Maternity and parental leave in Belgium 2026: 15 weeks

Repos de maternité: the 15 weeks and the pay

The 15 weeks split into up to 6 weeks before the birth and 9 compulsory weeks after. A multiple birth raises the total to 17 weeks, and up to 19.

The fund pays in two stages. For the first 30 days, 82% of gross salary with no cap stated. After that, 75% of gross salary, limited by the wage ceiling, so the daily benefit tops out at EUR 140.09. A well-paid employee therefore loses more income in the later weeks than a lower-paid one; any top-up is a contract choice for the employer.

Leave rules in Belgium at a glance

Birth leave for the other parent: 20 days

The father or co-parent gets 20 days of birth leave (congé de naissance), to be taken within 4 months of the birth. The first 3 days are paid by the employer at normal salary; the mutualité pays the other 17 days at 82% of gross salary, limited to the wage ceiling.

On a EUR 35,546 salary, a working day is worth 35,546 / 260 = EUR 136.72, so the employer's 3 days cost about EUR 410.15. Small, but it is a cost a US manager may not expect. The Netherlands also makes the employer pay the first week of partner leave in full: compare Dutch maternity and birth leave.

Parental leave and sick pay: not confirmed this month

If a Belgian hire is planning a family, ask your provider for both rules in writing. They change how long a role sits vacant and how much of the first weeks of illness you pay.

Holidays and double holiday pay

Paid holiday is 20 days on a five-day week (24 on a six-day week), earned on work in the previous calendar year, so a first-year hire may have few paid days. White-collar staff get normal salary during holiday plus a double holiday pay of 1/12 of 92% of monthly gross for each month worked in the prior year. After a full year on EUR 35,546 (EUR 2,962.17 a month), that is 92% x 2,962.17 = EUR 2,725.19. Blue-collar holiday pay comes from ONVA or a holiday fund instead. There are 10 public holidays.

Employer social security starts at a 24.92% basic ONSS rate, plus wage moderation (5.67% of pay plus 5.67% of the employer contributions, 4.27% for some employer categories) and smaller levies, so the full rate is higher than 24.92%; the Belgium employer cost page has the detail, and the Belgian minimum income figure and average pay in Belgium help set the salary.

How an EOR handles Belgian leave

Belgium has no probation period for most contracts and sets notice by seniority, so the EOR's contract and payroll setup matter from day one. During maternity leave, the EOR files with the mutualité and stops salary while the fund pays; for birth leave it pays the 3 employer days through payroll.

EOR list prices run from $99 (Native Teams, whose help center says EUR 99) to $699 (Oyster) per employee per month (country cost index). Deel lists $599 (all checked October 16, 2026); see our ranked EOR providers.