Posted worker or expat: here’s the difference Under which status will you work abroad?

Posted worker: limited period

As a posted employee, you will continue to work for your Belgian employer. You stay covered by the social security system of the country where you usually work. You are exempt from the social security obligation of the country in which you are temporarily employed. Duration of posting is limited and varies from one country to another.

Posting is, despite the limit in time, even possible outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. You also work for your Belgian employer and your country’s social security system cares for you.

Expat: longer period than for a posting

If you work abroad for a longer period than the permitted posting period, you will fall under expat status. You can opt for the social security system of your host country or for Belgian social security under the Overseas Social Security (OSS) scheme. If you know in advance that your stay will last longer than the maximum duration of a posting, you can immediately opt for the OSS scheme.

Even if you work on a local contract outside the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, you can still participate in the OSS scheme. This applies both to self-employed people and employees.