Frequently asked questions
For employers
As an employer, which insurance policies for expats can I offer my employees?
Our insurance policies for companies are comparable to those for private individuals.
The basic package:
- pension,
- incapacity for work/disability/pregnancy, and
- deferred insurance policy for medical care.
The supplementary insurance policies:
You enter into a collective contract with the Overseas Social Security. In this, you decide whether you only offer the basic package or possibly also supplementary insurance policies. It is also possible to insure only one employee.
As an employer, how do I determine the amount of the contribution for my employee?
To a large extent, you choose the amount of the contribution yourself.
For the basic package, you pay a contribution of between and euro every month. The amount of the contribution determines the amount of your employee's pension. Use our simulation tool to find out which contribution provides which pension.
The contributions are broken down as follows:
- 70% goes to finance the retirement and survivor's pension, according to the principle of personal individual capitalisation.
- 20.5% goes to finance solidarity services such as indexation.
- 6.90% goes to finance the deferred insurance for medical care.
- 2.60% goes to finance sickness and disability insurance.
About contributions
Do the contributions change every year?
No. Just like the pension, the contributions are linked to the index. It is therefore dependent on the cost of living. The moment at which it changes is therefore unpredictable. In recent years it has been adapted about every year and a half.
Can I deduct my overseas social security contributions from my taxes?
Contributions to supplementary insurance contracts are never tax deductible.
However: have you kept your domicile in Belgium, do you pay your taxes there, and are you individually affiliated with the Overseas Social Security? Then you can deduct your contributions from your taxable income. Upon request, the Overseas Social Security will provide you with a certificate to that effect. The final decision on the deductibility of your contributions lies with your tax office. So it is best to contact your local tax office for a definitive answer.
My pension
How is my pension calculated?
The amount of your retirement pension depends on:
- the amount of your contributions,
- the number of years you have paid contributions,
- the age at which you begin to make your contributions, and
- the age at which you go on your pension.
Use our simulation tool to get an idea of which contributions provide which pensions.
At what age can I go on my pension?
At 65 years of age.
You can also retire early, from the age of 60, but then your pension will be reduced proportionally.
More about the retirement pension of the Overseas Social Security
How is my survivor's pension calculated?
The survivor's pension is based on the amount of the pension of your deceased spouse. It depends on various factors, including the age difference between the spouses.
More about the survivor's pension of the Overseas Social Security
Maternity and paternity
Do I receive an allowance from the Overseas Social Security during my paternity or adoption leave?
No. The scheme for paternity or adoption leave has been introduced in the Belgian sickness scheme, but does not apply to the Overseas Social Security.
What is the difference between maternity leave under the Overseas Social Security and the Belgian scheme?
Maternity leave under the Overseas Social Security can be granted for a 15 weeks: 7 weeks prenatal and 8 weeks postnatal leave.
Under the Belgian sickness scheme, you are in principle obliged to take your prenatal rest from the 7th day before your expected date of delivery. This obligation does not apply for the Overseas Social Security.
Supplementary insurance policies
What is the purpose of the supplementary insurance contract Accidents in private life, if these risks are already covered by the basic package?
The sickness and disability insurance entitles you to a benefit payment as soon as you are incapacitated for work. With the supplementary insurance contract Accidents in private life, you will also receive a daily allowance from the 31st day of incapacity for work.
The sickness and disability insurance reimburses the costs of medical care according to the NIHDI scales. With the supplementary insurance contract Accidents in private life, these costs are reimbursed in full, as will the transport and repatriation costs resulting from your accident. In addition, there is also an allowance in the event of long-term incapacity for work and, in the event of death, cover for the funeral costs and an annual stipend for the beneficiaries.
In which countries does my insurance cover me?
You are protected by the Overseas Social Security in the following countries:
- Afghanistan
- South Africa
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Saudi Arabia
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Belarus
- Burma
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Republic of the Congo
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Cook Islands
- North Korea
- South Korea
- Costa Rica
- Ivory Coast
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- Dominica
- Egypt
- United Arab Emirates
- Ecuador
- Eritrea
- United States
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Granada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Iran
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Lesotho
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- North Macedonia
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Morocco
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mauritania
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Niue
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- San Marino
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Saint Lucia
- Solomon Islands
- Salvador
- Samoa
- São Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Somalia
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Eswatini
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Chad
- Thailand
- East Timor
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Turkey
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- Vatican
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Abkhazia
- Northern Cyprus
- Kosovo
- South Ossetia
- Western Sahara
- Taiwan