Leave Laws
Last updated on March 13, 2026.
Paid Time Off (PTO) in Belgium
Vacation Leave Quota
20 days
Employees in Belgium working a 38-hour working week (a 5-day working week) are entitled to a statutory minimum of 20 working days of paid annual leave. This is 24 days for employees working 6 days a week.
Calculation of vacation days for part-time employees is prorated.
Carry Over
All vacation days must be taken within the 12 months in which they were allocated to an employee. It’s not permitted to carry over unused days into the period after these 12 months. Exceptions may apply when employees cannot use their vacation leave days due to reasons such as illness, work-related injury, or family-related leave (maternity, paternity, adoption, prophylactic, or foster care). In such cases, unused vacation days may be carried over for up to 24 months after the initial year.
PTO Payout at the Termination
An employer is legally required to pay out all accrued, untaken holiday pay upon termination. An employer can lay off an employee in one of two ways: either by giving advance notice for the employee to work until a future date, or by terminating them immediately and providing a lump-sum payment equal to the salary they would have earned during that notice period.
Sick Leave in Belgium
Up to 1 year.
Employees are entitled to sick leave from the start of their employment.
Employees receive their full salary from the employer during the first 30 days of sick leave. After this period, sickness benefits are generally paid by the government insurance. The Health Insurance Fund covers extended sick leave at 60% of the employee’s salary, capped at a daily maximum of EUR 164.07.
During the first period, the employer pays sick leave. White-collar workers receive 100% of their salary for one month, while manual workers receive 100% for the first 7 days, 85.88% from the 8th to the 14th day, and varying compensation from the 15th to the 30th day based on the statutory ceiling set by health insurance.
A medical certificate by a medical professional is required for employees to have a valid absence. Employees in companies with more than 50 workers are exempt from submitting medical certificates for the first three sick leave absences each year.
Sickness insurance benefits are provided for up to one year; if the employee remains unable to work after this period, they may become eligible for invalidity benefits.
Maternity and Paternity Leave
Maternity Leave in Belgium
15 weeks
Expectant mothers in Belgium are entitled to 15 weeks of maternity leave. In the case of multiple pregnancies (for example, twins), the leave lasts for 17 weeks. It can also be extended due to a complicated birth.
Maternity leave is divided into two periods:
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Prenatal leave (or prepartum) – before birth: can start 6 weeks before birth. Pregnant employees are prohibited from working during the seven days preceding the expected date of childbirth and for nine weeks following delivery. They must take at least one week of leave before the due date.
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Postnatal leave (or postpartum) – following childbirth: 9 weeks.
Employees are required to notify their employer at least seven weeks before the expected due date by submitting a medical certificate.
In the unfortunate event of a stillbirth, maternity leave is provided if the pregnancy has lasted at least 180 days from the date of inception of pregnancy.
Payout
Maternity benefits are paid by Health Insurance Fund. During maternity leave, the employer is not required to make any payments to the employee.
Maternity allowance is as follows:
| Period | Maternity Allowance |
|---|---|
| During the first 30 days | 82% of the uncapped salary |
| From the 31st day until the end of leave | 75% of the capped salary |
Paternity Leave in Belgium
20 working days
Paternity leave in Belgium is 20 working days off, which can be taken all at once or spread out within the first 4 months following the child’s birth.
Payout
The employer pays the full salary for the first three days of paternity leave, and the remaining 17 days are compensated by the health insurance fund at a rate of 82% of the capped gross salary.
Parental Leave in Belgium
4 months
Parental leave in Belgium allows both parents a total of 4 months of job-protected leave per child, which can be taken until the child is 12 years old (21 if the child has a disability).
This leave can be adjusted to the needs of the employee in one of the following forms:
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4 months all at once
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8 months: 50% of your regular hours for a period of 8 months. This period can be taken in several instalments; however, each request must be in instalments of two months or a multiple of this figure.
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20 months at a one-fifth reduction in working hours, which may be taken in several instalments
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40 months, at a one-tenth reduction in working hours, which can be taken in several instalments.
Refer to this link if you’re looking for more information about parental leave in Belgium.
Payout
This leave is unpaid by the employer; the National Employment Office provides a flat-rate monthly allowance to compensate for the loss of income.
Adoption and Foster Care Leave in Belgium
Employees who welcome a child into their family through adoption or long-term foster care are entitled to an individual parental leave entitlement of up to six weeks. This entitlement is personal and cannot be transferred to the other adoptive parent.
Bereavement Leave in Belgium
Paid leave.
Employees in Belgium are entitled to paid leave in the unfortunate event of the death of a close family member.
Jury Duty Leave in Belgium
Paid leave.
Employees in Belgium are entitled to paid leave to perform their jury duty and other legal duties.
Military Leave in Belgium
Unpaid leave
Belgian leave laws do not provide a specific entitlement to military leave, meaning it is not a statutory paid absence. While employees may take time off to fulfill military obligations, employers have no legal duty to maintain salary during this period. Whether such leave is paid or unpaid is left to the employer’s discretion.
Voting Leave in Belgium
Required by law.
Voting is mandatory in Belgium, so even employees scheduled to work on election day are still required to participate. An employer must grant employees enough time to vote if their shift overlaps with polling hours; however, if they can vote before or after work, no time off is required.
Marriage Leave
Paid leave.
Employees in Belgium are also entitled to 2 days of paid leave for their own marriage or 1 day of paid leave for the wedding of a close family member (parent, sibling, or child).
Public Holidays in Belgium
10 public holidays
Employees must have 10 paid public holidays per calendar year. Should a public holiday be a Sunday or other non-working day, the employer is obligated to provide time off in lieu (a replacement day).
| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| The day after Easter Sunday | Easter Monday |
| May 1 | Labor Day |
| 39 days after Easter | Ascension Day |
| 50 days after Easter | Whit Monday |
| July 21 | National Day |
| August 15 | Assumption of the Virgin Mary |
| November 1 | All Saints’ Day |
| November 11 | Armistice Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
Sources
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Local Laws & Regulations, https://www.atlashxm.com/en/countries/belgium
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Payroll and Benefits Guide Belgium, https://www.papayaglobal.com/countrypedia/country/belgium/
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Definitive Guide to Hiring in Belgium, https://www.globalexpansion.com/countrypedia/belgium
To learn more about laws in various countries, check out our Leave Laws page.
This material is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For current and accurate guidance, please consult legal counsel in your jurisdiction.
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