
• National Union of Liberal Mutual Insurance Funds
• National Union of Free Mutual Insurance Funds
• The SNCB Holding health insurance fund

In the event of any problems with your rights as a European citizen