From the day you send the letter to the last day of notice
Enter when the employment contract started, who ends it, how the notice is given and the date you hand over or send it. The calculator shows the legal notification date, the Monday on which the notice period starts, the statutory length of the period and its last day. It runs in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
A notice period does not start the day you write the letter
- A hand-delivered employee notice and a bailiff notification take effect immediately.
- A registered letter takes effect on the third working day after posting. For this rule Saturday counts as a day, while Sundays and statutory public holidays do not.
- The notice period itself starts on the Monday following the week in which the notification takes effect.
An employer cannot validly dismiss with notice by simply handing the employee a letter. The employer must use registered mail or a bailiff.
Worked example
An employee who started on 1 January 2024 resigns on Friday 23 October 2026.
- Hand-delivered or bailiff: notification on 23 October, the notice starts on Monday 26 October and, for the statutory six-week resignation period that the tool shows for this case, the last day is Sunday 6 December 2026.
- Registered letter posted on 23 October: Saturday 24 October is day one, Monday 26 October day two and Tuesday 27 October day three, so the notification takes effect on 27 October. The notice starts on Monday 2 November and ends on Sunday 13 December 2026.
The choice of delivery method can therefore move the end of the contract by a week. For a dismissal by the employer, the tool shows a longer statutory period of 12 weeks for this same contract.
Length of the notice period
The length depends on who ends the contract, the start date of the contract and the length of service. The calculator distinguishes the statutory regimes that apply to 2026. Contracts that started before 1 January 2014 are deliberately not guessed, because transitional two-part rules apply to them. The official tables are linked in the tool: the notification and start rules, the employer notice table and the employee resignation table.
What this does not cover
Sector agreements, contractual clauses, protected employees, notice periods during incapacity or leave, and payment in lieu of notice can change the outcome. Treat the result as the statutory baseline and check the official sources or take advice for a real termination. For counting working days, for example to know when a registered letter takes effect, see the working days calculator. If you are planning around school breaks use the school holiday calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When does a notice period start in Belgium?
On the Monday following the week in which the notification takes effect. A hand-delivered employee notice or a bailiff notice takes effect immediately, a registered letter on the third working day after posting.
Does Saturday count for registered mail?
Yes, for this rule Saturday counts as a day while Sundays and statutory public holidays do not.
Can an employer dismiss by handing over a letter?
No. For a valid dismissal with notice the employer must use registered mail or a bailiff.
Why is the notice period for contracts before 2014 not calculated?
Contracts that started before 1 January 2014 follow transitional two-part rules, so the tool does not guess and points to the official tables.
Is the result legally binding?
No. It is the statutory baseline. Sector agreements, contract clauses and special situations can change the result, so check the official sources before acting.