COVID-19 Test Centre

What is "the miDiagnostics pilot study"?

The pilot will start on Monday 18 October. All departing passengers that choose the standard PCR test will be able to voluntarily get a second test, either a nasopharyngeal swab or a breath sample, both running on the ultra-fast PCR test.

Participating in the study is possible every weekday between 9am and 5pm, at the Brussels Airport Covid-19 Test Centre on departures level. Participants will receive a gift voucher as a thank you for participating in the testing pilot.

Additional information on  Covid 19 Airport Study - miDiagnostics

• Departing passengers who travel to a country for which a negative test certificate is required.
  • You can also get tested at the Test Centre at the airport if you are travelling abroad by train, car, bus, bike…
  • Tests are provided for all travellers from the age of 2 onwards.
• Arriving passengers who receive an SMS with a code to get tested.
  • You receive this code based on the info you provide in your Passenger Locator Form (e-PLF) before flying to Belgium.
  • The latest info on who is required to get tested upon arrival can be found on this website of the Belgian Government.

You are welcome to have a test taken at the COVID-19 Test Centre at Brussels Airport as long as you do not show any COVID-19 symptoms.

If you have a digital European COVID certificate,  you no longer need a PCR-test.

You can obtain this certificate if you comply with one of the conditions below:

• you have a vaccination certificate that proves that you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with an EMA certified or Covishield vaccine and that you received your last dose at least two weeks ago.
• you have a recovery certificate that proves that you have recovered from COVID-19. You have a positive PCR test result no older than 180 days and you no longer need to self-isolate.
• you have a test certificate that proves you had of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result. This test should be less than 72 hours old.

The following COVID-19 vaccines are recognised by Belgium:

• EMA (European Medicines Agency) certified vaccines
  • Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty), 2 doses needed
  • Moderna, 2 doses needed
  • AstraZeneca/Oxford (Vaxzevria), 2 doses needed
  • Johnson& Johnson, only 1 dose needed
• Covishield
• Since 1 September, vaccination certificates from non-EU countries will also be accepted in Belgium under certain conditions, pending their equivalence agreement with the EU. 

If you still need a COVID-19 PCR test, you can have a test taken at Brussels Airport. Register here.

The tests offered are RT-PCR tests. They are performed by taking a sample from the nose with a cotton swab. The price and the delay in which you will receive the result vary depending on the type of PCR tests you choose. More info under ‘How much does a test cost?’.

Ecolog also offers Covid-19 antigen rapid tests. The antigen tests used are listed on the list of recommended tests by FAMHP, Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products. The sample from the nose is collected in the same way as for a PCR test, using a cotton swab.

• If you choose an antigen test, make sure to provide enough time to have the test taken and receive the results.
• Make sure that your destination indeed accepts this test before you choose this option.
• Please note that for Belgian residents, antigen test results are not uploaded into the CovidSafeBE-app. You will only receive the result and test certificate via email.

For departing passengers:

If you are an arriving passenger and have received a 16-character activation code by text message (SMS) based on the information you entered on your Passenger Locator Form (e-PLF).

• You can get tested free of charge using this code during the registration process on the condition that are affiliated to a Belgian health insurance fund.
• You will pay €40.44 for a standard PCR test if you have an activation code but are not affiliated to a Belgian health insurance fund.

You can pay by various means of payment, either during your online registration or onsite. We recommend paying in advance as much as possible to avoid long queues.

 You can register online for a COVID-19 test through the platform of operator Ecolog.

Register

For the free PCR tests offered by the Belgian government it is mandatory to register at least 1 day in advance.

To register, you will need:

• Your passport or identity card 
• Your current address as well as the address where you will be staying for the next 14 days
• To be eligible for a free PCR test as a Belgian resident: your 16-character activation code received by text message (SMS)
• For arriving passengers: an activation code received from the government via SMS after completing the Passenger Locator Form (e-PLF).

After registration you will receive an email with a QR code which you have to present to the Test Centre.  

At the test centre itself, you must also be able to present your passport or identity card.

If you don’t have the possibility to register online, you can also register on site. Please take into account that there may be a queue.

How quickly you will receive your test results depends on the option you choose.

For departing passengers:

For arriving passengers, results are available between 24 to 72 hours after your test is carried out.

How do you receive the results?

All test results are shared with you via email. 

For Belgian residents PCR test results (except for antigen tests) are also automatically uploaded into the CovidSafeBE app. Please note that there can be a delay of up to 2.5 hours between the time you receive your results by mail and the results being visible in the CovidSafeBE app.

• It is key that you provide the correct national registration number during your online registration, as without, the results will not be made visible in this application.

This is the official app in Belgium where your EU (European Union) Digital Covid-19 Certificates are available.

A Covid-19 certificate allows you to travel safely and freely within the European Union.

There are 3 distinct types of certificates that prove you are Covid-safe:

• A vaccination certificate proves that you have been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus.
• A test certificate proves that you have taken a negative Covid-19 test.
• A recovery certificate shows that you have recovered from Covid-19 after a previous positive Covid-19 test.

More info on this app can be found here.

The COVID-19 Test Centre at Brussels Airport is open 7/7, from 8.00 am until 8.00 pm including Sundays and public holidays.

The Test Centre is located on the Departures level just outside the terminal.

It is open 7/7, including Sundays and public holidays, from 3.30am to midnight.

If you would like to get tested at the airport, please register online beforehand to avoid long queues.

At Brussels Airport you can wait for results in a pleasant and useful way. Especially if you decided to get a test with fast results before departing on your trip.

A few tips?

·       You can have a picknick or enjoy the sun at our picknick tables on the Departures level just outside the terminal.

·       At the Sheraton hotel, across the terminal, you can have a meeting, visit their restaurant, or book a room for a few hours or a night.

·       As a passenger, you are welcome in the terminal to enjoy a delicious drink or have a bite to eat before your flight.

If you show symptoms, you are expressly asked not to come to the airport, nor to the Test Centre. Please contact your doctor. The symptoms corresponding to COVID-19 are fever, coughing, breathing difficulties, loss of taste and smell, fatigue, ...

Since the Test Centre is located right next to the airport terminal, it can easily be reached by public transport. Click here for more information on the various transport options to the airport.

Are you coming by car? Please park your car in public car park P2. The car park is within short walking distance from the test centre.

In the event of a positive test, we ask you to leave the airport premises immediately and respect a self-quarantine.  Also contact your doctor. 

In the event of a positive test result, operator Ecolog will also notify the necessary authorities, even if you are not a Belgian national. The contact tracing process is initiated in the same way as in other laboratories.

Operator Ecolog processes the data and test results and shares them with Sciensano, the Federal Scientific Institute of Public Health in Belgium, to support contact tracing. 

Brussels Airport Company has no access to the personal data, nor to the test results.

The COVID-19 Test Centre is operated by Ecolog in partnership with Van Poucke-Eurofins. 

Ecolog is a leading global provider of integrated service solutions and Van Poucke-Eurofins is specialised in laboratory research. The laboratory is recognised by Sciensano, the Federal Scientific Institute of Public Health in Belgium.

Ecolog can be reached on: 

• +32 (0)2 588 23 60 from Monday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., including public holidays. 
• Or by email at brussels@ecocare.center