Will my child benefit be stopped if my child stays abroad for a long time in the summer?
In short
A long stay abroad can affect your child benefit. Ask your payment organisation before you go; there are separate rules for education and health situations.
Video transcript
Your child will spend the summer abroad with their grandparents. It depends: A long stay abroad can affect child benefit. There are separate rules for education and health. The right way: Before leaving, ask your child benefit fund. Do not forget compulsory schooling. Outcome: Child benefit: Right may be lost; Overpaid amounts: Must be paid back; If it runs into term time: Absence problems.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- If your child stays outside Belgium for a long time, this can affect your child benefit (Groeipakket / allocations familiales). Ask your payment organisation in advance how long is allowed.
- There are exceptions for certain education and health situations; ask your child benefit organisation about them in advance.
- If you plan to leave your child abroad for the whole summer (for example with relatives), talk to your payment organisation in advance.
- If a school-age child stays abroad for a long time, this can also cause problems with compulsory school attendance.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- Loss of the right to child benefit, and having to pay it back
Legal basis:Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 103 §1
- Court / prison
- Merely staying abroad is not an offence. But knowingly receiving child benefit through a false or incomplete statement is an offence; in the Flemish Region, prison and a fine are provided for.
Legal basis:Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 189
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- Any child benefit overpaid must be paid back
Legal basis:Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 103 §1
- Problems with the school and the education authorities because of school absence
Legal basis:vlaanderen.be – Afwezig op school
- Extra checks in later periods
Why does this rule exist?
Child benefit is for the care and education costs of children who live in Belgium. The time limit makes sure the support goes to children who really live here.
Where can you go?
- The organisation that pays your benefitPension: Federal Pension Service (FPD / SFP) · Unemployment: RVA / ONEM or your payment organisation (trade union / HVW-CAPAC) · Sickness: ziekenfonds / mutualité
- OCMW / CPASQuestions about social assistance and social housing
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 7 / 7 statements in an official source
- Checked: 12.10.2026
- Last checked
- 11.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 7 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Çocuğun uzun süre yurt dışında kalması çocuk parasını etkileyebilir
BVR 5.10.2018 art. 47 §1 (Flandre); AGW 5.12.2024 art. 7 (Valonya); Circulaire CCR 9.7.2019 I.4 (Brüksel) - Found in an official source
Eğitim ve sağlık için istisnalar var
Circulaire Collège réuni 9.7.2019, I, points 1, 2, 6 (Brüksel); BVR 5.10.2018 art. 47 §1, 1°, 2°, 4° (Flandre) - Found in an official source
Okul çağındaki çocuğun uzun yurt dışı kalışı okul zorunluluğu sorunu
Vlaanderen.be – Afwezig op school in basis- en secundair onderwijs - Found in an official source
Haksız ödenen çocuk parası geri alınır (Flandre)
Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 103 §1 - Found in an official source
Haksız ödenen çocuk parası geri alınır (Flandre)
Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 103 §1 - Found in an official source
Okul dönemi tatile gitmek luxeverzuim'dur; okul CLB'yi devreye sokar (Flandre)
vlaanderen.be – Afwezig op school - Corrected according to the source
Hapis cezası yok
Groeipakketdecreet 27.4.2018, art. 189
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?