Students other than grant-assisted PhD students do not pay Belgian social security contributions but do need to take action regarding reimbursement of healthcare costs (see ‘Healthcare’ section).
Grant-assisted PhD students, as well as researchers and lecturers, with an employment contract are subject to social security contributions, which are deducted at the source and payable to the . These contributions will provide either full or partial (not including unemployment and pension) social security cover, depending on nationality.
The schemes covered by the social security system include:
- compulsory health and incapacity insurance, healthcare sector;
- compulsory health and incapacity insurance, benefits sector;
- family allowance;
- retirement and survivor pensions;
- unemployment insurance;
- annual holidays (for manual workers);
- occupational accident insurance;
- insurance for occupational diseases.