Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in northwestern Europe. It is a part of many supranational organizations, including the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU), the Benelux Economic Union, and the EU. In addition, Belgium is divided into three regions: the Flemish and Walloon Regions and the Brussels-Capital Region.
For companies looking to hire employees in Belgium, understanding these regional distinctions is essential for compliant employment and payroll management.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Belgium.
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Fast-track your talent onboarding while ensuring 100% compliance with local regulations. using an Employer of Record in Belgium
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Receive process support by an experienced team of experts & pay your talent on time and in their local currency, ideal for companies looking to hire employees or contractors in Belgium
Easily onboard your remote talent in Belgium through our Employer of Record (EOR) solution. Our subsidiaries and network partners make this process fast and 100% compliant.
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in northwestern Europe. It is a part of many supranational organizations, including the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU), the Benelux Economic Union, and the EU. In addition, Belgium is divided into three regions: the Flemish and Walloon Regions and the Brussels-Capital Region.
For companies looking to hire employees in Belgium, understanding these regional distinctions is essential for compliant employment and payroll management.
*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Belgium.
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2026 and are critical for hiring in Belgium planning:
The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2026.
Belgium celebrates 12 public holidays. If any of the public holidays fall on a weekend, the day becomes a floating holiday, which the employee is entitled to use like any vacation day—an important aspect of the leave policy in Belgium.
| January 1 | New Year’s Day (Jour de l'An) | |
| April 6 | Easter Monday | Movable - The first full moon after the spring equinox |
| May 1 | Labor Day | |
| May 14 | Ascension Day | Movable - 6th Thursday after Easter |
| May 25 | Whit Monday | Movable - 7th Monday after Easter |
| July 21 | Belgian National Day | In Lieu July 22 |
| August 15 | Assumption Day | |
| November 1 | All Saints’ Day | |
| November 11 | Armistice Day | |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
The approximate time for sharing the contract with an employee in Belgium is 5 business days assuming no special requests or changes to our standard employment contract. Using a Belgium Employer of Record significantly reduces administrative delays and ensures faster onboarding. Any such requests or changes would need to undergo internal and external review, directly leading to a time delay.
NOTE: This number is subject to change and is only an estimation of the Contract Sharing Time. The estimated Contract Sharing Time begins from the moment that WorkMotion has received all required information from both the client and the employee.
All remote employees are entitled to a work-from-home allowance amounting to € 148.73 per month.
Social security includes seven branches:
In the scheme for employees, both employees and employers have to pay contributions to the National Social Security Office (Office national de sécurité sociale, ONSS). The addition of contributions to the business closure fund further adds to the employer costs depending on the number of employees they employ.
These statutory contributions are automatically managed when you hire employees in Belgium through a Belgium Employer of Record.
The following table presents the social security contributions from the employer:
|
Benefits |
Employer Contributions |
Employee Contributions |
|---|---|---|
|
Pension (Pensioenen) |
8.86% |
7.50% |
|
Medical benefits (Ziekte en invaliditeit – geneeskundige verzorging) |
3.80% |
3.55% |
|
Cash Benefits, Disability Pensions and Maternity Benefits (Ziekte en invaliditeit – uitkeringen) |
2.35% |
1.15% |
|
Unemployment (Werkloosheid) |
1.60% |
0.87% |
|
Work accidents (Arbeidsongevallen) |
0.32% |
– |
|
Occupational Diseases (Beroepsziekten) |
1.00% |
– |
|
Child Benefits (Kinderbijslag) |
7% |
– |
|
Basic Contributions Total |
24.93% |
13.07% |
NOTE: The above rates serve as a broad guideline. Actual rates charged by WorkMotion may differ.
In principle, an employee’s working time should not exceed eight hours per day and 38 hours, five days per week. With the employer’s consent, employees can also work 38 hours per four-day working week, totaling nine hours and 30 minutes per day. These regulations define standard working hours in Belgium and apply across most industries.
Under any circumstances, the maximum working time for any employee cannot exceed 48 hours per week. Overtime is paid at a minimum of 150% of the normal rate, or 200% in the case of work on Sundays or public holidays. It is also prohibited to work between 20:00 and 6:00, but exemptions may be granted.
Probationary, or trial, periods are not permitted in Belgium (other than for the first three days of a temporary agency work contract).
The notice period varies according to the duration of the employment contract. The notice starts the following Monday from the date on which it was served. It must be in writing to provide complete details of the duration and start of the notice.
Notice period based on seniority is as below:
| Seniority | Notice to be given by Employer |
| 0-3 months | 1 week |
| < 4 months | 3 weeks |
| < 5 months | 4 weeks |
| < 6 months | 5 weeks |
| 6-9 months | 6 weeks |
| 9-12 months | 7 weeks |
| 12-15 months | 8 weeks |
| 15-18 months | 9 weeks |
| 18-21 months | 10 weeks |
| 21-24 months | 11 weeks |
| > 2 years | 12 weeks |
| 3 years | 13 weeks |
| 4 years | 15 weeks |
| 5 years | 18 weeks |
| 10 years | 33 weeks |
| 23 years | 65 weeks |
In principle, an employee’s working time should not exceed eight hours per day and 38 hours, five days per week. With the employer’s consent, employees can also work 38 hours per four-day working week, totaling nine hours and 30 minutes per day. These regulations define standard working hours in Belgium and apply across most industries.
Under any circumstances, the maximum working time for any employee cannot exceed 48 hours per week. Overtime is paid at a minimum of 150% of the normal rate, or 200% in the case of work on Sundays or public holidays. It is also prohibited to work between 20:00 and 6:00, but exemptions may be granted.
Probationary, or trial, periods are not permitted in Belgium (other than for the first three days of a temporary agency work contract).
The notice period varies according to the duration of the employment contract. The notice starts the following Monday from the date on which it was served. It must be in writing to provide complete details of the duration and start of the notice.
Notice period based on seniority is as below:
| Seniority | Notice to be given by Employer |
| 0-3 months | 1 week |
| < 4 months | 3 weeks |
| < 5 months | 4 weeks |
| < 6 months | 5 weeks |
| 6-9 months | 6 weeks |
| 9-12 months | 7 weeks |
| 12-15 months | 8 weeks |
| 15-18 months | 9 weeks |
| 18-21 months | 10 weeks |
| 21-24 months | 11 weeks |
| > 2 years | 12 weeks |
| 3 years | 13 weeks |
| 4 years | 15 weeks |
| 5 years | 18 weeks |
| 10 years | 33 weeks |
| 23 years | 65 weeks |
Social security includes seven branches:
In the scheme for employees, both employees and employers have to pay contributions to the National Social Security Office (Office national de sécurité sociale, ONSS). The addition of contributions to the business closure fund further adds to the employer costs depending on the number of employees they employ.
These statutory contributions are automatically managed when you hire employees in Belgium through a Belgium Employer of Record.
The following table presents the social security contributions from the employer:
|
Benefits |
Employer Contributions |
Employee Contributions |
|---|---|---|
|
Pension (Pensioenen) |
8.86% |
7.50% |
|
Medical benefits (Ziekte en invaliditeit – geneeskundige verzorging) |
3.80% |
3.55% |
|
Cash Benefits, Disability Pensions and Maternity Benefits (Ziekte en invaliditeit – uitkeringen) |
2.35% |
1.15% |
|
Unemployment (Werkloosheid) |
1.60% |
0.87% |
|
Work accidents (Arbeidsongevallen) |
0.32% |
– |
|
Occupational Diseases (Beroepsziekten) |
1.00% |
– |
|
Child Benefits (Kinderbijslag) |
7% |
– |
|
Basic Contributions Total |
24.93% |
13.07% |
NOTE: The above rates serve as a broad guideline. Actual rates charged by WorkMotion may differ.
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