Students with a scholarship
Scholarships not subject to social security
If you hold a K.U.Leuven scholarship or grant as a predoctoral student, Master’s student, international scholar or specialisation student, it is not subject to Belgian social-security contributions. You will be provided with health insurance, usually via the ‘CM – Leuven’ (a major health-insurance company). In general, the health insurance costs are included in the scholarship. Your case administrator at the International Office: International Admissions and Mobility Unit will take care of all the formalities related to the subscription and the reimbursement procedures.
Doctoral students who hold a K.U.Leuven doctoral scholarship
Doctoral scholarships are subject to partial (for non-EEA citizens) or full (EEA citizens and citizens of the following countries with bilateral agreements with Belgium: Algeria, Australia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Israel, India, Japan, F.Y.R. of Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, the Philippines, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, South Korea, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, the United States, Uruguay) social security contributions, in compliance with Belgian law.
This means that in the case of partial social security coverage you are covered for health insurance and job-related accident and illness and you are also entitled to receive child allowance. In the case of full social security coverage, you will also have retirement and unemployment rights.
You are required to take out a health insurance policy, but the choice of the company is up to you. The cost amounts to € 14.85 per quarter.
If you are a non-EEA citizen, the International Office: International Admissions and Mobility Unit will arrange for your health-insurance coverage with a Belgian health insurance company. For non-EEA scholarship holders, the costs are usually included in the scholarship and will be paid by the International Admissions and Mobility Unit.
If your family needs to be insured as well, your partner has to visit the health-insurance company in person because he/she must sign the appropriate documents personally. The partners of non-EEA citizens can be covered from the moment they have a Belgian identity card (white card). EEA citizens can obtain coverage immediately.
