Tips for taking your leave in Belgium in 2025

Optimizing your leave in 2025 can allow you to enjoy a long period of rest using a minimum of legal rest days. Every year, the arrangement of public holidays plays an important role in the vacation choice of many Belgian workers. What are the public holidays in 2025? When to rest in 2025 to get longer periods of rest? Mes Aides Financières answers your questions and gives you all the necessary advice.

The calendar of public holidays in 2025

First, you absolutely must know the public holidays in Belgium for the year 2025. Here is the list:

• January 1 (Wednesday): New Year’s Day
• April 21 (Monday): Easter Monday
• May 1 (Thursday): Labor Day
• May 9 (Friday): Ascension
• May 20 (Monday): Pentecost Monday
• July 21 (Monday): National holiday
• August 15 (Friday): Assumption
• November 1 (Saturday): All Saints’ Day
• November 11 (Tuesday): Armistice
• December 25 (Thursday): Christmas

Take advantage of bridges to maximize your vacation time

Next, exploit the opportunities offered by bridges. By strategically taking a day or two off around holidays, you can extend your rest periods.

• Ascension (May 9): Leave Friday, May 10 to enjoy a four-day weekend;
• Pentecost (May 20): By settling on Friday May 17, you will be able to take advantage of four consecutive days;
• Assumption (August 15): By taking Thursday August 14 or Monday August 18, you extend your weekend.

Maximize time off during school holidays

Furthermore, if you have children, you can coordinate your leave with school holidays to optimize your time with family. Here are some strategic periods:

• Easter holidays (from April 5 to 19): Set your days between April 8 and 19 to include public holidays;
• Summer vacation (July 1 to August 31): Combine holidays with July 21 to reduce the number of days taken;
• And, the Christmas holidays (from December 22 to January 4, 2026): Take advantage of the Christmas holiday and extend it until the end of the year.

Here is a summary of Belgian vacation dates and public holidays in 2025.

Use 23 days to get 57 days of rest

So, to maximize your rest, take your leave on the following strategic dates. You will thus benefit from 57 days of rest using only 23 legal days:

• January: Take January 2 and 3 for a full week off;
• April: Allow 4 days between April 22 and 26 to include Easter bank holidays;
• May: Take 3 days around May 9 to extend the Ascension weekend;
• July: Combine July 18 to 22 to integrate National Day;
• November: Take November 12 and 13 for a long weekend including the Armistice;
• December: Take 5 days between December 22 and 31 to enjoy the end-of-year celebrations.

Regulations and employee rights

In addition, it is important to know your rights as an employee in Belgium to take your leave effectively.

• In general, each employee has the right to 20 days paid leave per year, in addition to legal public holidays;
• Employers must approve datesso plan ahead to avoid conflicts;
• Unused days can sometimes be postponedbut it depends on your contract and collective agreements.

Tips for planning your vacation

Finally, here are some tips for managing your leave as best as possible:

• Anticipate your requests : Send your requests several months in advance to maximize your chances of approval;
• Coordinate with your colleagues : Discuss with your colleagues to avoid overlap;
• Use a shared calendar : This makes it easier to manage absences within the team;
• Favor off-peak periods : Take your leave during periods when the workload is lower.

With these tips, you will be able to optimize your leave in 2025 and take full advantage of your rest periods without harming your productivity.