Mutuelle in Belgium: Translating Medical Documents for Health Insurance

You walk into CM with a stack of medical records from a Ukrainian hospital - and they tell you: “We can’t read this, you need a translation from a beëdigd vertaler.” Then you find out the translation has to be in Dutch because you’re in Flanders. That’s 50-90 euros per document, plus a week of waiting. To save you from that scenario, let’s break down how Belgian health insurance actually works and which Ukrainian documents you need to translate.

What’s a mutuelle and why you need one¶

Mutuelle (in French) or mutualiteit/ziekenfonds (in Dutch) - it’s a Belgian health insurance fund. This is the organization that reimburses part of your medical expenses: doctor visits, medication, hospital stays, lab tests. Without it, you’re paying full price for everything - and that adds up fast.

In Belgium, registering with a mutuelle is mandatory for everyone who lives here. It’s not optional - it’s the law. As soon as you’ve registered at your commune and have a residence permit, joining a mutuelle should be your next step.

Here’s how it works in practice: you visit a doctor, pay the full fee (for example, €33.74 for a GP visit), then the mutuelle reimburses most of it - around €27.74. So you only pay about €6 out of pocket. This remainder is called the ticket modérateur or remgeld - your share of the cost.

Which mutuelle to choose¶

Belgium has two types of health insurance funds: private ones (you pay a monthly fee for supplementary coverage) and one public fund that’s completely free.

Private mutuelles¶

The basic reimbursement (compulsory insurance) is identical across all funds - it’s regulated by INAMI/RIZIV (National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance). The difference is only in supplementary benefits: one fund reimburses more for glasses, another for sports, another gives a better birth bonus.

Free option: CAAMI/HZIV¶

CAAMI (Caisse Auxiliaire d’Assurance Maladie-Invalidité) or HZIV (Hulpkas voor Ziekte- en Invaliditeitsverzekering) - this is the public fund, and membership is completely free. You get the same basic reimbursement as private funds, but without the extra perks.

For Ukrainians under temporary protection, CAAMI/HZIV is often the simplest choice when you first arrive. No fees, minimal paperwork, and the core coverage is exactly the same.

Registration for Ukrainians under temporary protection¶

Good news: if you have temporary protection status (Annexe 15 or A card), any mutuelle is required to accept you. INAMI has made it clear - Ukrainians under temporary protection have the right to full health insurance coverage.

What you need to register¶

• Annexe 15 or A card - your temporary protection document
• Passport - for identity verification
• Proof of commune registration - after registering at your place of residence
• Affiliation form (formulaire d’affiliation / aansluitingsformulier) - you fill this in on the spot

Registration works retroactively - from the first day of the quarter in which you received your temporary protection certificate. So if you got your Annexe 15 in February but registered with a mutuelle in March, your coverage still starts from January 1st.

Enhanced reimbursement (BIM status)¶

If you have a low income (which applies to many Ukrainians who’ve just arrived), you can apply for verhoogde tegemoetkoming / intervention majorée - “enhanced reimbursement.” With BIM status, you pay significantly less. For example, a GP visit costs just €1-2 instead of €6. You also get discounts on public transport, energy bills, and other services.

You can apply for BIM directly at your mutuelle - they’ll check whether you qualify based on your income level. For Ukrainians under temporary protection, the process is usually straightforward since income is often below the threshold.

Which medical documents from Ukraine need translation¶

This is where things get interesting. If you have a medical history from Ukraine - chronic conditions, surgeries, prescriptions - you need to translate the relevant documents so Belgian doctors can actually work with them.

Sworn translation required¶

• Hospital discharge summaries - if you’ve had hospitalizations or surgeries
• Chronic condition certificates - diabetes, asthma, heart disease, oncology
• Test results and examination reports - if you’re continuing treatment started in Ukraine
• Prescriptions - especially for daily medications that require a prescription
• Disability certificates - for applying for assistance through Belgian social services
• Vaccination records - for registering children in school or daycare (Kita)
• Specialist reports - cardiologist, endocrinologist, neurologist

The translation must be done by a sworn translator (beëdigd vertaler) registered in Belgium’s National Registry with a VTI number. Since December 2022, sworn translations in Belgium are PDF files with a qualified digital signature.

You can skip translation for¶

• Lab results with numerical values - if the doctor can read the Latin terminology (CBC, biochemistry, blood markers)
• Documents issued by Belgian institutions
• Some doctors accept English-language documents without translation - but that’s their discretion, not a guarantee

Which language to translate into¶

It depends on where you live:

One Ukrainian on an expat forum in Belgium shared: “I live in Antwerp, ordered my medical records translated into French because I found a cheaper translator. The doctor accepted them, but the mutuelle refused - they said they need Dutch for processing reimbursements.” Check the language for your region before ordering.

How much does medical document translation cost¶

Sworn translation prices (2026)¶

Medical documents tend to cost more than standard ones because of the specialized terminology. A beëdigd vertaler typically charges €0.06-0.10 per word, plus a €10-20 surcharge per page for the sworn certification.

Where to find a sworn translator¶

The official database is JustSearch: justsearch.just.fgov.be. Enter your language pair (Ukrainian → Dutch or Ukrainian → French) and you’ll see all registered translators with their VTI numbers.

The catch is that Ukrainian translators are limited in number, and not all of them specialize in medical texts. If you can’t find the right pair, ChatsControl can help with a preliminary document translation online, and then a sworn translator certifies the result.

What the mutuelle reimburses and what you actually pay¶

Basic reimbursement rates (2026)¶

If you set up a DMG (Dossier Médical Global / Globaal Medisch Dossier) - essentially a “medical file” with your family doctor - you get about a 30% discount on the ticket modérateur. The DMG is free, and your doctor sets it up.

Medication¶

Medications in Belgium are divided into reimbursement categories A through D. Category A (essential for life - insulin, cancer drugs) are free. Category B - you pay 15% of the cost. Category C - 50%. Category D - no reimbursement.

If you’re taking medication prescribed in Ukraine, a Belgian doctor needs to write a new prescription. But to do that, they need to see your medical history - and that’s exactly where having your documents translated becomes critical.

How to get it right the first time¶

1. Register with a mutuelle right after your commune registration - don’t delay, because without insurance you’re paying full price for everything
2. Check your region’s language before ordering medical document translations
3. Translate the essentials first - prescriptions for ongoing medication and chronic condition certificates. The rest can wait
4. Ask your mutuelle about BIM status - if you qualify, you’ll save on every doctor visit
5. Set up a DMG with your family doctor - it’s free and gives you an extra discount
6. Keep the originals of all your Ukrainian documents - the mutuelle works with translations, but the original might be needed

FAQ¶

Can I register with a mutuelle using Annexe 15 without an A card?¶

Yes. With Annexe 15, you’ll be registered at a mutuelle, though some funds may assign a temporary status until you receive your A card. Coverage still starts retroactively from the first day of the quarter.

Do I have to pay for a mutuelle if I’m under temporary protection?¶

Basic insurance (the compulsory part) is free for everyone. Supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering) at private funds costs €8.50-16 per month. If you don’t want to pay anything at all, register with the free public fund CAAMI/HZIV.

Will they accept my medical document translation from Germany?¶

If the translation was done by a sworn translator in Germany, a doctor will usually accept it for informational purposes. But for official procedures at your mutuelle, you may need a Belgian sworn translation with a digital signature.

How much does a doctor visit cost without a mutuelle?¶

Full price - from €33.74 for a GP to €80-150 for a specialist. Without insurance, nobody reimburses anything. That’s why registering with a mutuelle is the first thing you should do after the commune.

What if I need medication but don’t have a Belgian prescription yet?¶

See a doctor with your translated medical documents - they’ll write a new Belgian prescription. In urgent cases, a pharmacy may dispense a small quantity based on a Ukrainian prescription, but this isn’t standard practice and depends on the individual pharmacy.