As things stand, the social security of persons moving within the European Union (EU) is governed by specific EU legislation protecting the social security entitlements of EU citizens. Such persons:
- are at all times subject to the legislation of a single member state and therefore pay social security or national insurance contributions in that country only
- have the same rights and obligations as subjects of the country in which they are insured
- are paid benefits which take account of previous periods in which they were insured, employed or resident in other member states (aggregation of periods)
- will generally receive—if they are entitled to benefits from member state 1—those benefits if they are a resident of member state 2 (exportability)
These principles also apply to British citizens working or residing in Belgium, and will continue to apply to them until the UK leaves the EU.
As of 1 February 2020, the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union. We are now in the transition period. This limited transition period has been agreed as part of the withdrawal agreement and will last at least until 31 December 2020. Until that time, there will be no changes for citizens, consumers, businesses, investors, students and researchers in the EU and the UK.
More information:
For information on the availability of medicines and medical aids, the validity of regulations, questions about travelling with medicines, and ordering products from the UK, you should consult the website of the Federal Medicines and Healthcare Products Agency (FAMHP).