Planning ahead for time off in 2026? Here’s your complete guide to public holidays in Belgium for 2026, including key dates and the legal rules around substitute days when holidays fall on weekends. Interesting reading for employers and employees.
Contents
List of Public Holidays 2026 in Belgium
| Holiday Name | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January 2026 | Thursday |
| Easter Monday | 6 April 2026 | Monday |
| Labour Day | 1 May 2026 | Friday |
| Ascension Day | 14 May 2026 | Thursday |
| Whit Monday | 25 May 2026 | Monday |
| Belgian National Holiday | 21 July 2026 | Tuesday |
| Assumption Day | 15 August 2026 | Saturday |
| All Saints’ Day | 1 November 2026 | Sunday |
| Armistice Day | 11 November 2026 | Wednesday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December 2026 | Friday |
Rules for Public Holidays
Like all countries, Belgium has also specific rules regarding public holidays.
- Employees cannot work on public holidays.
- If a holiday falls on a Sunday or typical non-working day (usually Saturday), it must be replaced by a paid substitute day on a regular working day.
- Employers must still pay a normal salary for the holiday, even if it’s replaced.
Important note: In the list provided above, Assumption Day and All Saints’ Day fall on non-working days. Employees in Belgium are entitled to two replacement days.
How Replacement Days Are Decided in Belgium
If the sector’s Joint Industrial Committee hasn’t set replacement days by 1 October 2025, companies must decide internally using one of these methods:
- By the Works Council
- By agreement between union reps and the employer
- By consensus between all employees and the employer
- If no company-wide agreement is possible, individual arrangements may be made
- If no decision is reached, the replacement day defaults to the next regular working day (typically Monday)
Deadline Reminder: Employers must inform employees by 15 December 2025 by posting a signed and dated notice at the workplace. A template is available from your payroll provider.
Regional Public Holidays in Belgium
Key Dates by Region
Belgium is a federal state composed of three distinct regions—Flanders, Wallonia, and the Brussels-Capital Region—each with its own government and parliament. As a result, several region-specific public holidays are observed in addition to the national public holidays.
These regional public holidays are recognized as official celebration days by the respective communities and regions. However, it’s important to note that they are not classified as statutory paid public holidays under Belgian labor law. Therefore, employers are not legally required to grant paid leave on these dates unless otherwise agreed in collective labor agreements or internal policies.
This is applicable for all types of employees directly working for an employer, for employees working for an EOR (employer or record) and for temporary agency workers.
Overview of Regional Holidays in Belgium
- Flemish Community Holiday – 11 July Celebrates the Battle of the Golden Spurs (1302), a symbol of Flemish identity.
- French Community Holiday (Wallonia-Brussels Federation) – 27 September Commemorates the victory of Belgian patriots over Dutch forces in 1830.
- German-speaking Community Holiday – 15 November Coincides with King’s Day and highlights the cultural autonomy of the German-speaking region.
- Walloon Region Feast Day – Third Sunday of September A festive day celebrating Walloon heritage and culture.
- Brussels-Capital Region Day – 8 May Marks the liberation of Brussels during World War II and celebrates regional pride.
Announcement to Employees
If replacement days cannot be decided upon using one of the solutions above, they automatically fall on the next normal working day following the public holiday (usually a Monday).
Employers must inform employees by 15 December 2025 by posting a signed and dated notice at the workplace. A template is available from your payroll provider.
Other Holidays in Belgium
In Belgium, full-time employees are generally entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave if they have worked a full year (based on a 5-day workweek).
While regional public holidays in Belgium—such as the Flemish Community Day or Brussels-Capital Region Day—are not legally recognized as paid public holidays, some sectors and employers grant them as ‘extralegal’ or ‘conventional’ holidays. This means that employees may receive additional paid time off beyond the statutory minimum, depending on collective labor agreements or internal company policies.
Employers offering these extra days often do so to align with regional identity, improve employee satisfaction, or remain competitive in talent retention.
Conclusion
In Belgium, full-time employees working a standard 5-day week are typically entitled to 20 days of paid annual leave, provided they have completed a full year of service. In addition to these statutory vacation days, employees benefit from 10 official public holidays, bringing the total to approximately 30 paid days off per year.
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