What does a $60,000 hire cost in Belgium?
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Full cost breakdown
Statutory contributions and typical benefits for an employee in Belgium at $60,000 base salary.
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Key Takeaways for Hiring in Belgium
- Belgium has one of Europe’s most structured employment systems, with detailed rules for notice periods, leave, and social protections.
- Employers and employees contribute significantly to social security, covering pensions, healthcare, unemployment, work accidents, and more.
- Employees receive mandatory holiday pay and typically enjoy additional bonuses such as a 13th-month salary.
- Belgium recognizes three official languages; Dutch, French, and German, and many employment documents require bilingual presentation.
Continent
Europe
Capital
Brussels
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Language
Dutch, French, German
Payroll Cycle
Monthly
Pay Date
27th of the month
VAT
21%
Belgium Employment Contract Overview
Belgium follows well-defined rules for how employment contracts must be structured. Here’s what our standard Belgian contracts include and the conditions they follow.
What Do You Need To Include In A Belgian Employment Contract?
Below is an overview of the key information you need to include in your Belgian contracts.
Employee Information
- Full name
- ID number
- Role / Job title
- Start date
- Contract duration
- Working hours
- Probation and notice conditions
- Termination provisions
- Compensation details
Mandatory Employee Benefits in Belgium
Employment of expats is supported in Belgium.
| Benefits | Provider | Funded Through | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Insurance | Government |
Payroll Contributions |
Participation in a mutual insurance fund (“mutuelle” / “mutualiteit”) is mandatory. Employers and employees contribute through social security, and this coverage helps pay for most medical treatments, hospital care, and prescribed medications. |
| Pension/Social Security | Government |
Payroll Contributions |
Employers and employees contribute to Belgium’s national social security system (RSZ/ONSS). These contributions fund pensions, unemployment benefits, sickness and disability coverage, family allowances, workplace accident and occupational disease insurance, and holiday pay (with some differences for blue- and white-collar employees). |
| Other Statutory Benefits | Employer |
Additional Cost |
Holiday pay (vacation allowance) is mandatory in Belgium. Employees receive a holiday bonus on top of their regular salary. |
Leave And Holiday Entitlement In Belgium
Annual Leave
Full-time employees receive 20 days of paid annual leave. Employees on a six-day workweek receive 24 days.
Public Holidays
Belgium observes 10 official public holidays each year. When a public holiday falls on a non-working day, employees usually receive a substitute day off.
Sick Leave
First 30 days: The employer pays 100% of the employee’s salary.
After 30 days: Social security takes over and typically pays around 60% of salary.
Maternity Leave
Standard maternity leave lasts 15 weeks: Six weeks before birth and nine weeks after birth.
This leave can be extended in certain cases.
Social security pays approximately 82% of salary for the first 30 days, then about 75%, subject to statutory ceilings.
Paternity Leave
Fathers are entitled to 20 working days of paternity leave.
The first three days are fully paid by the employer.
The remaining 17 days are paid by social security at around 82% of salary.
Other Types of Leave
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Parental Leave:
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Each parent may take four months of parental leave per child.
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They can use it full-time or part-time (e.g., half-time for eight months).
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This leave is available until the child turns 12 (or 21 if the child has a serious disability).
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Employees receive a flat-rate allowance from social security around €879.15 net/month for full-time parental leave (2023 figure).
-
-
Educational Leave:
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Employees in the private sector may qualify for 80 to 120 hours of paid educational leave per year, depending on the training.
-
Employers are often reimbursed by regional authorities.
-
If eligibility conditions are met, employers cannot refuse this leave.
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Employees receive a flat-rate allowance from social security around €879.15 net/month for full-time parental leave (2023 figure).
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-
Family Care Leave (Carer’s Leave):
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Employees can take up to six months full-time or 12 months part-time to care for a seriously ill family member.
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Social security pays a gross allowance of about €1,400 per month.
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This leave is job-protected and cannot be refused.
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Palliative Care Leave:
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Employees may take up to one month full-time to care for a terminally ill person, with an option to extend for another month.
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Compensation is provided through the social system, with amounts varying by region and individual circumstances.
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Medical Assistance / Serious Illness Leave:
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Employees may fully suspend or reduce work to care for a seriously ill family member.
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Social insurance pays allowances, provided required documentation e.g medical certificate is submitted.
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Termination and Offboarding in Belgium
Offboarding in Belgium must follow specific statutory rules, especially around notice, communication, and timing. Here’s what you need to know to manage terminations compliantly.
| Type | Possible? |
|---|---|
| Termination for Cause (poor performance, misconduct, etc.) | Yes |
| Termination without Cause | Yes |
| Mutual Termination Agreement (MTA) | Yes |
| Redundancy | Not possible under the EOR setup |
Belgium Employee Resignation
Notice
Form
To be valid, a termination with notice must be made in writing and must clearly state the start date and duration of the notice period. Employees can deliver this notice in one of three ways:
-
By handing a written document directly to the employer;
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By sending a registered letter, which takes effect on the third working day after it is posted;
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By bailiff’s writ, which takes effect immediately upon delivery.)
Notice period
Varies depending on seniority of employee as follows:
| Seniority (continuous service with employer) | Notice period employee must give (weeks) |
|---|---|
| 0 to < 3 months | 1 week |
| 3 to < 6 months | 2 week |
| 6 to < 12 months | 3 week |
| 12 to < 18 months | 4 week |
| 18 to < 24 months | 5 week |
| 2 to < 4 years | 6 week |
| 4 to < 5 years | 7 week |
| 5 to < 6 years | 9 week |
| 6 to < 7 years | 10 week |
| 7 to < 8 years | 12 week |
| ≥ 8 years | 13 weeks (maximum) |
End-of-Service Benefits
Severance/Gratuity
Not applicable.
Other Benefits
-
Salary and any other standard employment benefits during the notice period.
-
Accrued unused annual leave
-
Holiday pay, where applicable
Termination Documentation
Written termination notice
Employer Termination With Cause in Belgium
Acceptable grounds
‘Serious cause’ is defined as a fault so serious that it renders any continuation of the working relationship immediately and definitively impossible.
Notice
Form
Written notice. The party terminating on these grounds must terminate immediately or latest within three working days of the serious cause. The notice is to be delivered through registered mail.
Notice period
Not applicable.
Payment in lieu of notice or notice waiver
Not applicable.
End-of-Service Benefits
Severance
Not applicable.
Other Benefits
-
Final salary
-
Accrued and unused leave
-
Holiday pay, where applicable
Termination Documentation
-
Written termination notice
-
C4 unemployment certificate
-
Work certificate
-
Holiday certificate
Employer Termination Without Cause in Belgium
Notice
Form
A termination with notice must, to be valid, be made in writing and state the start and duration of the notice period. The notice must be made:
-
either by handing over a written document to the employer;
-
either by registered letter. In this case, the notification takes effect on the third working day following the date of its dispatch;
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either by bailiff’s writ (the notification takes effect immediately upon delivery of the writ by the bailiff).
Notice period
| Seniority (continuous service with employer) | Notice period employer must give (weeks) |
|---|---|
| 0 to < 3 months | 1 week |
| 3 to < 4 months | 3 weeks |
| 4 to < 5 months | 4 weeks |
| 5 to < 6 months | 5 weeks |
| 6 to < 9 months | 6 weeks |
| 9 to < 12 months | 7 weeks |
| 12 to < 15 months | 8 weeks |
| 15 to < 18 months | 9 weeks |
| 18 to < 21 months | 10 weeks |
| 21 to < 24 months | 11 weeks |
| 2 to < 3 years | 12 weeks |
| 3 to < 4 years | 13 weeks |
| 4 to < 5 years | 15 weeks |
| 5 to < 6 years | 18 weeks |
| 6 to < 7 years | 21 weeks |
| 7 to < 8 years | 24 weeks |
| 8 to < 9 years | 27 weeks |
| 9 to < 10 years | 30 weeks |
| 10 to < 11 years | 33 weeks |
| 11 to < 12 years | 36 weeks |
| 12 to < 13 years | 39 weeks |
| 13 to < 14 years | 42 weeks |
| 14 to < 15 years | 45 weeks |
| 15 to < 16 years | 48 weeks |
| 16 to < 17 years | 51 weeks |
| 17 to < 18 years | 54 weeks |
| 18 to < 19 years | 57 weeks |
| 19 to < 20 years | 60 weeks |
| 20 to < 21 years | 62 weeks |
| ≥ 21 years (plus) | 63 weeks + 1 week for each additional started year beyond 21 |
Payment in lieu of notice or notice waiver
Applicable. Also referred to as indemnity in lieu of notice.
End-of-Service Benefits
Severance
This is not applicable unless the employer opts for immediate termination in which case the employee will be paid salary and benefits corresponding to the notice period.
Other Benefits
-
Salary & standard employment benefits during notice period
-
Accrued unused leave
-
Holiday pay, where applicable
Termination Documentation
-
Written termination notice
-
C4 unemployment certificate
-
Work certificate
-
Holiday certificate
Mutual Termination Agreements in Belgium
MTA is a voluntary agreement signed by both parties (employer and employee) to terminate an employment contract by mutual consent.
Notice
Form
Mutual termination agreement signed by both parties.
Notice period
As agreed by the parties.
Waiver of notice
As agreed by the parties.
End-of-Service Benefits
Severance
This is based on the terms of the mutual termination agreement.
Termination Documentation
-
Written termination notice
-
C4 unemployment certificate
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Work certificate
-
Holiday certificate
Offboarding Process for the End of Fixed-term Contracts in Belgium
Consecutive fixed-term contracts in Belgium are allowed, but only under strict conditions. You can use up to four consecutive contracts, each lasting at least three months, and together they cannot exceed two years in total.
Every fixed-term contract must also be signed before the employee starts work. If any of these rules are not met or if the contract is signed after the employee has already begun, Belgian law automatically treats the arrangement as an indefinite-duration employment contract.
If the Fixed-Term Contract Ends Normally
Notice
A fixed-term contract ends automatically on its agreed end date. However, if the employee keeps working beyond that date, the arrangement automatically becomes an indefinite duration employment contract, and the standard termination rules (with or without cause) apply.
End-of-Service Benefits
Severance/Gratuity
There is no statutory severance or gratuity payment simply because a fixed‑term contract ends normally (i.e. at expiry) under Belgian law.
Other Benefits
- The employer must pay the employee all wages earned up to the contract’s end date.
- Any accrued but unused holiday leave must also be paid out.
- Non-salary contractual entitlements such as bonuses, benefits in kind, or other agreed allowances must be settled if they were earned under the contract.
- The final pay (the “settlement”) must include all of these amounts.
If the Employer Terminates Early
Notice
A party (employer or employee) can terminate a fixed‑term contract during the first half of its duration, subject to a maximum of six months, by giving notice.
End-of-Service Benefits
Severance/Gratuity
Early unilateral termination generally triggers indemnity equal to remuneration for the remaining term.
Other Benefits
- Final salary
- Accrued unused leave
- Holiday pay, where applicable
Final Payment Timing & Immigration and Visa Compliance in Belgium
Final Payment Deadline
Next pay day following termination.
Visa and Immigration Compliance
- Employers must notify the authorities of the end of employment via Dimona OUT.
- Regional employment services and the Immigration Office are automatically informed.
-
The employee usually has a 90-day grace period to:
- Find a new job and have a new Single Permit application filed.
- Apply for another legal residence status (e.g. student, self-employed, dependent).
Supporting Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Belgium doesn’t have probation periods?
Correct. There’s no statutory probation period in Belgium. You can include short-term trial clauses in individual contracts or collective labor agreements, but the standard “probation period” structure common in other countries doesn’t exist here.
What’s the difference between holiday pay and a 13th-month bonus?
Holiday pay (vacation allowance) is mandatory. It’s part of Belgium’s statutory system. The 13th-month bonus isn’t legally required, but it’s so common in contracts and collective labor agreements that most employees expect it. They’re separate payments.
What’s a C4 certificate?
It’s the unemployment certificate you must issue when employment ends. Employees need it to claim unemployment benefits. You’re legally required to provide it along with work and holiday certificates at termination.
Can I use multiple fixed-term contracts in a row?
Yes, but strictly: maximum four consecutive contracts, each at least three months long, totaling no more than two years. Break these rules and the arrangement automatically becomes indefinite duration. Every contract must also be signed before the employee starts work.
What’s this 90-day grace period for foreign employees?
When employment ends, foreign employees on work permits get 90 days to either find new employment (and file a new Single Permit application) or apply for another legal residence status. You must notify authorities via Dimona OUT when employment ends.
Why are employer contributions so high?
Belgium’s social security system is comprehensive. It covers pensions, healthcare, unemployment, work accidents, family allowances, and more. Employer costs run approximately 25-27% of gross salary. Budget for this from the start.
