Notice period and dismissal indemnity calculation Belgium 2026
Estimate your notice period and severance indemnity in Belgium according to your seniority: unified status since 2014. Free and instant.
Your situation
Enter your start date to estimate your notice period.
A unified status since 2014
Since 1 January 2014, blue-collar and white-collar employees follow the same notice period rules. Notice is counted in weeks and grows with your seniority.
Dismissal by the employer
The notice period increases progressively: 1 week under 3 months of seniority, 12 weeks at 2 years, 18 weeks at 5 years, then +3 weeks per additional year up to 62 weeks at 20 years, and +1 week per year beyond that.
Resignation by the employee
The notice period an employee gives is shorter, and is capped at 13 weeks regardless of seniority.
The severance indemnity
Instead of having the employee work the notice period, the employer can end the contract immediately by paying an indemnity equal to the remaining notice: annual pay ÷ 52 × the number of weeks.
Reference table
| Seniority | Notice (dismissal) |
|---|---|
| Less than 3 months | 1 week |
| 2 years | 12 weeks |
| 5 years | 18 weeks |
| 20 years | 62 weeks |
Just lost your job? Check your unemployment benefit and your net salary.
Frequently asked questions
How is the notice period calculated in Belgium?
Since the unified status of 2014, notice is counted in weeks and grows with seniority, whether you are a blue-collar or white-collar worker. The exact duration depends on who ends the contract and your seniority.
What is the notice period in case of dismissal?
It progresses with seniority: 1 week for less than 3 months of seniority, up to 12 weeks at 2 years, 18 weeks at 5 years, then +3 weeks per additional year up to 62 weeks at 20 years, and +1 week per year beyond that.
And in case of resignation?
The notice period an employee must give is shorter than for a dismissal, and is capped at 13 weeks regardless of seniority.
What is the severance indemnity?
When the employer chooses to end the contract immediately instead of having the employee work the notice period, it pays an indemnity equivalent to the remaining notice: annual pay ÷ 52 × number of weeks of notice.
Does seniority before 2014 count differently?
Yes: for employees hired before 1 January 2014, seniority acquired before that date follows the old rules (different for blue-collar and white-collar workers), while seniority from 2014 onwards follows the unified status. This calculator applies the unified status, valid for contracts started from 2014.
Are there exceptions to these rules?
Yes: dismissal for serious cause, specific sectors, or particular statuses (e.g. domestic workers) can follow different rules. In case of doubt, consult your union or a social secretariat.
Is the indemnity taxable?
Yes, the severance indemnity is a replacement income subject to a specific withholding tax rate, generally higher than the ordinary salary rate.
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