Belgium
Regulations on entry, stay, residence, and treatment access for people living with HIV
The categories of restriction are:
- No restrictions on entry or staying.
Restrictions on entry to Belgium
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on entry to Belgium based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Belgium does not have any HIV-related restrictions on entry.
A list of all the documents needed to apply for all types of visas is available from the Embassy to Belgium in Thailand.
Restrictions on short-term stay in Belgium
We found no evidence of any official restrictions on short-term stay in Belgium based on HIV status.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Belgium does not have any HIV-related restrictions on short-term stay.
Restrictions on long-term stay in Belgium
It appears that Belgium does not impose long-term stay restrictions on people living with HIV.
According to UNAIDS and the US Department of State, Belgium does not have any HIV-related restrictions on long-term stay.
The Belgium Immigration Office provides a list of supporting documents that should be included with the permanent visa application and none of those documents makes reference to HIV or the general health of the applicant.
However, it should be noted that according to Belgium Immigration Office, ‘as a general rule, any person wishing to stay in Belgium for more than 90 days must present a medical certificate attesting that they are not infected with one of the diseases that may endanger public health, as listed in the annex to the Law of 15 December 1980′ which include the following:
- quarantine diseases as referred to in the International Health Regulations of the World Health Organization, signed in Geneva on May 23, 2005;
- tuberculosis of the respiratory system that is active or has a progressive tendency;
- other infectious or contagious parasitic diseases, provided that they are the subject, in Belgium, of protective measures for Belgian nationals.
This does not appear to include HIV. Information provided by a user corroborates this.
Treatment access in Belgium
The following summarises available information on access to healthcare for people living with HIV in Belgium. There is no evidence that non-nationals are restricted from accessing treatment in the same way as nationals.
Under Belgian law, free antiretroviral therapy is offered to everyone living in Belgium. Even people without a legal residence permit can get medication through the OCMW/CPAS (Public Centre for Social Welfare).
A list of HIV reference centres for HIV treatment or PrEP access is available here.
According to Mi-Health Europe, testing is free and anonymous at three sexual health centres (Antwerp, Brussels and Liege) and at community-based organisations. Use the European test finder to see where you can get tested for HIV. Treatment is free for some. Undocumented persons may be refused medication in some cases.
Sources
The HIV Justice Network's Global HIV Criminalisation Database
Visit the Belgium page on the Global HIV Criminalisation Database to see more information about known HIV criminalisation laws in this country, an overview of how the laws are used, and any significant advocacy developments.
UNAIDS Global AIDS monitoring data
This information about access to HIV services comes from UNAIDS https://lawsandpolicies.unaids.org/, a platform to view data on HIV-related laws and policies. This is information provided by national authorities and civil society and may contradict other sources.
Migrant populations
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable documented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable undocumented migrants to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
| Migrants are able to access HIV services | N/A |
Refugees and asylum seekers
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable asylum seekers to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens | N/A |
| Laws/policies enable refugees to access HIV services under the same conditions as citizens implemented (countries with such laws/policies) | N/A |
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This site focuses on information about HIV travel. Please also consult your own Foreign Office/Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, or the local consulate of the country you are visiting, to see what restrictions there are specifically for you as a citizen of your country, regardless of your HIV status.
