Hire in Belgium

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.

 

*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Belgium.

Onboard your talent in Belgium

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Guidance & payroll management

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Hire in Belgium through an

EOR

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.

A quick overview of Belgium

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Cost of living index

$$$$ (22 of 139 nations)

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Currency

Euro (€, EUR)

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Payroll frequency

Monthly

Basic facts

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.

 

*Please note that the official currency is the currency of remuneration when employed through WorkMotion in Belgium.

Capital

Brussels

Official language/s

Dutch, French, German

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Population

11.76 million (2024 est.)

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VAT - standard rate

21%

The national holidays mentioned below are valid for the year 2025.

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.

January 1New Year’s Day (Jour de l'An)
April 21Easter MondayMovable - The first full moon after the spring equinox
May 1Labor Day
May 29Ascension DayMovable - 6th Thursday after Easter
June 9Whit MondayMovable - 7th Monday after Easter
July 21Belgian National DayIn Lieu July 22
August 15Assumption Day
November 1All Saints’ Day
November 11Armistice Day
December 25Christmas 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. 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.

  • Each collective labor agreement sets basic rates, contains arrangements for index-linking of pay, any gratuities such as year-end bonus, lunch passes, and premiums for working shifts, nights, weekends, etc.
  • All employees receive a Dimona declaration, where the employer informs the government of their active working relationships. 
  • All remote employees are entitled to a work-from-home allowance amounting to € 148.73 per month.

Social security includes seven branches:

  • Retirement and survivors’ pensions;
  • Unemployment;
  • Industrial accident insurance;
  • Occupational health insurance;
  • Family allowances;
  • Compulsory insurance for healthcare and benefits
  • Annual vacation.

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.

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.

Working Hours

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.

 

Overtime

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.

 

Probation Period

Probationary, or trial, periods are not permitted in Belgium (other than for the first three days of a temporary agency work contract).

Termination Notice Period

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
Working Hours

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.

 

Overtime

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.

 

Probation Period

Probationary, or trial, periods are not permitted in Belgium (other than for the first three days of a temporary agency work contract).

Termination Notice Period

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

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Social security includes seven branches:

  • Retirement and survivors’ pensions;
  • Unemployment;
  • Industrial accident insurance;
  • Occupational health insurance;
  • Family allowances;
  • Compulsory insurance for healthcare and benefits
  • Annual vacation.

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.

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.