Henk & Corrie(64)

Henk retired from the municipality of Breda, I worked part-time at the library. We had a terraced house in Princenhage that was now worth €420,000. When we heard that in Turnhout — just 40 minutes' drive away — you could buy a detached house with garden for €280,000, we went to look. We were immediately sold.

Pension transfer was our biggest concern. Fortunately, as EU citizens it's well arranged. The AOW (state pension) continues to be paid into your Belgian bank account — you deregister with the SVB as a Dutch resident and provide your new Belgian address. Our supplementary pension (ABP for Henk) is also transferred without issues. Belgium does tax your pension, but the tax treaty prevents double taxation.

Belgian healthcare works differently than we were used to. You choose a mutualiteit (health fund) — we chose the Liberal Mutualiteit — and register with a GP. The remgeld (co-payment) system took some getting used to: you pay €4 at the GP and get the rest back. For specialists you pay more upfront. But waiting times are shorter than in the Netherlands, and quality is excellent. Corrie's knee surgery was arranged within six weeks — in Breda she was on a waiting list for months.

Buying our house in Turnhout went smoothly. We engaged a Belgian notary who explained the differences with the Netherlands: in Belgium you pay registration duties (3% in Flanders for your only home) instead of transfer tax. Notary costs are slightly higher than in the Netherlands, but the overall picture was very favorable. We have a lovely home in the Parkwijk, walking distance from the center and the Stadspark.

Socially the transition was surprisingly easy. Turnhout has a considerable Dutch community — there's even a Dutch-Belgian friendship club that meets monthly. We joined a walking club and Henk plays pétanque in the park. The Kempen mentality is down-to-earth and hospitable, comparable to Brabant.

Our tip for retirees: have your pension situation thoroughly calculated by an advisor who knows the Belgian-Dutch tax treaty. And don't underestimate the mutualiteit — it sounds complicated, but once enrolled it works well. We now enjoy a quiet life with a garden, lower costs and excellent care. The best decision we ever made.