With the help of official public holidays, it is possible to take several consecutive days of holiday next year without taking too much annual leave, simply with a little creative planning.
In Belgium, how many holidays employees are legally entitled to depend on the period of employment in the so-called 'holiday service year'. The more days worked in the 'holiday service year', the more available paid days off in the 'holiday year' or next year.
While the exact number of holidays full-time employees receive differs based on what sector they work in, they are legally entitled to a minimum of four weeks of annual leave (20 days).
By law, employees must take all their statutory holidays between 1 January and 31 December of the holiday year, and carrying days over to the following working year is not allowed.
There are ten official public holidays in Belgium. In principle, these are forced days off, as it is forbidden to work on a legal holiday for most people. In 2024, the dates of these holidays are:
- Monday 1 January: New Year's Day
- Monday 1 April: Easter Monday
- Wednesday 1 May: Labour Day
- Thursday 9 May: Ascension Day
- Monday 20 May: Whit Monday
- Sunday 21 July: Belgium's National Day
- Thursday 15 August: Assumption of Mary
- Friday 1 November: All Saints' Day
- Monday 11 November: Armistice Day
- Wednesday 25 December: Christmas Day
More consecutive days off
Public holidays and so-called 'bridge days' (some companies in Belgium automatically give employees one or more days off between a weekend and an official public holiday) enable employees make the most of the official holidays they are given if organised well and in advance.
The first public holiday of the year (1 January) also falls on the first day of the week. This means that people who take the entire first week off will have nine consecutive days of holiday (from Saturday 30 December 2023 until Sunday 7 January 2024), but only have to use four days of annual leave.
At Easter, people can once again use just four days of annual leave to have nine days off, including weekends, thanks to Easter Monday. This gives people a break from Saturday 30 March until Sunday 7 April.
The same can be done around Labour Day (Saturday 27 April to Sunday 5 May), for Whit Monday (Saturday 18 May to Sunday 26 May), All Saint's Day (Saturday 26 October to Sunday 3 November) and around Armistice Day (Saturday 9 November to Sunday 17 November).
Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
The national holiday this year falls on a Sunday. Employees who work full-time should be offered replacement days for this day off. However, if the company does not collectively set that replacement day, employees can choose when to take it themselves.
It is possible delay taking this day off until August or November, as Thursday 15 August and Monday 11 November are already days off. This means that workers only have to take an additional three days off to get nine consecutive days of holiday.
People who prefer to take more frequent but shorter periods off work can enjoy four days at home while taking just one extra holiday from Thursday 9 May to Sunday 12 May, from Thursday 15 August to Sunday 18 August, from Thursday 31 October to Sunday 3 November and from Saturday 9 November to Tuesday 12 November.
For those looking to take longer periods off from work, the best times are from Saturday 27 April to Monday 20 May, when for just 13 holiday days off, they can be off from work for 24 days.
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Between Saturday 21 December 2024 and Sunday 5 January 2025, employees can stay home for 16 days while using just eight holiday days. People looking for a shorter break can have five days away from work from Saturday 21 to Wednesday 25 December by taking just two days off.
It is important to note that employers have to approve days off in most companies, meaning taking extended periods off from work with minimal annual leave may not always be possible. In addition, parents of school-age children often have priority, especially during school holidays.
