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SALARY PAYMENT IN Euro (EUR, €)
CONTRACT LANGUAGES French / English
PAYROLL TAX 25%
PAYROLL CYCLE Monthly
TIME TO HIRE 24 hours
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Hire and pay talents
with Horizons in
180+ countries
Horizons provides compliance solutions to ensure your business in Belgium operates in line with Belgian labor laws and tax regulations. Businesses benefit from hiring in, investing in, or job outsourcing to, Belgium in a range of industries, from customer service, to accounting services, to software development. We also process monthly payroll, and, as an Belgium Employer of Record, absorb all local employer liabilities. Partnering with our Belgium PEO is the quickest and most cost-effective way to enter the Belgian market.
| PEO Platform Hire in Belgium, and pay employees through our platform or app. | PEO Cost Our Belgium PEO solution is the most affordable on the market. | Time-to-hire Fast onboarding in Belgium, hire in as little as 24 hours. |
| Contracts We draft labor contracts compliant with Belgium labor law. | Local Benefits We administer all mandatory benefits and contributions in Belgium. | 185+ Countries It doesn’t stop with Belgium — we are an international PEO |
Belgian employers are legally required to provide all employees with a formal contract of employment. All relevant details of the agreement should be included, such as maternity leave rights, sick leave, and salary/wage. All references to compensation should be in the local Euro currency.
By partnering with our Belgium PEO & Employer of Record, Horizons’ team of local experts can provide assistance for drafting strong employment contracts that are compliant with local regulations.
| Probationary period | Not permitted |
| Termination notice period | 1 week – 18 weeks, depending on years of service |
| Severance | Only in cases where termination is unjustified |
| Probationary period | Not permitted |
| Termination notice period | 1 week – 18 weeks, depending on years of service |
| Severance | Only in cases where termination is unjustified |
Workers in Belgium can work for a maximum of 38 hours, beyond which employers need to pay overtime rates. Normal overtime is 1.5X normal pay, and Sunday or public holiday overtime is 2X normal pay.
Workers are also entitled to at least one 24-hour stretch of time off every week. Workers can also choose to work either 39 hours or 40 hours per week in exchange for six or twelve extra annual ret days respectively.
Quick, compliant hiring in 24 hours—no subsidiary required.
Employees in Belgium are entitled to ten paid public holidays. The following is an expanded list of holidays, and some employees may not be entitled to all of them:
| Date | Holiday name |
|---|---|
| 1 Jan Sunday | New Year’s Day |
| 9 Apr Sunday | Easter Sunday |
| 10 Apr Monday | Easter Monday |
| 1 May Monday | Labor Day / May Day |
| 18 May Thursday | Ascension Day |
| 28 May Sunday | Whit Sunday |
| 29 May Monday | Whit Monday |
| 21 Jul Friday | Belgian National Day |
| 15 Aug Tuesday | Assumption of Mary |
| 1 Nov Wednesday | All Saints’ Day |
| 11 Nov Saturday | Armistice Day |
| 25 Dec Monday | Christmas Day |
Employees in Belgium are entitled to 20 days of paid vacation leave if they work five days per week. Some employers may choose to offer more days as part of their benefits packages. Vacation days do not carry into the next year if they are not used.
Employees in Belgium are entitled to unlimited sick leave when they present a valid medical note. They are compensated for this leave, but the precise payments vary based on length of absence. For example, they receive 100% of pay for the first seven days, then 85.88% for the 8th to 14th day, and so on. Workers may be eligible for a government-funded invalidity benefit after more than one year of absence.
Female employees in Belgium can take maternity leave of six weeks before childbirth, and a minimum of nine weeks after childbirth. They are entitled to compensation during maternity leave, but the exact amount decreases as they have more children.
Male employees are entitled to ten days of paternity leave, which can be taken within four months of their child being born. The first three days are covered at full pay, and the next seven days are compensated at a reduced rate.
Navigating employee terminations and handling severance packages can be complicated for companies expanding overseas for the first time. Horizons’ Belgium PEO can mitigate risk for foreign companies and provide guidance through this process.
For terminations, the amount of notice that must be provided to employees varies depending on the length of employment. In most cases, probation periods are not allowed, and the minimum notice, for under three months of employment, is two weeks (or one for resignations). This increases gradually, up to 62 weeks after 21 years of employment. Beyond this, it increases by one week per year of employment.
Notice periods can be, and often are, given in the form of extra pay, so it may be sensible to set aside a fund for this purpose.
Income is taxed progressively in Belgium, with rates ranging from 25% to 50%, depending on earnings.
Additionally, both employers and employees are required to pay a percentage of gross income to social security funds, totaling 35% for employers and 13.07% for employees.
Belgium has a nationalized healthcare system with high standards of care, so employers do not need to offer private health insurance.
The legally regulated minimum wage in Belgium is €1,593.81 per month (as of 2020)
| Minimum Wage Country Comparison Chart | (Per month in USD) |
| Switzerland (Geneva) | $4,000 |
| Italy | $2,255 |
| Australia | $1996 |
| Algeria | $156 |
| Uzbekistan | $22 |
While Belgians do receive relatively generous state benefits, many employers still choose to offer things like company cars, holiday bonuses, and so on. Setting up a benefits system for your employees in Belgium is an important part of being an employer and expanding into the country. However, it can be difficult if you are not familiar with the country’s complex labor laws, languages, and administrative procedures.
Horizons can help you bypass this element of your Belgium expansion by offering benefit system outsourcing that can save you time and money. Our experts will advise you on the best course of action and take care of your benefit setup and management, helping you focus on the rest of your expansion.
With Horizons, you get quick service, transparent pricing, and expert support.
A Belgium PEO and a Belgium EOR are two types of companies which specialize in providing human resources services to businesses in Belgium.
The main difference between a Belgium PEO and a Belgium EOR is in the scope of their services.
Belgium PEOs provide a full range of HR services, including payroll, benefits administration, and employee recruiting—all under one roof as a co-employer. Engaging a Belgium PEO is essentially outsourcing your HR duties in Belgium.
Belgium EORs actually take over as the legal employer of your employees based abroad. Belgium EORs become responsible for labor compliance for your employees in Belgium.
At Horizons, we offer both PEO and EOR services in Belgium. Get in touch now and let us know what service you are seeking.
A PEO in Belgium can feasibly hire both local and foreign nationals to work in Belgium.
However, the ability of Horizons to sponsor your foreign national employee in Belgium may be limited due to visa quotas practiced in many countries.
Contact us with your requirements and our Global Mobility team with review the case and get back to you within 2 business days.
In most cases, Horizons’ Belgium PEO can hire & onboard your employee within 24 hours. The actual start date of the employee will depend on their notice period obligation to their previous employer as well as any relevant hiring rules in Belgium.
It is possible to get a work visa in Belgium. Horizons’ Global Mobility team is a dedicated team of work visa experts. They assess the details of each case to determine feasibility and costs before Horizons applies for the work visa on behalf of your employee. If the Global Mobility team determines that your case is feasible, the process is smooth and transparent. Visa spots in Belgium are limited, however—get started today to secure your employees’ visa spot.
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+49 30 3119 9653
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Austin, Texas 78704
+1 (737) 265-6065
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Headquarters – Europe
Skalitzer Str. 85/86
10997 Berlin
+49 30 3119 9653
Skalitzer Str. 85/86
10997, Berlin
+49 30 3119 9653
1700 S. Lamar Blvd Suite 338
Austin, Texas 78704
+1 (737) 265-6065
See more locations
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