Belgian judicial calendar: public holidays and judicial vacation
The days that matter for your procedural deadlines, month by month, ready to add to your calendar.
How it works
How the calendar is built
Choose the year: last year, this year or one of the next two. Each day shows its status for the computation of deadlines.
- Weekends. A last day on a Saturday or Sunday moves to the next working day (Judicial Code, art. 53).
- Legal public holidays (H). The ten days of the law of 4 January 1974: 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, 21 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. The moveable days are computed from the date of Easter.
- Judicial vacation (JV). From 1 July to 31 August (Judicial Code, art. 334).
- End of the extension (E). 15 September, the fifteenth day of the new judicial year. Appeal and opposition deadlines extended by art. 50, al. 2 end on that day.
The calendar file (.ics) lists the legal public holidays, the judicial vacation and 15 September: it is free. The annual calendar as a PDF is a firm feature, free with a verified e-mail address.
Legal basis
- Law of 4 January 1974 on public holidays and Royal Decree of 18 April 1974: text of the law on Justel.
- Judicial Code, art. 50, al. 2 (extension), art. 52 (every day counts), art. 53 (moving the last day) and art. 334 (judicial vacation): text on Justel.
The Judicial Code has no list of holidays of its own. Art. 53 refers to a "legal public holiday" (jour férié légal, wettelijke feestdag): the calendar uses the list of the 1974 law.
Points to watch
- Community holidays. 11 July (Flemish Community), 27 September (French Community) and 15 November (German-speaking Community) are not legal public holidays. A deadline ending on one of these days does not move.
- 2 November and 26 December. These are not legal public holidays either. Some registries may be closed on these days, or on 15 November: file through e-Deposit, possible until midnight, or have the act served.
- The vacation does not suspend deadlines. Every day counts during the summer. Only appeal and opposition deadlines that start and end between 1 July and 31 August are extended.
- 15 September on a weekend. Art. 53 applies after the extension. In 2029, 15 September is a Saturday: the extended deadline ends on Monday 17 September 2029.
What the calendar does not do
- It does not show each registry's opening hours or its own closing days.
- It does not compute deadlines: the procedural deadline calculator does that, step by step.
- It does not show the rules of other courts, such as the 15-day extension in the Council of State's procedure rules (art. 91), which covers only time limits of 30 days or less.
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
Which legal public holidays count for procedural deadlines in Belgium?
The ten days of the law of 4 January 1974: 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, 21 July, 15 August, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. A last day falling on one of them moves to the next working day (Judicial Code, art. 53).
When are Easter Monday, Ascension Day and Whit Monday?
- 2026: 6 April, 14 May and 25 May.
- 2027: 29 March, 6 May and 17 May.
- 2028: 17 April, 25 May and 5 June.
Do 11 July, 27 September and 15 November move a deadline?
No. They are the holidays of the Flemish Community, the French Community and the German-speaking Community, not legal public holidays. A deadline ending on one of these days does not move. The same applies to 2 November and 26 December.
If the registry is closed that day, file through e-Deposit, possible until midnight, or have the act served.
When is the judicial vacation?
From 1 July to 31 August (Judicial Code, art. 334). The new judicial year starts on 1 September.
Are deadlines suspended during the judicial vacation?
No. Every day counts, in July and August too. Only appeal and opposition deadlines (Judicial Code, arts. 1048, 1051 and 1253quater, c) and d)) that start and end during the vacation are extended to 15 September (art. 50, al. 2).
A deadline that starts on 30 June, or that ends on 1 September or later, is not extended.
Why 15 September?
Art. 50, al. 2 of the Judicial Code extends these deadlines to the fifteenth day of the new judicial year, which starts on 1 September. If 15 September falls on a Saturday or Sunday, art. 53 moves the last day to the Monday: in 2029, to Monday 17 September.
How do I add the judicial calendar to my own calendar?
Download the free .ics file: it holds the legal public holidays, the judicial vacation and 15 September of the chosen year. The annual calendar as a PDF is a firm feature, free with a verified e-mail address.