Belgium launches sweeping July 1 reforms covering work, care and traffic penalties

On 1 July 2026 Belgium is introducing a broad set of measures that affect employment, family leave, social care and road‑traffic enforcement. The Flexi‑job scheme is expanded to almost all sectors, allowing workers who earn up to €18,440 a year to keep that income tax‑free, while employers continue to pay a 28 % social‑security contribution. Self‑employed mothers receive an increase in statutory maternity leave from 12 to 15 weeks, and caregivers can now take up to six months of flexible care leave per cared‑for person.

A €3 “pakjet‑tax” is added to low‑value imports from outside the EU, and couriers’ daily work time is capped at nine hours. Train tickets can no longer be bought on board, and traffic fines are raised by 10 %, with the first‑offence fine jumping to €64. The government expects the higher fines to generate about €50 million a year for the traffic‑safety fund.

Investigations have revealed that many Flemish municipalities have been adding unlawful administrative surcharges to traffic fines, collecting roughly €12 million in excess fees over several years. At the same time, data show that local authorities earn between €1 million and €5 million annually from traffic‑fine revenue, prompting debate over whether fines are used as a budgeting tool rather than solely for safety.

The reforms also include a €180 charge on work‑permit applications for non‑EU workers, aimed at giving priority to the local labour market and curbing fraud. Together, the measures represent one of the most extensive regulatory overhauls affecting daily life in Belgium.