Procedural deadline calculator for Belgium
The last day of a time limit, with every step of the calculation and the article behind it.
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Civil appeal, judgment served on 2 October 2026: last day Monday 2 November 2026.
Several deadlines
Collect several calculations, then export them together. Kept in this browser only.
A file reference, never a client's name.
Sources
Rules verified on 05/10/2026
A tool to assist lawyers. The lawyer remains responsible for the calculation and for checking the applicable rule.
How it works
How the calculation works
- Starting point. Service by a bailiff (art. 57), presentation of a judicial letter (pli judiciaire, gerechtsbrief) or a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt (art. 53bis, § 1, 1°), a letter handed to the post (art. 53bis, § 1, 2°), an electronic notification to the judicial electronic address (art. 53bis, § 2), or another act.
- Day 1. The day after the act (art. 52). For a letter, the third working day after posting, Saturdays excluded. For an electronic notification, the day after it is opened. Then every day counts, weekends and holidays included.
- End of the term. In days, the last day counted. In months or years, from a date to the day before the same date (art. 54); if that day does not exist, the last day of the month (Cass. 4 September 1995).
- Party abroad. 15, 30 or 80 extra days, only where a statute provides for it (art. 55).
- Judicial vacation. An appeal or opposition deadline that starts and ends between 1 July and 31 August is extended to 15 September (art. 50, al. 2).
- Day off. A last day on a Saturday, Sunday or legal public holiday moves to the next working day (art. 53).
On the last day, file through e-Deposit until 23:59, or on paper during the registry's opening hours (art. 52, al. 2).
Eighteen common deadlines have a preset page, from the civil appeal to the income tax claim. PDF, Word and calendar (.ics) exports are free. The "Several deadlines" list is a firm feature, free with a verified e-mail address.
Legal basis
- Judicial Code, arts. 32bis, 47bis, 50 to 57, 1048, 1051 and 1385undecies: text on Justel.
- Law of 4 January 1974 on public holidays: text on Justel.
- Preset pages outside the Judicial Code: Code of Criminal Procedure (each term starts under its own article, arts. 135, 187, 203 and 423; art. 644 only moves a last day that falls on a day off), Council of State procedure rules (arts. 4, 88 and 89), Income Tax Code 1992 (art. 371).
Points to watch
- Judicial vacation. Only appeal and opposition are extended (arts. 1048, 1051 and 1253quater, c) and d)): not cassation, not criminal matters, not the Council of State.
- End of month. Service on 30 January 2026: the term ends on Saturday 28 February, moved to Monday 2 March 2026 (Cass. 4 September 1995).
- Letters. Saturday is not a working day (Cass. 30 January 2009; Civil Code art. 1.7, § 3). The third working day after posting, counted Monday to Friday without legal public holidays, is day 1.
- Electronic notification. Since 1 January 2025, a notification to the judicial electronic address starts the time limit the day after it is opened (art. 53bis, § 2). It counts only if the addressee could open it within 5 days of sending (art. 32bis).
- Counted back. A period counted back from a hearing (art. 748, § 2) is never moved later: when its last day is a day off, the previous working day is the last day for filing on paper.
- Not legal holidays. 11 July, 27 September, 15 November, 2 November and 26 December are not legal public holidays. If the registry is closed, file through e-Deposit or have the act served.
- Information sheet. Since 1 January 2023, the time limit does not start if the service or notification is void, or if the information sheet (fiche informative) is missing or misleading (art. 47bis, al. 2).
- Criminal appeal. Constitutional Court judgment 176/2025 concerns art. 203 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, whose effects are kept until 31 December 2026 at the latest: check for a new law.
- Council of State and tax. The Council of State adds 30 or 90 days for a party abroad (procedure rules, art. 89), with no summer extension of its 60 days. The income tax claim period is 1 year since 1 January 2023. For the tax court action (art. 1385undecies), the decision on the claim is sent by registered letter: day 1 is the third working day after posting (art. 53bis, § 1, 2°), or the day after presentation if it was sent with an acknowledgment of receipt.
What the tool does not do
- It does not check the service or which remedy is open.
- It does not cover special statutes (insolvency, collective debt settlement, expropriation).
- It does not compute the effect of a party's death (art. 56), an extension by the judge (art. 51) or an IT failure (art. 52, al. 3 and 4).
The rules were checked on 5 October 2026. The tool assists the lawyer, who remains responsible for the calculation and for checking the applicable rule.
Updated on 5 October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Is the appeal deadline extended during the judicial vacation?
Only if it both starts and ends between 1 July and 31 August. It is then extended to 15 September (Judicial Code, art. 50, al. 2). The rule covers appeal and opposition (arts. 1048, 1051 and 1253quater, c) and d)), not the cassation appeal.
Examples: a judgment served on Tuesday 30 June 2026 can be appealed until Tuesday 15 September 2026. Served on Monday 3 August 2026, the deadline ends on Thursday 3 September 2026, with no extension, because it does not end during the vacation.
How is a deadline in months computed?
From a date to the day before the same date in the target month (Judicial Code, art. 54), starting the day after the act (art. 52). A judgment served on Friday 2 October 2026: day 1 is Saturday 3 October, the last day Monday 2 November 2026.
If the matching day does not exist in the last month, the term ends on the last day of that month (Cass. 4 September 1995). Service on 30 January 2026: 28 February, a Saturday, so Monday 2 March 2026.
What if the last day falls on a weekend or a public holiday?
The last day moves to the next working day (Judicial Code, art. 53). Only the ten legal public holidays of the law of 4 January 1974 count. 11 July, 27 September, 15 November, 2 November and 26 December do not move a deadline, even if a registry is closed that day.
When does the time limit start after a judicial letter, a registered letter or an electronic notification?
- Judicial letter (pli judiciaire, gerechtsbrief) or registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt: the day after the letter is presented at the address (art. 53bis, § 1, 1°).
- Ordinary or registered letter: from the third working day after it is handed to the post, unless the addressee proves otherwise (art. 53bis, § 1, 2°). That third working day is day 1.
- Electronic notification to the judicial electronic address (since 1 January 2025): the day after it is opened (art. 53bis, § 2). It counts only if the addressee could open it within 5 days of sending (art. 32bis).
Saturday is not a working day for the letter rule (Cass. 30 January 2009; Civil Code art. 1.7, § 3). Example: a letter handed to the post on Thursday 1 October 2026 gives working days Friday 2, Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 October; day 1 is Tuesday 6 October, and a one-month deadline ends on Thursday 5 November 2026.
Does a party living abroad get a longer deadline?
Yes, where a statute provides for it, as for appeal and opposition (Judicial Code, art. 55), when the party has no domicile, residence or elected domicile in Belgium:
- 15 days for a neighbouring country or the United Kingdom;
- 30 days for another European country;
- 80 days for the rest of the world.
Example: service on 6 October 2026 on a party living in France. One month, then 15 days: Saturday 21 November, moved to Monday 23 November 2026. The Council of State applies its own extensions.
Until what time can I file on the last day?
Through e-Deposit, until midnight (Judicial Code, art. 52): the system's timestamp is what counts. On paper, only during the registry's opening hours.
If the Justice IT system fails on the last day, the act can still be done on the first working day after it (art. 52, al. 3 and 4).
Does the time limit run if the information sheet is missing?
No. Since 1 January 2023, the time limit does not start if the service or notification is void, if the information sheet (fiche informative, art. 780/1) is missing, or if it is wrong or incomplete in a way that could mislead a party acting in good faith (Judicial Code, art. 47bis, al. 2).