Your Belgian pension abroad

The conditions vary depending on your country of residence.
 

1.1. Main place of residence in a member state of the EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland or the United Kingdom

If you live in a member state of the EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you should submit your application to the local social security authority. For more information, please visit the European site “Your Europe”

1.2. Staying in a country that has no social security agreement with Belgium

If you stay in a country that has not concluded a social security agreement with Belgium, you have to submit the application in person in the EEA country where you last worked.

If this was Belgium, you must submit the application in person to one of the following qualified organisations in Belgium:

For employees and civil servants:

The Federal Pensions Service (FPS) administers pensions for employees and civil servants, and also pays them to retired employees, civil servants and self-employed. You can find more information on the website of the FPS;

Federal Pensions Service (available in French or Dutch)
Bureau des Conventions internationales
Tour du Midi
1060 Brussels
Belgium
info@sfpd.fgov.be
Phone: 1765 (toll-free in Belgium) - From abroad: +32 78 15 17 65 (toll number)

 
For the self-employed:

The National Institute for the Social Security of the Self-employed (INASTI/RSVZ) examines the pension entitlements of the former self-employed. Pensions are then paid out by the Federal Pensions Service.

National Institute for the Social Security of the Self-employed
Quai de Willebroek, 35
1000 Brussels
 Belgium
info@rsvz-inasti.fgov.be
Phone: 1765 (toll-free in Belgium)
or + 32 78 15 1765 (toll numbers from abroad)
or +32 2 546 42 11 
Fax: +32 2 511 21 53

For a mixed career (employee, self-employed, civil servant) and for war pensions (war veterans and war invalids):

You should submit your application to either of the two organisations mentioned above (an application submitted to one organisation is automatically valid for the other one).

1.3. Staying in a country that has a social security agreement with Belgium 

If Belgium has concluded a social security agreement (covering pensions) with the country where you are residing, you should submit your application to the local social security organisation in your country of residence.

For more information about the countries that have a social security agreement with Belgium, please visit the site Coming2Belgium

1.4. Federal agency for occupational risks (Fedris)

This is a special category of pension incumbents subject to particular rules. You can find more information about this category on the FEDRIS website

 
1.5. Overseas Social Security

The missions in matters of overseas social security have been taken over by the National Social Security Office

ONSS/Overseas Social Security
Place Victor Horta 11
1060 Brussels
Belgium
overseas@rsz.fgov.be 
Phone: +32 2 509 90 99

Pensions for employees, civil servants and self-employed are paid out abroad by the Federal Pensions Service

info.fr@sfpd.fgov.be 
Telephone: 1765 (toll-free in Belgium) or +32 78 15 17 65 (toll number from abroad)

All types of Belgian pensions can be paid out anywhere in the world to Belgians, EU nationals and nationals of countries that have concluded a social security agreement with Belgium. Miners' pensions can be paid out anywhere in the world (subject to certain restrictions).

You can find more information on the page "Work & stay abroad" of the FPS.

Important remarks:

• Sending a certificate of life
  Regardless of the payment method chosen abroad, you will receive each year a “Certificate of life” form which you must have filled out, and which you have to return to us as soon as possible. This will avoid any interruption of the payment.
• What happens in case of death?
  In case of death, the survivor’s pension is not granted automatically to the surviving spouse. He or she will have to submit an application.

3.1. Payment problems

In the event of payment problems such as late payment or loss or theft of checks, you, as the recipient of the pension, may contact the Federal Pensions Service.

 
3.2. Complaint

If you want to submit a complaint we recommend that you first contact your case manager in the qualified institution. If, after consulting with the dossier manager, you still think there has been an error, you can submit a complaint to the institution concerned.

If you are still not satisfied after these steps, you may submit your complaints about the functioning and the customer service of the pensions services, the establishment of the pension entitlements or the amount and the payment of your Belgian pension to the Pensions Ombudsman:

Service de Médiation Pensions
WTC III Bd. Simon Bolivar 30 box 5
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium 
plainte@mediateurpensions.be 
Tel.: +32 2 274 19 90 (9 am - 5 pm Belgian time)
Fax: +32 2 274 19 99