Unemployment Benefits in Belgium
In Belgium the national employment office ONEM/RVA pays unemployment benefit after employment, from 1 March 2026 limited to at most 24 months; claimants must register with their region's employment service and look for work actively.
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
ONEM / RVA, paid through a payment organisation (a union or CAPAC)
The job market in Belgium
The International Labour Organization's estimates put Belgium 108th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
Belgium's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Register with the public employment service, Regional public employment services: VDAB (Flanders), Le Forem (Wallonia), Actiris (Brussels), ADG (German-speaking Community). Official page
- Apply for Unemployment benefit (allocations de chômage / werkloosheidsuitkering): through a payment organisation (a trade union or the public CAPAC), which files the claim with ONEM. Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
Unemployment benefit (allocations de chômage / werkloosheidsuitkering)
Who can get it. Fully unemployed people who qualify through their past work (rules in force from 1 March 2026).
How much. Months 1 to 3: 65% of last salary, capped at the upper salary ceiling; months 4 to 6: 60%, capped at the middle ceiling; months 7 to 12: 60%, capped at the lower ceiling.
For how long. Granted for a fixed period, at most 24 months; a second period applies only if the entitlement is longer than 12 months.
How to claim. Through a payment organisation (a trade union or the public CAPAC), which files the claim with ONEM.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
Claimants must look for work actively, accept any suitable job, take part in the support offered, and be registered as a jobseeker unless exempted.
From an official page, read October 26, 2026.
Keep my work search record for Belgium
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
Help finding work
- The public employment service: Regional public employment services: VDAB (Flanders), Le Forem (Wallonia), Actiris (Brussels), ADG (German-speaking Community)
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in Belgium?
Yes: Unemployment benefit (allocations de chômage / werkloosheidsuitkering), paid by ONEM / RVA, paid through a payment organisation (a union or CAPAC).
How much is unemployment benefit in Belgium?
Months 1 to 3: 65% of last salary, capped at the upper salary ceiling; months 4 to 6: 60%, capped at the middle ceiling; months 7 to 12: 60%, capped at the lower ceiling.
How long does unemployment benefit last in Belgium?
Granted for a fixed period, at most 24 months; a second period applies only if the entitlement is longer than 12 months.
How do I claim unemployment benefit in Belgium?
Through a payment organisation (a trade union or the public CAPAC), which files the claim with ONEM.
Do I have to look for work while I claim in Belgium?
Claimants must look for work actively, accept any suitable job, take part in the support offered, and be registered as a jobseeker unless exempted.
Where can I get help finding a job in Belgium?
The public employment service is Regional public employment services: VDAB (Flanders), Le Forem (Wallonia), Actiris (Brussels), ADG (German-speaking Community).
Nearby countries
Austria
France
Germany
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Monaco
Netherlands
Switzerland
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · Belgium's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.