Am I entitled to child benefit if my child is studying abroad?
Is your child studying abroad? Your child may keep receiving child benefits if he/she remains registered in Brussels (except for cases concerning the application of international regulations).
You should inform your child benefits agency using the form P7 which you will receive at the beginning of the school year. If your child decides to study abroad, please mention this on the form. Your case worker will send you the proper form for the educational institution to fill out and to be returned to us.
In the case of studies abroad, the course programme should be recognized by the state of that country. If the programme is not recognized, the student should follow courses for 17 hours or 27 credits.
Where does your child study?
Your child studies in a country of the European Economic Area
Is your child studying abroad? Your child may keep receiving child benefits if he/she remains registered in Brussels (except for cases concerning the application of international regulations).
The same applies to exchange programs (such as Erasmus).
However, the usual conditions must be met in order to receive child benefit for the child concerned:
- the child must be under 25 years of age,
- he must remain domiciled in Belgium,
- be exclusively or mainly your responsibility
If your child meets all these conditions, you can continue to receive child benefit in Belgium while your child is studying abroad.
Your child studies in a country outside of the European Economic Area
You will keep receiving the child benefits for a maximum of one year.
Bilateral agreements outside of the EEA:
There are exceptions in certain countries outside Europe for which specific rules exist.
Belgium concluded bilateral agreements with a number of countries that are not part of the EEA: Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey.
Each agreement includes specific conditions for awarding Belgian child benefits. For more information, get in touch with your case worker.
More information?
Call us at 0800 35 950 or email us at info@famiris.brussels.