Working in a neighbouring country
More and more employees are deciding to work on the other side of the border, or are at least thinking about it. The reasons for this can be very different. For some it is difficult to find work in their own country, others receive an attractive job offer from a neighbouring country. If you want […]
Recognition of qualifications
Do you want to study in Belgium, work here or set up your own business here? Do you need to have your qualifications recognised for some reason? Consult the section Equivalence of qualifications. The Belgium.beportal (NL/FR) of the Federal Government provides a clear overview of the authorities you need to contact for each region if […]
Pensions
In which country do you receive a pension benefit? If you work in Belgium, you will accrue a old-age pension in Belgium. The pension you accrue depends on the number of years you were insured in Belgium and the amount of your income. For each year that you work in Belgium, you will receive a […]
Holidays and holiday pay
Holiday days In Germany, you have a legal right to holiday time. In principle, this is calculated as four working weeks over the whole year This means: For a 6-day working week it is 24 days, for a 5-day working week it is 20 days, etc. Holidays do not count towards Sundays and public holidays. […]
Labour law
Employment contract In a German employment contract some information must be included as standard: Name and address of the company Name and address of the employee Start (and possibly end) of the employment relationship Probationary period and its duration Notice period Place of work Working hours Number of days of leave Amount of wages/salary […]
Taxes
In which country do you pay your taxes? This is regulated in the double taxation agreement between Belgium and Germany. You pay tax in Germany on the income you receive in Germany. There may be some exceptions in this respect. This is the case, for example, with “posting” or “home office”. […]
Sick note
The film below explains in Dutch what the rules are if you live in the Netherlands and work in Germany and become ill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eexDDTxCRRs If you work in Germany and become ill or have an accident at work, your German employer will continue to pay your full salary for the first 6 weeks. One condition […]
Wage and Salary
It is difficult to compare Belgian and German salaries. There are differences in taxes withheld and social security contributions also differ. An example of German pay slip For an idea of what your pay slip may look like, here is an example: Month Year Salary € 2,500.00 € 30,000.00 Contributions – Pension insurance […]
Unemployment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KsPEW88fs8 This film explains in Dutch what the rules are regarding unemployment if you live in the Netherlands and work in Germany. Do you live in the Netherlands, work in Germany and have you lost your job? Are you a cross-border worker and do you return to the Netherlands at least once a week? Then […]
Sick child? What now?
Sick child? What now? Child sickness allowance in Germany When the flu viruses are around, parents sometimes tear their hair out. Because what are you supposed to do when a child is sick and you can’t go to work because of it? Employees in Germany are entitled to additional days off if they have […]