New to Belgium: what am I entitled to?

How can I apply for my Growth Package or Child Benefit?

You can submit an online application quickly and easily.

Prefer to submit a paper request? No problem.

Need help in completing your application? Then make an appointment at one of our offices, or contact a KidsLife adviser.

• Make sure that you have all your family members’ dates of birth to hand. Naturally, we also require your family members’ names. Already in possession of a Belgian National Register number? Then please supply us with this as well. It will enable us to process your file more quickly.
• If you previously received Child Benefit abroad, then we’ll also require the name and address of the competent foreign Child Benefit Fund. We’ll request confirmation from this organisation that they’ve ceased making any payments. Already have such a confirmation in your possession? Then please add it to your application to save time!
• Finally, we require the bank account number to which you’d like us to make your Growth Package or Child Benefit payments. Don’t (yet) have a bank account? No problem! We’ll issue a circular cheque instead. However, a deposit to your bank account is always the fastest and most secure payment method.

Apply for Child Benefit from KidsLife here

Contact a KidsLife adviser for answers to all your questions

What is a Child Benefit Fund?

A Child Benefit Fund ensures the payment of applicable allowances and premiums for all Belgian parents.

But what’s the difference between:

A Health Insurance Fund and a Child Benefit Fund?

A health insurance fund primarily covers your medical care and the payment of allowances during pregnancy or illness. In most cases, they also provide additional services such as Home Care or the loan of medical equipment.
A Child Benefit Fund pays out various family premiums and allowances.

Various Child Benefit Funds

All Child Benefit Funds must adhere to the same regulations. This means that you always receive the same amount from every fund and that payments are also made on the same dates. The experts at the KidsLife Child Benefit Fund ensure the smooth processing of your file and the rapid payment of your benefits. Thanks to our experts, KidsLife ensures that you never miss out on any benefits.

Growth Package and Child Benefit

Growth Package is the name for the new Child Benefit in Flanders. In Brussels and Wallonia, this is still referred to as Child Benefit.

From which date will my Belgian Child Benefit entitlement commence?

Submit an application for your Growth Package and Child Benefit, and we’ll automatically investigate your entitlement to both types of family allowance over the last 5 years.

Please note: the condition for entitlement prior to 1/1/2019 is professional activity* in Belgium. You might therefore be entitled to Child Benefit or the Growth Package from 1/1/2019, but not to Child Benefit for the preceding period.

If you’d like more information about your specific circumstances, then please contact your KidsLife adviser.

*professional activity in Belgium implies: working in the capacity of an employee or a self-employed person, receiving unemployment benefits, or receiving sickness benefits (this list is not exhaustive)