Continuation of your insurance without occupation

You know that you must be working outside the EEA, Switzerland or the UK to benefit from the Overseas Social Security (OSS) scheme. But, what if you are out of work for a month or more in the coming months?

There are two possible scenarios: either you were covered by your employer through a collective contract taken expats in the company, and this contract was discontinued for you. Or you were individually affiliated to the OSS and you are temporarily not carrying out any occupation. This may be because you are taking a break between two occupations, have a sabbatical year, etc.

In both cases, we can issue you with a certificate enabling you to rejoin a Belgian health insurance fund or another fund of your choice. But, you can also stay abroad during your period of inactivity or even return to Belgium without re-enrolling in the local social security system.

In that case, you apply for a 'continuation of insurance without occupation'. In this way, you extend your affiliation to the general scheme and keep your medical care insurance contract if you had taken it out. The 'continuation of your insurance without occupation' can last up to 12 months and stops once you resume your occupation outside the EEA and you have notified this to the National Social Security Office. You will also make your contributions during this extension period. If, during the continuation period, you resume a professional activity in Belgium or Europe or receive unemployment benefits, you must stop the extension period.

In this way, the insurance extension, which can continue throughout your entire career abroad, often makes it possible to connect different periods worked.
Please note that you should apply for your extension within a month of your occupation being interrupted.