Insurance and healthcare

All students must have sufficient health insurance to cover their stay in Antwerp. Although the University of Antwerp does offer accident-liability insurance to all its students, health insurance is not included, so please make sure you are sufficiently insured.

We cannot recommend one particular health insurance, as these are commercial service providers.

In Belgium you are free to choose your own doctor. GPs have their own private practices or may be affiliated with a hospital. Always bring cash with you to pay the doctor. You will be required to pay their fee on the spot, at the end of your visit. Not all doctors accept bank card payments. You will pay around 25 euros; the rates of a specialist are higher.

Whether you need to apply for Belgian health insurance or are covered by your own insurance depends on whether you’re from an EEA country or non-EU country. Read on to get the relevant information.

Students from an EEA country (+ Switzerland)

If you’re a student coming from one of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland you get access to the Belgian state provided health care under the same conditions as the Belgian population for all urgent medical care. In order to get access to the Belgian health insurance you should request the European health Insurance card (EHIC) from your national health insurance provider before you come to Belgium. 

Please be aware of the following: 

The EHIC card:

  • is not an alternative to travel insurance. It does not cover any private healthcare or costs such as a return flight to your home country or lost/stolen property,
  • does not cover your costs if you are travelling for the express purpose of obtaining medical treatment.

You can request reimbursement by presenting your European health insurance card and the documents from the health care provider from any Belgian Health insurance provider. You can also request reimbursement from your own national health insurance provider once you are back home. The reimbursement is based on the Belgian rates.

If you are in the possession of the EHIC card there is no need to register with a Belgian Health insurer, but there are some advantages if you do wish to register with one of them:

  • Non-urgent medical care will also be reimbursed 
  • Reimbursement will be quicker, within one week according to the Belgian rules.
  • Registration is free if you stay in Belgium for less than 1 year (1 year minus 1 day) (not valid for Swiss students)

All info on how to register with a Belgian health insurer will be given as soon as you arrive in Belgium. 

Here is an overview of the most common health insurance providers:

  1. Helan Business & Expats Health insurance
  2. CM health insurance
  3. Expat & Co | Smart Insurances
  4. Solidaris 
  5. LM plus(only in Dutch)
  6. VNZ (only in Dutch)

Students from non-EU countries

You must have sufficient health insurance that covers your stay here in Belgium, but it is not mandatory to register with a Belgian Health Insurer. 

In case you do want to register with a Belgian Health insurer you have two options:

  1. Register as a student: if you register with a Belgian Health insurer you pay a quarterly fee plus a monthly fee (the amounts differ from provider to provider). In this case you only need proof that you are registered as a student at the University of Antwerp.
  2. Register as a resident: as a non-EU student you have to apply for a residence permit as soon as you arrive in Antwerp. With this residence permit you can register with a Belgian Health insurance provider as a resident. In this case you only pay the monthly fee (the amounts differ from provider to provider). Important: at the end of your stay in Antwerp you have to deregister as a resident and you should forward the confirmation of your deregistration to your Belgian health insurance provider to cancel your contract.

Australian citizens: Take your Medicard with you to Belgium. You can obtain this card from your health insurance provider in Australia. You do not need to register with a health insurance provider in Belgium and you do not need to pay a contribution.

All info on how to register with a Belgian health insurer will be given during the orientation days.

Here is an overview of the most common health insurance providers: