{"id":609,"date":"2026-10-25T13:44:33","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T12:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/knowledge-base\/living-wage-stay-abroad\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T09:13:40","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T08:13:40","slug":"living-wage-stay-abroad","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/living-wage-stay-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Living wage and stay abroad: the four-week rule and what the OCMW may check"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-artikelkop bb-artikelkop--beeld\" id=\"artikelkop\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-ak-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-verblijf-buitenland.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 OCMW AND LIVING WAGE<\/p><h1>Living wage and stay abroad: the four-week rule and what the OCMW may check<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 6 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><\/p>\n<p>Anyone who receives the living wage (leefloon) must reside in Belgium. The law permits a stay abroad of a maximum of four weeks per calendar year; anyone who stays away longer without notification or without good reason loses the living wage for that period. In practice, a long or repeated stay abroad is also the most common signal that someone owns a home there. This article sets out the rule, the verification and the link with property investigation.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><nav class=\"bb-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">Living wage and stay abroad: the four-week rule and what the OCMW may check<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/nav><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kolommen\" id=\"inhoud\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><div class=\"bb-kolommen__grid\"><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--hoofd\"><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"de-regel\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The four-week rule<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The wet van 26 mei 2002 betreffende het recht op maatschappelijke integratie (Act of 26 May 2002 on the right to social integration) ties the living wage to actual residence in Belgium. Payment is suspended for the period in which the beneficiary stays abroad for more than four weeks per calendar year. The public centre for social welfare (OCMW) may deviate from this if exceptional circumstances justify the longer stay, for example a serious illness of a parent or, as the labour courts accepted in 2023, closed borders during the coronavirus crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The beneficiary must report any stay abroad to the OCMW in advance, stating the duration and the reason. Anyone who does not report and still stays away for more than four weeks receives the living wage for that period unduly. The OCMW then recovers it and, in the event of fraudulent intent, may temporarily suspend the entitlement.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"controle\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What the OCMW may check<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>The OCMW may check residence using the means of the social investigation: home visits, interviews, water and energy consumption data, data from the Kruispuntbank (Crossroads Bank) and information from other services. A social worker who repeatedly finds no one at home, sees a home that has been unoccupied for weeks or hears that the client is &#8220;with family abroad&#8221; has a concrete indication.<\/p>\n<p>What the OCMW cannot do is establish for itself where the client is staying abroad and whether they own a home there. Travel movements within the Schengen area are not registered, and for countries outside the Schengen area the OCMW has no access to border or property data.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"verblijf-en-eigendom\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Why a stay often points to ownership<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>Repeated and long stays in the same country may be a concrete indication that justifies further case investigation. In our cases involving a long stay, it regularly turns out that the person concerned or their family owns or co-owns a home there: the parental home, a self-built house, an apartment on the coast. For the OCMW this is relevant in two ways.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>As a resource.<\/strong> Real estate abroad counts in the means investigation, regardless of the four-week rule. A home that stands empty or is let represents assets or income. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/means-test-living-wage\/\">means test for the living wage<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>As evidence of residence.<\/strong> A home in the person&#8217;s name in the region to which the client travels each time supports the finding that the stay lasted longer than stated.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The finding of absence from Belgium and the finding of ownership abroad reinforce each other. How you combine the two tracks is described in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/domicile-fraud-versus-property-fraud\/\">domicile fraud versus property fraud<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"aanpak\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>How to approach it<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><\/p>\n<p>A usable case file comes about in three steps.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Record the absence.<\/strong> Note dates, sources and findings: the home visit with no answer, the client&#8217;s statement on return, the consumption that stood at zero. Ask the client in writing about the reason and duration of the stay and about their residential address abroad.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have a pre-check carried out.<\/strong> With the identity details and the region of residence, our lawyer on site checks whether real estate is registered in the client&#8217;s name. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">pre-check<\/a> is usually completed within 1 to 2 weeks. A positive outcome does not in itself establish fraud; a negative outcome does not exclude every form of foreign ownership.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Decide on the basis of both.<\/strong> If the outcome is positive, you may consider a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/full-investigation\/\">full in-depth investigation<\/a>, with extract, deed and, where necessary, a valuation. The OCMW then decides on suspension, revision and recovery, and hears the client. In 2026 the federal government confirmed that OCMWs may engage specialised firms for this type of investigation.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: wet van 26 mei 2002 betreffende het recht op maatschappelijke integratie (Act of 26 May 2002 on the right to social integration), explained in <a href=\"https:\/\/primabook.mi-is.be\/nl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Primabook of the POD Maatschappelijke Integratie (PPS Social Integration)<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bruzz.be\/actua\/politiek\/ocmws-mogen-privedetectives-inhuren-om-leefloners-te-controleren-op-bezit-buitenland-2026-07-06\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BRUZZ, 6 July 2026<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--zij\"><aside class=\"bb-kaart bb-ihk\" id=\"in-het-kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">Overview<\/p><h2 class=\"bb-ihk__kop\">In brief<\/h2><dl class=\"bb-ihk__lijst\"><div><dt>Lead time<\/dt><dd>usually 1\u20132 weeks<\/dd><\/div><\/dl><p class=\"bb-ihk__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop\" href=\"\/en\/request-a-pre-check\/\">Request a pre-check<\/a><\/p><ul class=\"bb-ihk__trust\"><li><span class=\"bb-icoon material-symbols-outlined\" aria-hidden=\"true\">check_circle<\/span><span>Carried out in accordance with the GDPR<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/aside><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--panel bb-faq-sectie\" id=\"faq\" data-bg=\"panel\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-faq\"><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-0\" id=\"faq-faq-0-knop\">May a living wage beneficiary not go abroad at all?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-0\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-0-knop\"><p>They may, up to four weeks per calendar year, provided it is reported in advance. A longer stay is possible only with the OCMW's permission for exceptional reasons.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-1\" id=\"faq-faq-1-knop\">Does the four-week rule also apply to supplementary support?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-1-knop\" hidden><p>The rule is laid down in the Act on the right to social integration and applies to the living wage. For other support the OCMW decides itself, but the residence requirement and the means investigation apply there just as well.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-2\" id=\"faq-faq-2-knop\">Can the OCMW request the travel dates from the airline or the border police?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-2-knop\" hidden><p>In practice, no. The OCMW relies on the social investigation and on the client's duty to cooperate. A property investigation in the country of residence can produce objective data that the OCMW would not otherwise obtain.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kaarten bb-kaarten--kb\" id=\"gerelateerd\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>See also<\/h2><div class=\"bb-grid-3\"><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/ocmw-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For OCMWs\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For OCMWs<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for OCMWs: is real estate abroad relevant to a living wage file? Investigation via local lawyers, in 45 countries.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-public-social-welfare-centres\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-vermogenstoets-leefloon-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Means test for the living wage: what counts, including abroad\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Means test for the living wage: what counts, including abroad<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Which resources an OCMW counts for the living wage, how real estate in Belgium and abroad is assessed and what concealment means.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/means-test-living-wage\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-domiciliefraude-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Domicile fraud concerns where someone lives, property fraud concerns what someone owns. Two investigations, two types of evidence, and when they coincide.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/domicile-fraud-versus-property-fraud\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-cta bb-cta--beeld\" id=\"cta\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-cta-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/cta-band.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-cta__inhoud\"><h2 class=\"bb-cta__kop\">Discuss your case<\/h2><p class=\"bb-cta__tekst\">Do you have a question about real estate abroad? We are happy to discuss which service suits your case. You receive clarity in advance about the assignment, the lead time and the costs.<\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--invers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/contact\/\">Discuss your case<\/a><\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__contact\"><a href=\"tel:+31851110123\">+31 (0)85 111 01 23<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\"> \u00b7 <\/span><a href=\"mailto:info@bureaubuitenland.be\">info@bureaubuitenland.be<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/section><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1495,"parent":586,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-609","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail"],"bb_rendered":"<section class=\"bb-sectie bb-artikelkop bb-artikelkop--beeld\" id=\"artikelkop\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-ak-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-verblijf-buitenland.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-artikelkop__inhoud\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">KNOWLEDGE BASE \u00b7 OCMW AND LIVING WAGE<\/p><h1>Living wage and stay abroad: the four-week rule and what the OCMW may check<\/h1><p class=\"bb-artikelkop__meta\">Reading time 6 minutes \u00b7 updated October 2026<\/p><div class=\"bb-artikelkop__kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">In brief<\/p><p>Anyone who receives the living wage (leefloon) must reside in Belgium. The law permits a stay abroad of a maximum of four weeks per calendar year; anyone who stays away longer without notification or without good reason loses the living wage for that period. In practice, a long or repeated stay abroad is also the most common signal that someone owns a home there. This article sets out the rule, the verification and the link with property investigation.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><nav class=\"bb-breadcrumb\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><ol><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/\">Knowledge base<\/a><\/li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">Living wage and stay abroad: the four-week rule and what the OCMW may check<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/nav><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kolommen\" id=\"inhoud\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><div class=\"bb-kolommen__grid\"><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--hoofd\"><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"de-regel\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>The four-week rule<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The wet van 26 mei 2002 betreffende het recht op maatschappelijke integratie (Act of 26 May 2002 on the right to social integration) ties the living wage to actual residence in Belgium. Payment is suspended for the period in which the beneficiary stays abroad for more than four weeks per calendar year. The public centre for social welfare (OCMW) may deviate from this if exceptional circumstances justify the longer stay, for example a serious illness of a parent or, as the labour courts accepted in 2023, closed borders during the coronavirus crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The beneficiary must report any stay abroad to the OCMW in advance, stating the duration and the reason. Anyone who does not report and still stays away for more than four weeks receives the living wage for that period unduly. The OCMW then recovers it and, in the event of fraudulent intent, may temporarily suspend the entitlement.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"controle\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>What the OCMW may check<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>The OCMW may check residence using the means of the social investigation: home visits, interviews, water and energy consumption data, data from the Kruispuntbank (Crossroads Bank) and information from other services. A social worker who repeatedly finds no one at home, sees a home that has been unoccupied for weeks or hears that the client is \"with family abroad\" has a concrete indication.<\/p>\n<p>What the OCMW cannot do is establish for itself where the client is staying abroad and whether they own a home there. Travel movements within the Schengen area are not registered, and for countries outside the Schengen area the OCMW has no access to border or property data.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"verblijf-en-eigendom\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Why a stay often points to ownership<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>Repeated and long stays in the same country may be a concrete indication that justifies further case investigation. In our cases involving a long stay, it regularly turns out that the person concerned or their family owns or co-owns a home there: the parental home, a self-built house, an apartment on the coast. For the OCMW this is relevant in two ways.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>As a resource.<\/strong> Real estate abroad counts in the means investigation, regardless of the four-week rule. A home that stands empty or is let represents assets or income. See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/means-test-living-wage\/\">means test for the living wage<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>As evidence of residence.<\/strong> A home in the person's name in the region to which the client travels each time supports the finding that the stay lasted longer than stated.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The finding of absence from Belgium and the finding of ownership abroad reinforce each other. How you combine the two tracks is described in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/domicile-fraud-versus-property-fraud\/\">domicile fraud versus property fraud<\/a>.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--tekst\" id=\"aanpak\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>How to approach it<\/h2><div class=\"bb-tekst\"><p>A usable case file comes about in three steps.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Record the absence.<\/strong> Note dates, sources and findings: the home visit with no answer, the client's statement on return, the consumption that stood at zero. Ask the client in writing about the reason and duration of the stay and about their residential address abroad.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Have a pre-check carried out.<\/strong> With the identity details and the region of residence, our lawyer on site checks whether real estate is registered in the client's name. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/pre-check\/\">pre-check<\/a> is usually completed within 1 to 2 weeks. A positive outcome does not in itself establish fraud; a negative outcome does not exclude every form of foreign ownership.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Decide on the basis of both.<\/strong> If the outcome is positive, you may consider a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/full-investigation\/\">full in-depth investigation<\/a>, with extract, deed and, where necessary, a valuation. The OCMW then decides on suspension, revision and recovery, and hears the client. In 2026 the federal government confirmed that OCMWs may engage specialised firms for this type of investigation.<\/p>\n<p><em>Sources: wet van 26 mei 2002 betreffende het recht op maatschappelijke integratie (Act of 26 May 2002 on the right to social integration), explained in <a href=\"https:\/\/primabook.mi-is.be\/nl\">Primabook of the POD Maatschappelijke Integratie (PPS Social Integration)<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bruzz.be\/actua\/politiek\/ocmws-mogen-privedetectives-inhuren-om-leefloners-te-controleren-op-bezit-buitenland-2026-07-06\">BRUZZ, 6 July 2026<\/a>.<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"bb-kolom bb-kolom--zij\"><aside class=\"bb-kaart bb-ihk\" id=\"in-het-kort\"><p class=\"bb-kicker\">Overview<\/p><h2 class=\"bb-ihk__kop\">In brief<\/h2><dl class=\"bb-ihk__lijst\"><div><dt>Lead time<\/dt><dd>usually 1\u20132 weeks<\/dd><\/div><\/dl><p class=\"bb-ihk__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop\" href=\"\/en\/request-a-pre-check\/\">Request a pre-check<\/a><\/p><ul class=\"bb-ihk__trust\"><li><span class=\"bb-icoon material-symbols-outlined\" aria-hidden=\"true\">check_circle<\/span><span>Carried out in accordance with the GDPR<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/aside><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-sectie--panel bb-faq-sectie\" id=\"faq\" data-bg=\"panel\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"bb-faq\"><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-0\" id=\"faq-faq-0-knop\">May a living wage beneficiary not go abroad at all?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-0\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-0-knop\"><p>They may, up to four weeks per calendar year, provided it is reported in advance. A longer stay is possible only with the OCMW's permission for exceptional reasons.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-1\" id=\"faq-faq-1-knop\">Does the four-week rule also apply to supplementary support?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-1-knop\" hidden><p>The rule is laid down in the Act on the right to social integration and applies to the living wage. For other support the OCMW decides itself, but the residence requirement and the means investigation apply there just as well.<\/p><\/div><\/div><div class=\"bb-faq__item\"><h3 class=\"bb-faq__vraag\"><button type=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"faq-faq-2\" id=\"faq-faq-2-knop\">Can the OCMW request the travel dates from the airline or the border police?<span class=\"bb-faq__icoon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/button><\/h3><div class=\"bb-faq__antwoord\" id=\"faq-faq-2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"faq-faq-2-knop\" hidden><p>In practice, no. The OCMW relies on the social investigation and on the client's duty to cooperate. A property investigation in the country of residence can produce objective data that the OCMW would not otherwise obtain.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-kaarten bb-kaarten--kb\" id=\"gerelateerd\" data-bg=\"paper\"><div class=\"bb-container\"><h2>See also<\/h2><div class=\"bb-grid-3\"><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/ocmw-768x429.webp\" alt=\"For OCMWs\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">For OCMWs<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Asset investigation for OCMWs: is real estate abroad relevant to a living wage file? Investigation via local lawyers, in 45 countries.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/services\/for-public-social-welfare-centres\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-vermogenstoets-leefloon-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Means test for the living wage: what counts, including abroad\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Means test for the living wage: what counts, including abroad<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Which resources an OCMW counts for the living wage, how real estate in Belgium and abroad is assessed and what concealment means.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/means-test-living-wage\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><article class=\"bb-kaart bb-kaart--kb\"><img class=\"bb-kaart__beeld\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/kb-domiciliefraude-768x429.webp\" alt=\"Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\"><h3 class=\"bb-kaart__titel\">Domicile fraud versus property fraud: two investigations, two types of evidence<\/h3><p class=\"bb-kaart__tekst\">Domicile fraud concerns where someone lives, property fraud concerns what someone owns. Two investigations, two types of evidence, and when they coincide.<\/p><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--tertiair\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/knowledge-base\/domicile-fraud-versus-property-fraud\/\">Read more <span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/article><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"bb-sectie bb-cta bb-cta--beeld\" id=\"cta\" data-bg=\"primary\" style=\"--bb-cta-img:url(https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/bb\/cta-band.webp)\"><div class=\"bb-container bb-cta__inhoud\"><h2 class=\"bb-cta__kop\">Discuss your case<\/h2><p class=\"bb-cta__tekst\">Do you have a question about real estate abroad? We are happy to discuss which service suits your case. You receive clarity in advance about the assignment, the lead time and the costs.<\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__knop\"><a class=\"bb-knop bb-knop--invers\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/contact\/\">Discuss your case<\/a><\/p><p class=\"bb-cta__contact\"><a href=\"tel:+31851110123\">+31 (0)85 111 01 23<\/a><span aria-hidden=\"true\"> \u00b7 <\/span><a href=\"mailto:info@bureaubuitenland.be\">info@bureaubuitenland.be<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/section>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1496,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/609\/revisions\/1496"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/586"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bureaubuitenland.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}