Search Q&A
Unemployment obligations
I have oved to Brussels for work reasons, with my wife and daughter following me. While I work, my wife doesn't. My question is - does she have an obligation to register with a local authority as unemployed? I should stress that as I work for the EU institutions, she recieves unemployment benefits (allowance + medical) from them and is ineligilbe to recieve it from local authorities.
Thanks for any help anyone can offer!
There is no special requirement to register as a "housewife".
The institutions will sort out ID cards, etc.
Very easy here to be trailing spouse in fact often more difficult tax wise to work. As long as you're all registered via your commune whose living with you I imagine your work will sort out the rest tax etc. I suggest she finds lots of clubs to join to meet other trailing spouses depending upon your child's age the BCT is a good place to start for younger children. Otherwise there are lots of English language groups that meet depending on her interests
If you and your wife are registering via the EU, then she is your dependent and is not considered to be 'in Belgium' for social security purposes (although she will still have to fill out a tax form next year)
If she starts work, then (unless she also has an EU post of the same sort - some are counted as 'locally recruited' and they are different), she comes into Belgium for social security and healthcare as do your children, and she must join a mutuelle (Belgian health insurance)
If she says for less than 90 days a year then she might not have to pay taxes and not have to register.
