29 rules

I am going abroad

Before you travel: limits on time abroad for benefits, school holidays, customs rules for your suitcase.

☐ Not allowed: Can I bring sucuk, salami or dried meat in my suitcase when I come back from a country outside the EU? — No. You cannot bring meat or meat products from a country outside the EU. This includes homemade products and small amounts. There are exceptions only for a few European countries, such as Switzerland and Norway.
☐ Not allowed: Can I bring cheese, butter, yoghurt or cream from a country outside the EU? — No. You cannot bring dairy products from a country outside the EU (except from a few European countries such as Switzerland and Norway). There are only a few exceptions, such as infant formula and medical diet products.
☐ Not allowed: After a divorce, can I take my child to another country without the other parent's permission? — No. Not handing a child over to the other parent, or taking a child abroad without permission, can be a crime (level 2; level 3 in aggravated cases).
☐ Not allowed: Can I use a car with expired insurance or an overdue inspection for a short trip? — No. A motor vehicle may only be used on the road if it has compulsory motor insurance. Its inspection certificate must also be valid. Driving without insurance is a criminal offence dealt with by the courts.
☐ Not allowed: I live in Belgium. Can I drive a car with foreign number plates here? — As a rule, no. Anyone entered in the population register in Belgium must register the vehicle they use in Belgium. There are limited exceptions, such as a hire car, a company car, or a car lent to you free of charge for no more than 1 month.
☐ Not allowed: We have separated. Is it an offence if I do not bring the child back after the weekend, or do not hand them over to the other parent? — Yes, it can be. Knowingly failing to follow the arrangement set by the court or in the divorce agreement is a level 2 offence (art. 681).
☐ Not allowed: Can I bring back fake designer bags, watches or clothes from abroad for my own use? — No. Bringing counterfeit goods into Belgium is forbidden. Customs can seize them and fine you.
☐ Not allowed: Can I lend my passport or identity card to a relative or a friend? — Don't. Giving your passport or identity card to someone else with fraudulent intent or intent to cause harm, or accepting or using someone else's, is a crime (level 1). Tampering with the document with fraudulent intent is more serious (level 3).
☐ Required: Can I carry 10.000 € or more in cash when I travel to or from a country outside the EU? — Yes, but you must declare it to customs. When you enter or leave the EU, you must declare cash of 10.000 € or more (including foreign currency and investment gold).
☐ Required: Can I take my child on holiday abroad before school ends because the tickets are cheaper? — No. School attendance is compulsory from age 5 to 18. A holiday outside the school holidays is an unauthorised absence. In Flanders, this can make you lose your school allowance. In serious cases, the file goes to the public prosecutor.
☐ Required: Do I have to declare my house, plot of land or field abroad to Belgium? — Yes. If you pay taxes in Belgium, you must declare each property abroad separately to the tax authorities. A newly bought property must be declared within 4 months; someone who has just moved to Belgium must declare their existing property within 30 days.
☐ Required: Do I have to declare my bank account abroad to Belgium? — Yes. Every bank account abroad must be declared every year on your tax return, and once in the central register (CAP) of the National Bank of Belgium.
☐ Required: Do I have to declare property I own abroad when I receive social assistance from the OCMW / CPAS? — Yes. When you apply for social assistance (leefloon / revenu d'intégration), you must declare all property and income, including abroad.
☐ Required: Do I need to register before driving into Brussels or Ghent in a car with foreign number plates? — Yes. Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent have a low emission zone (LEZ). A car with foreign plates must be registered (free of charge), even if it meets the standards (Dutch plates excepted). It is best to register before you set off. Entering without registering will get you a fine.
☐ Required: I am going to stay abroad for several months or over a year. Do I need to tell the municipality? — In most cases, yes. Foreign nationals with a residence card must tell the municipality in advance about any absence of more than 3 months. An absence of more than 1 year can cost you your right of residence.
☐ Depends: Can I bring fresh fruit, vegetables, seedlings or seeds from a country outside the EU? — Fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers from countries outside the EU (except Switzerland) need a plant health certificate. The only ones allowed without a certificate are bananas, pineapples, coconuts, dates and durians. Bringing in seeds, seedlings, cuttings, bulbs and plants with roots without a certificate is forbidden.
☐ Depends: How many cigarettes, how much alcohol and how many gifts can I bring tax-free from a country outside the EU? — It is allowed within the limits. By air, each person can bring 200 cigarettes, 1 L of spirits, 4 L of wine and 16 L of beer. For other goods, the limit is 430 € by air and 300 € by land.
☐ Depends: Can I bring my own medicine, or medicine for my mother, from a country outside the EU? — You can bring medicine for your own use, with a prescription or a doctor's report, in an amount that fits your treatment. Before you travel, ask the official authority to confirm the maximum amount allowed. Selling medicine is forbidden.
☐ Depends: How long can I stay abroad while I receive the income guarantee for older people (IGO/GRAPA)? — At most 29 days a year. You must report every trip abroad longer than 5 days (6 nights) to the Federal Pensions Service before you leave. The days of departure and return do not count.
☐ Depends: Can I go on holiday abroad while I receive unemployment benefit? — Yes. You have the right to 24 days (4 weeks) of holiday a year, and you can spend this holiday abroad. For a longer stay, ask your payment organisation in advance.
☐ Depends: Will my child benefit be stopped if my child stays abroad for a long time in the summer? — 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.
☐ Depends: Can I live in social housing if I own a house abroad? — As a rule, no. In Flanders, you can only get social housing if you do not fully own a house or a building plot anywhere, including abroad. You declare this in writing. For Wallonia and Brussels, ask your own social housing company about the conditions.
☐ Depends: Can I go abroad while I am on sick leave (receiving sickness benefit)? — Yes, but before you leave the EU, you must get permission from your health insurance fund's doctor. For travel within the EU, it is enough to let them know in good time.
☐ Depends: Can I bring my cat or dog from a country outside the EU to Belgium? What do I need? — Yes. If you are coming from a non-EU country that is not on the list, preparations take at least 4 months. You need a microchip, a rabies vaccination, a rabies blood test and a 3-month wait after the test. An official veterinary health certificate is also required.
☐ Depends: Can I bring honey, fish, eggs or baby food from a country outside the EU? — Yes, in limited quantities. You can bring up to 20 kg of fish, and up to 2 kg in total of products such as honey and eggs. Meat and dairy products are banned.
☐ Depends: Can I leave my caravan, trailer or broken-down car in the street for weeks? — No, not for long. Trailers, caravans and vehicles that no longer run may be parked in the street for at most 24 hours in a row. For heavy vehicles in built-up areas, the limit is 8 hours.
☐ Depends: I got married or divorced abroad. Is this valid in Belgium, and do I have to report it to the municipality? — Usually yes, and no separate court case is needed. However, you must take the document, with an apostille and a sworn translation, to the municipality and have it entered in the Belgian records.
☐ Depends: Can I leave my estate to whoever I want? What share do my children and my spouse get? — Partly. If you have children, half of your estate is always reserved for them; you can leave the other half by will to whoever you want. Your spouse also has rights protected by law.
☐ Depends: I am going on holiday abroad; if I get ill there, is my Belgian health insurance valid? — Partly. The European Health Insurance Card is only valid in EU countries and a few other European countries. If you are going to a country that has a social security agreement with Belgium, ask your health insurance fund (ziekenfonds / mutualité) for a form for that country. For other countries, check your travel insurance.