Notice periods in Belgium: the rules per situation
The notice period depends on who gives notice, how long you have been employed and when your contract began. Pick your situation below, or work out your term straight away with the calculator.
Work out your own term
Choose who gives notice and since when you have been employed. You immediately get the number of weeks, the start date and your last day.
Notice period for white-collar workers in Belgium
Notice period for white-collar workers in Belgium: 8 weeks after one year, 18 after five, 33 after ten. Plus the rules if you started before 2014.
Read →Notice period for blue-collar workers in Belgium
Notice period for blue-collar workers in Belgium: the same table as white-collar staff since 2014, rules for pre-2014 seniority and construction.
Read →Notice period when you resign in Belgium
Resigning: your notice runs from 1 week up to 13 weeks depending on seniority. With the rule from 1 August 2026 and how to hand in your notice correctly.
Read →Notice period when your employer dismisses you
Dismissed by your employer? Your notice follows the statutory table: 12 weeks after two years, 33 after ten. With the 2026 rules and your rights.
Read →Severance pay in lieu of notice in Belgium
Ending a contract without the notice being worked means paying compensation. What it includes, the weekly pay and when instalments are allowed.
Read →Trial period and notice period in Belgium
The trial period ended in 2014, except for agency work and student jobs. What replaced it, including the 1 week rule for contracts from August 2026.
Read →Notice period during sick leave in Belgium
Ill during your notice period? A term from your employer is suspended, your own notice keeps running. With the rules for holidays and dismissal while sick.
Read →Notice period at retirement in Belgium
Retiring or being dismissed around pension age: which notice applies, when your employer gives at most 26 weeks and what happens with early retirement.
Read →Counter-notice: leave sooner after a dismissal
Dismissed and found a new job? With a counter-notice you leave with at most 4 weeks instead of your full term. Terms, conditions and the 2026 change.
Read →Quick answer by seniority
In weeks, for contracts started between 1 January 2014 and 31 May 2026.
| Seniority | Employer gives notice | You resign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 8 | 4 |
| 2 years | 12 | 6 |
| 3 years | 13 | 6 |
| 5 years | 18 | 9 |
| 8 years | 27 | 13 |
| 10 years | 33 | 13 |
| 15 years | 48 | 13 |
| 20 years | 62 | 13 |
What changed in 2026?
For contracts starting from 1 June 2026, the term for dismissal by the employer is capped at 52 weeks from 17 years of seniority. The law of 18 May 2026 introduced this; for older contracts the table keeps rising.
For contracts starting from 1 August 2026, the term in the first 6 months is 1 week, for both parties and for the counter-notice. That follows from the law of 3 June 2026, published on 15 June 2026.
Short explanation in the knowledge base→
Sources: FOD Werkgelegenheid, opzeggingstermijnen bij ontslag door de werkgever (contract vanaf 1 januari 2014) (checked on 23 October 2026); FOD Werkgelegenheid, opzeggingstermijnen bij ontslag door de werknemer (checked on 23 October 2026); Securex Lex4You, opzeggingstermijn: een plafond van 52 weken voor nieuwe arbeidsovereenkomsten (2 juni 2026, wet van 18 mei 2026) (checked on 23 October 2026); Securex Lex4You, kortere opzegtermijnen in de eerste 6 maanden (29 juli 2026, wet van 3 juni 2026) (checked on 23 October 2026); FOD Werkgelegenheid, bijzondere regels (tegenopzegging, pensioen, ziekte, tijdelijke werkloosheid) (checked on 23 October 2026)