housing & healthcare (BE) sub
Housing & healthcare benefits for hospitality workers in Belgium
If you work in hospitality in Belgium – for example as a chef, kitchen assistant, service staff,
cleaner, bar staff or hotel employee – you may be eligible for various
housing and healthcare benefits for hospitality workers in Belgium.
Belgium offers several forms of support for employees with lower or middle incomes.
1. Housing support for hospitality workers in Belgium
Belgium does not have a national rent allowance like the Netherlands, but it does offer multiple
forms of housing support through
social housing, rent premiums and regional support schemes.
The rules differ per region (Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia).
Main forms of housing support
- Social housing – reduced rent based on income
- Rent premium (Flanders) – for tenants who have been on the waiting list for a long time
- Housing bonus / tax advantages (depending on older or ongoing schemes)
- Local allowances via cities and municipalities
➜ Official information per region:
2. Health insurance and healthcare benefits in Belgium
In Belgium, basic health insurance is mandatory and is organised through
mutual health insurance funds.
Employees pay contributions via their salary, while people with lower incomes receive additional support.
Support for employees
- Reduced contributions for low incomes
- Increased reimbursement (VT) – lower personal costs for medical care
- Reimbursements via health insurance funds (CM, Helan, OZ, Partena, etc.)
➜ More information:
RIZIV – information about health insurance
3. What do these housing and healthcare benefits provide?
Exact amounts vary per region and type of scheme, but benefits can amount to:
- €100 – €300 per month in lower housing costs (social rent or rent premium)
- Significant savings on medical expenses through increased reimbursement
For many hospitality workers, this makes working in Belgium financially more attractive,
especially in combination with stable hospitality wages.
4. How do you apply for these benefits?
You will usually need:
- your pay slips
- income details (latest tax assessment or ISI+)
- registrations with social services or housing organisations
- registration with a health insurance fund
Each region has its own application portals for housing support.
Healthcare benefits are managed via your health insurance fund.
5. Belgium in the European context
Belgium offers strong protection through social housing and health insurance,
but does not have a central rent allowance.
On our thematic page
Hospitality benefits in Europe
you can compare Belgium with countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Ireland.
6. Join our international community
Would you like to learn more about living, working, housing and healthcare benefits in Belgium
and across Europe?
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