Updated 19/03/2025

Country overview

There are no restrictions on entry, stay, and residence for people living with HIV in Belgium. Antiretroviral treatment can be brought for personal use.

Labor migrants

Care for people living with HIV is provided in HIV reference centers, which are multidisciplinary centers. All services, including ART, are covered by health insurance (mutual insurance). Any foreign citizen with legal status (worker, student, intern, etc.) has the right to subscribe to a mutual insurance of their choice, just like Belgian citizens, once registered in their municipality of residence. For foreign citizens with irregular administrative status, care including ART is covered by urgent medical aid (AMU). For more information on AMU, visit: medimmigrant.be. How it works: ART is fully covered by the mutual insurance. However, some costs remain the responsibility of the individual (co-payment for consultation and laboratory fees) www.inami.fgov.be.

Refugees

Recognized refugees can register for the health insurance (mutual insurance) of their choice just like any Belgian citizen and benefit from ART reimbursement within HIV reference centers (see migrant workers). Asylum seekers are covered by FEDASIL (Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers). As such, all care including ART is covered by this public utility body based on a medical requisition issued by FEDASIL's medical services. www.fedasil.be

Access to treatment

All you need is health insurance (mutual insurance, urgent medical aid card, FEDASIL medical requisition) depending on your status. With one of these documents, you should go to an HIV reference center according to your place of residence, after making an appointment. There are 12 HIV reference centers in Belgium. These centers are responsible for follow-up, treatment prescription, and support for people living with HIV. Afterward, your general practitioner can renew your prescriptions. You also have access to other free services (dietitian, tobacco specialist, psychologist, sexologist, etc.). If you do not have mutual insurance, access to treatment is still possible under certain conditions. For follow-up by the following disciplines: psychologist, sexologist, social worker or social nurse, dietitian, and nurse, you will pay your personal share (called "co-payment") once a year. You will not pay your share for each separate intervention of each discipline. The third-party payer system applies.

Contact an HIV reference center according to your place of residence to make an appointment. The list of reference centers is available at https://www.cool-and-safe.org/fr/contacts-utiles/se/.

Health insurance (mutual insurance, AMU, FEDASIL) reimburses antiretroviral treatments as soon as the HIV diagnosis is made. Treatments are provided by city pharmacies upon presentation of the prescription issued by the doctor at the HIV reference center. For prescription renewals, based on your general practitioner's prescription.

If you do not have antiretroviral treatment, if you have difficulties with your insurance, or if you do not have the necessary documents, you should seek advice and assistance from local NGOs. You can find them on the Plateforme Prévention Sida website https://preventionsida.org/fr/contacts-utiles/.