Before entering Belgium, you should check whether your health insurance at home covers medical costs in Belgium. This is of the utmost importance because these costs can be very high.

Students from the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland are insured by their homeland medical insurance company during their stay in Belgium.
Ask your insurance company for a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or an equivalent certificate in order to receive reimbursement of medical expenses immediately in Belgium or soon after your return home.

Students from outside the European Economic Area (Non-EEA) and Switzerland or students without a European Health Insurance Card have to take out insurance.

You have two options:

• you can contact an insurance company in your home country and get a personal health insurance coverage for the duration of your stay in Belgium. Part of your medical expenses, based on your medical certificates, will be refunded once you are back home;
• you can contact a local health insurance fund (ziekenfonds or mutualiteit) on arrival in Belgium. Belgian health insurance funds reimburse legally specified parts of all unforeseen medical costs.

You can also find a lot of information about the Belgian health care system here.  

Moreover, we would also like to advise you to take out a supplementary repatriation insurance before your departure if this is not included in your health insurance. An additional private liability insurance is also strongly recommended. You might need it after (accidentally) hurting other persons or damaging other people’s property.