Calculator

Notice period Belgium calculator

Enter the start date of the contract and the date of the notice letter. You see straight away how many weeks of notice apply, the Monday the notice starts and the day it ends. Under the 2026 rules, for blue-collar and white-collar staff.

2026 rules, sources reread on 6 October 2026

Notice period belgium calculator: an advisory meeting with an employer at Business Centrum in Ghent

Result

Enter the start date of the contract. The tool works out the rest straight away.

Notice period in Belgium: the calculator in three steps

Pick the table by start date.
Since 1 January 2014, one table applies to blue-collar and white-collar staff. For contracts starting on or after 1 June 2026, the employer's notice stops at 52 weeks. For contracts from 1 August 2026, notice in the first 6 months is 1 week, whoever gives it.
Find the Monday the notice starts.
Notice starts on the Monday after the week in which it was served. A registered letter takes effect on working day 3 after posting: Saturday counts, Sunday and public holidays do not. A bailiff serves notice the same day.
Count the length of service on that Monday.
You count from the first day of employment to the day before the notice starts. An employee hired on 1 March has six months of service on 1 September.

Notice period Belgium calculator for the employer

The employer serves notice by registered letter or through a bailiff. A letter handed over is void: the dismissal stands, but you pay compensation. The table applies to blue-collar and white-collar staff in every sector.

Notice period Belgium calculator for the employer
Length of service	Start before 1/6/2026	Start from 1/6/2026	Start from 1/8/2026
0 to 3 months	1	1	1
3 to 4 months	3	3	1
4 to 5 months	4	4	1
5 to 6 months	5	5	1
6 to 9 months	6	6	6
9 to 12 months	7	7	7
12 to 15 months	8	8	8
15 to 18 months	9	9	9
18 to 21 months	10	10	10
21 to 24 months	11	11	11
2 to 3 years	12	12	12
3 to 4 years	13	13	13
4 to 5 years	15	15	15
5 to 6 years	18	18	18
6 to 7 years	21	21	21
7 to 8 years	24	24	24
8 to 9 years	27	27	27
9 to 10 years	30	30	30
10 to 11 years	33	33	33
11 to 12 years	36	36	36
12 to 13 years	39	39	39
13 to 14 years	42	42	42
14 to 15 years	45	45	45
15 to 16 years	48	48	48
16 to 17 years	51	51	51
17 to 18 years	54	52	52
18 to 19 years	57	52	52
19 to 20 years	60	52	52
20 to 21 years	62	52	52
21 to 22 years	63	52	52
22 to 23 years	64	52	52
23 to 24 years	65	52	52

In weeks. A band such as 3 to 4 months means: from 3 months and less than 4.

After the last row, 1 week is added for each year started, except for contracts under the 52-week cap.

If the employee worked as a temp in the same job just before being hired, that period counts up to 1 year. When you dismiss with a view to the statutory pension, notice is at most 26 weeks.

Notice period Belgium calculator for the employee

If the employee resigns, the notice is shorter and never more than 13 weeks. They may also hand the letter over. Illness or holidays do not extend this notice.

Notice period Belgium calculator for the employee
Length of service	Start before 1/8/2026	Start from 1/8/2026
0 to 3 months	1	1
3 to 6 months	2	1
6 to 12 months	3	3
12 to 18 months	4	4
18 to 24 months	5	5
2 to 4 years	6	6
4 to 5 years	7	7
5 to 6 years	9	9
6 to 7 years	10	10
7 to 8 years	12	12
8 years or more	13	13

In weeks. A band such as 3 to 4 months means: from 3 months and less than 4.

Counter-notice: the employee finds another job

If you gave the employee notice and they find another job, they may give shorter notice themselves, never more than 4 weeks. An employer cannot give counter-notice.

Counter-notice: the employee finds another job
Length of service	Start before 1/8/2026	Start from 1/8/2026
0 to 3 months	1	1
3 to 6 months	2	1
6 to 12 months	3	3
12 months or more	4	4

Notice on a fixed-term contract

A fixed-term contract can only end with notice in the first half of its term, and never later than 6 months after the start. The notice follows the same tables. After that, whoever stops pays the salary up to the end date, capped at 2 times the pay for the notice on an open-ended contract.

With successive contracts, only the first can end with notice. The tool warns you if the notice would end after the first half: the law does not say so in so many words, but the usual reading is that the notice must end within the first half.

What the tool does not work out for you

Contracts that started before 1 January 2014. They get notice in two parts.
Suspensions. Illness, holidays or temporary unemployment during the employer's notice move the end date.
Successive contracts. They count together for length of service, but the start date of the last contract decides the table.
Benefits in the payment in lieu. The tool uses the fixed monthly salary. An end-of-year bonus, variable pay or a company car come on top.
Dismissal for serious cause, termination by mutual agreement or medical force majeure. These involve no notice.

Sources

The tables and rules come from the Business Centrum figures register. We reread the sources on 6 October 2026.

Notice period calculator: frequently asked questions

How do I calculate an employee's notice period?

Look at three things: who gives notice, when the contract started and the employee's length of service on the Monday the notice starts. With those, you read the number of weeks from the table. The tool at the top does this for you, together with the start Monday and the end date.

When does the notice period start?

On the Monday after the week in which the notice was served. A registered letter takes effect on working day 3 after posting. If you post it on a Monday, it takes effect on Thursday and the notice starts the following Monday.

How much notice applies in the first six months?

For contracts starting on or after 1 August 2026, it is 1 week, whether the employer or the employee gives notice. For contracts that started earlier, the old table applies: on dismissal by the employer, 1 to 5 weeks.

Do holidays or illness count towards the notice?

Not when the employer gives notice. Illness, annual holidays, maternity leave, temporary unemployment and other suspensions pause the notice, and the end date moves back. If the employee gives notice, it simply keeps running.

How do I calculate a payment in lieu of notice?

Multiply the number of weeks by the weekly pay. Weekly pay is the monthly salary × 3 / 13. Benefits under the contract, such as an end-of-year bonus, come on top. From 30 weeks, 4 weeks are deducted for outplacement.

What is the longest notice period?

For contracts starting on or after 1 June 2026, the employer's notice stops at 52 weeks. For older contracts, it keeps rising with length of service. An employee who resigns gives at most 13 weeks.

Rather have someone check it for you?

Your dedicated contact at Business Centrum looks at it for your situation, together with Acerta.

Call 09 395 94 00 Free consultation