Working Days – Belgium
In Belgium, the year includes 10 statutory public holidays that constitute non-working days for employees and businesses. The system provides a make-up mechanism: when a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes a compensatory non-working day.
Annual summary
| Other year | Working days | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 252 | |
| 2026 | 253 | |
| 2027 | 254 | |
| 2028 | 252 |
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Holiday rules and practice in Belgium
How public holidays work in Belgium, and what that means when you count working days.
- Standard work week
- Monday–Friday
- 38 hours per week
- Substitute days
- Yes
- A public holiday falling on a Sunday, or on any day the employee does not normally work (typically Saturday for a Monday-Friday schedule), must be replaced by a jour de remplacement / vervangingsdag. The replacement date is fixed by sector or company agreement and must fall within the same calendar year.
- Regional variation
- No
- Public holidays apply uniformly across the whole country.
Bank holidays
Belgium uses 'jour férié légal' (FR), 'wettelijke feestdag' (NL), or 'gesetzlicher Feiertag' (DE) for public holidays.
Local terminology
| Working day | jour ouvrable (FR) / werkdag (NL) |
|---|---|
| Public holiday | jour férié légal (FR) / wettelijke feestdag (NL) |
Worth knowing
- Belgium has 3 official languages: French, Dutch, and German.
- Belgium has 10 national public holidays.
- When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the next Monday is a substitute day.
- Belgian National Day (Jul 21) celebrates the 1831 constitutional oath.
- Armistice Day (Nov 11) is an official public holiday.
- Standard working week is 38 hours.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when a statutory public holiday falls on a Sunday?
When a statutory public holiday coincides with a Sunday, the following Monday automatically becomes a compensatory non-working day (make-up day). The employee receives the compensatory rest without loss of remuneration.
How many statutory public holidays does Belgium have each year?
Belgium has 10 statutory public holidays, fixed or moveable according to the calendar: New Year's Day, Easter Monday, Labour Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, National Day, Assumption of Mary, All Saints' Day, Armistice Day, and Christmas Day.
Do statutory public holidays in Belgium differ by region?
No, Belgium applies a unified calendar of 10 statutory public holidays at the national level. There are no additional regional or community public holidays; the status is identical for Wallonia, Flanders, and Brussels.
How should working hours be treated if an employee works on a statutory public holiday?
In Belgium, working on a statutory public holiday may entitle an employee to increased remuneration or an additional compensatory day off, according to the collective bargaining agreement or employment contract. The standard working week remains set at 38 hours.
Is July 21st (National Day) automatically a non-working day?
Yes, July 21st (Belgian National Day) is a statutory public holiday that is automatically a non-working day. If it falls on a Sunday, the following Monday becomes the compensatory day. This date commemorates the constitutional oath of 1831.