The system of annual paid holidays will depend on whether you are an employee, independent worker or a civil servant. Apart from the annual leave the Belgian system also allows for maternity leave, paternity leave and other types of ‘social’ holidays.
Employees under the Belgian security system are entitled to a number of paid holidays a year as well as a so-called “pécule de vacances”/”Vakantiegeld” or holiday allowance on top of that. The amounts you receive are calculated on the basis of your activity in the preceding year – the so-called legal holidays - and on top of that you may build up supplementary paid days or amounts depending on your individual relation with your employer.
Independent workers under the Belgian security system have no paid holidays, no holiday allowance and of course no right to a holiday since they have no employee-employer relation. They do have access to maternity leave allowances though.
Civil servants also all have a number of guaranteed paid days and holiday allowances but the number and amounts differ depending on their administrative level and/or administration they belong to.
