Belgium Ends Cancer Disclosure for Mortgage Insurance

As of June 1, 2026, cancer survivors in Belgium are no longer required to declare a past cancer diagnosis when applying for mortgage balance insurance (assurance solde restant dû), provided they have been in remission for at least five years without relapse. The reform, confirmed by the insurance industry federation Assuralia, eliminates a declaration obligation that survivors described as stigmatizing and discriminatory.

What Changed on June 1

Belgium’s “right to be forgotten” (droit à l’oubli) has existed in law since 2019 for mortgage balance insurance. However, until this month, cancer survivors were still required to disclose their medical history on the application form, even though the insurer could not use that information to deny coverage. That obligation has now been eliminated.

According to the Federal Public Service Economy, if your cancer treatment ended at least five years ago and there has been no relapse, the insurer can no longer consider your cancer history when evaluating your application. This means no surcharges, no exclusions, and no refusals based on the past diagnosis.

The reform also extends the right to be forgotten to travel cancellation insurance, broadening protections beyond mortgage balance insurance (covered since 2019) and income protection insurance (added in 2022). Insurers are now required to provide a standardized information document explaining these rights to all applicants.

A Long Road to Reform

The journey toward this reform has been gradual. The right to be forgotten was first codified in 2019, but survivors still had to declare their history on medical questionnaires. In January 2025, the waiting period was reduced from eight to five years. The June 2026 changes represent the most significant step yet: removing the declaration requirement entirely.

For survivors like Aude, who bought a house in 2018 three years after her cancer treatment, the old system was a painful shock. “It was a shock for me to realize that not only was I not entitled to this insurance, but also the premium I would pay for a mortgage would be higher than if I hadn’t had to declare this illness,” she told RTBF.

Léa, another survivor who is four years into remission, described the old requirement as carrying a label. “Clearly, we can talk about discrimination. It’s hard to accept; you think you’ve finished fighting for something,” she said.

Why This Matters

Mortgage balance insurance is typically required by banks when taking out a home loan. It ensures that if the borrower dies, the remaining mortgage debt is repaid, protecting the family home. Being denied this insurance effectively blocks access to homeownership — a barrier that disproportionately affected cancer survivors.

Brecht Gunst, Chief Impact Officer at the Foundation against Cancer, emphasized the broader significance. “It’s important to be able to make plans, to look to the future and to be able to plan a trip without worry. The person is not reduced to their cancer but is defined by their future,” he said.

Eric Vanbrusselen, Director of Business Development Life Insurance at BNP Paribas Fortis, confirmed that as of June 1, “under certain conditions, you will no longer have to declare a cancer cured for five years when applying for insurance.”

What Remains to Be Declared

The right to be forgotten applies only to the cured cancer itself. Any other conditions or after-effects related to the cancer or its treatment must still be declared and may be considered by the insurer. A reference grid published by the SPF Economy provides shorter waiting periods for specific types of cancer, offering faster relief for certain diagnoses.

A European Trend

Belgium joins several European countries that have implemented right-to-be-forgotten laws, following France, which pioneered the concept in 2016, as well as the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The European Commission has encouraged member states to adopt similar measures, and Belgium’s elimination of the declaration obligation represents one of the most patient-friendly approaches on the continent.

Looking Ahead

The June 2026 reform marks a fundamental shift from “must disclose but protected” to genuine privacy protection for medical history. For thousands of cancer survivors in Belgium, it removes a significant barrier to homeownership and financial security. Questions remain about how insurers will redesign their application forms and whether the five-year waiting period may be further reduced in the future. For now, survivors and advocates are celebrating a milestone that allows those who have beaten cancer to move forward without being defined by their past.