u/Mathis_2407 — reddlx

I am potenially plan to apply for a DFG Walter Benjamin fellowship for a postdoc at UGent and have same questions on taxes and social security. Are there any postdocs with similar stipend funding in Flanders/Belgium?

I am a German citizen and would keep a residence in Germany during the stay in Belgium, so I will have a flat in both countries. The fellowship would be paid directly to my bank account as a stipend without any tax or social security deductions.

Under German law it would be usually tax-free under § 3 No. 44 EStG. Is this the same case for taxation Belgium?
Since I won't have a Belgian work contract, how does health insurance work? It seems like I can stay in the German system as a "self-employed" insurance member. Or might it be favorable to join the Belgian system?
Are there more points I need to consider for my potential stay?

Thanks