Maternity leave
As an employee, unemployed person, or self-employed person, you are entitled to maternity leave. The regulations vary depending on your status.
Are you an employee or unemployed? Then you will find the right information here . Are you self-employed? Then you will find the information here .
Maternity leave for employees and the unemployed
Maternity leave amounts to fifteen weeks, split into two periods: prenatal and postnatal leave.
You decide when maternity leave starts, but you can take a maximum of six weeks before the expected delivery date.
What should you do?
- Apply for your maternity leave in My CM
In Mijn CM, you can apply for your maternity leave quickly and easily: go to the maternity leave application form in Mijn CM or download the Mijn CM app . Don't have a Mijn CM account yet? No worries, you can read how to create one quickly in the frequently asked questions . Or, with Itsme or CSAM, you can even log in without an account. - Are you unable to apply for your maternity leave in My CM? Then use the Maternity Leave Application form: fill it in and submit it to CM. Alternatively, provide CM with the doctor's certificate stating from when all activities will cease and when the delivery is expected to take place.
- You will receive an information sheet from CM that you must fill out and return as soon as possible ( this can also be done digitally ). CM requests your wage data directly from your employer. Are you unemployed? Then the unemployment service will provide the data directly. CM will always let you know from which employer and/or unemployment service they have requested the data. This allows you to check whether they are correct.
- Submit an extract from the birth certificate or a medical certificate confirming the birth to CM ( this can also be done digitally ).
During your maternity leave
- Are you not allowed to work or are you not allowed to resume unemployment?
- This applies to the entire period of maternity leave, including during any extensions due to a multiple birth or hospitalization of the baby.
- If you take postnatal leave days, you can combine this with work or unemployment.
- A course that is purely theoretical (so no practical lessons or internships) can be taken during your maternity leave.
- There is an exception for volunteer work or certain political mandates .
What is the duration?
Before delivery: six weeks of prenatal rest
- You must take at least one week of prenatal rest before the expected delivery date. You may convert the remaining five weeks into postnatal rest.
- Not all days of prenatal rest can be taken as postnatal rest.
- The following are transferable, among others:
- days on which you work or register as unemployed;
- statutory holidays;
- period during which you have been recognized as incapacitated for work;
- days of temporary unemployment due to force majeure or economic reasons;
- period of work suspension.
After childbirth: nine weeks of postnatal rest
- The postnatal rest begins from the date of delivery and must last at least nine weeks. It may optionally be extended by the transferable portion of the prenatal rest.
- Did you work on the day of your delivery? Then the postnatal rest starts the day after the delivery date.
Postnatal leave days
- If maternity leave can be extended by at least two weeks after the nine weeks of mandatory postnatal rest (eleven weeks for a multiple birth), you can convert the final two weeks into postnatal leave days. You can take these days during the first eight weeks after returning to work to ensure a gradual transition.
- You apply for postnatal leave days as follows.
- Submit your schedule to CM and your employer no later than four weeks before the end of the mandatory postnatal rest.
- If you resume work earlier than the scheduled date, return the completed proof of resumption of work to CM.
- Subsequently provide CM with a certificate from the employer listing all leave days taken .
Specific situations
If you do not stop working in time, the maternity leave can be less than fifteen weeks. If you are unable to take the compulsory week of prenatal rest or incompletely because of premature delivery, you will irrevocably lose the days you did not take.
If the birth takes place later than planned and you already took the six weeks of prenatal rest, the duration of the prenatal rest will be extended until the day of delivery. Because people are obliged to take nine weeks of postnatal rest, the maternity rest in these situations lasts longer than fifteen weeks.
In the event of a multiple birth, you will receive four additional weeks of rest and you will be entitled to nineteen weeks of maternity leave.
If a newborn is hospitalized for more than seven days from the day of birth, the maternity leave is extended by the number of days of hospitalization that exceeds the first seven.
Example: if a baby stays in the hospital for 21 days from birth, the rest is extended by 14 days. In this way, the maternity leave can be extended by a maximum of 24 weeks.
How much is the benefit?
Employee benefits
- First 30 days: 82 percent of gross salary (no maximum amount applies).
- From the 31st day: 75 percent of the capped gross salary.
Unemployment benefits
- First 30 days: 60 percent of the gross salary on which the unemployment benefit is calculated (reference salary), however limited to the amount of the unemployment benefit + supplement of 19.50 percent of the reference salary.
- From the 31st day: 60 percent of the reference wage, however limited to the amount of the unemployment benefit + supplement of 15 percent of the reference wage.
The benefit is transferred twice a month .
Please note: CM will only pay out the benefit after receipt of the birth certificate.
Maternity leave for the self-employed
Maternity leave amounts to a maximum of twelve weeks. It is split into:
- three weeks that you are required to take;
- nine weeks that you can take at your discretion.
What should you do?
At the start
Submit the general application form and the corresponding attachment to CM.
The application for maternity leave comprises two parts: a general application form and an annex .
General application form
- Apply for maternity leave in My CM or in the My CM app .
- Or submit the completed form 'Application for maternity benefit for self-employed persons' to CM.
- The application form must be accompanied by a medical certificate stating the estimated delivery date. You can upload this to My CM with your application, or attach a paper copy to your application.
Appendix
- Always attach one of the attachments below to the general application form.
- Which appendix applies to you depends on the choice you make regarding the two weeks of leave you can take before the expected delivery date (called optional pre-delivery rest).
| Situation | To be added attachment |
|---|---|
| You are not taking optional pre-delivery rest. | Appendix 1 |
| You take one week of optional pre-delivery rest during which you completely cease your activities. | Appendix 2 |
| You take one week of optional pre-delivery rest during which you continue your activities at up to half capacity. | Appendix 3 |
You take two weeks of optional pre-delivery rest: - continue your activities for a maximum of half for one week - the other week you stop your activities completely | Appendix 4 |
| You take two weeks of optional pre-delivery rest during which you continue your activities at up to half capacity. | Appendix 5 |
| You take two weeks of optional pre-delivery rest during which you completely cease your activities. | Appendix 6 |
After the birth
Send CM an extract from the birth certificate or a medical certificate confirming the birth as soon as possible (this can also be done digitally) .
What are the conditions?
Mandatory
You are required to take three weeks off:
- one week immediately prior to the expected delivery date;
- two weeks, starting from the date of delivery.
During these three weeks, you must completely stop all activities.
Optional
You can take the remaining nine weeks at your discretion in periods of seven calendar days:
- from three weeks up to and including the eighth day before the estimated delivery date;
- within 38 weeks from the date of delivery (after the period of mandatory maternity leave).
During these weeks, you may carry out your activities as a self-employed person for up to half the amount, instead of ceasing them completely. You can make this choice for each full week individually.
If you choose this option, each week of complete cessation of activities will be converted into two weeks during which you perform your activities for up to half their capacity. In this way, these nine weeks of maternity leave can be converted into a maximum of eighteen weeks of maternity leave.
Specific situations
In the event of a multiple birth, maternity leave is extended by one week. You can then choose to take ten weeks instead of nine weeks. You can also spread this additional week over two weeks in which you carry out your activities as a self-employed person for a maximum of half.
If the newborn needs to stay in the hospital for at least seven days, an extension of the optional admission period is possible. To do so, you must submit an admission certificate for your child at the end of your maternity leave, stating the duration of the admission. If your child is still admitted after the end date, you must submit a new certificate.
- The extension is equal to the number of full weeks of hospitalization of the child that exceeds the first seven days of hospital admission.
- She starts on the first day after the mandatory maternity leave.
- It amounts to a maximum of 24 weeks with a complete cessation of activities. You can also convert these weeks into two weeks at a time during which you carry out your activities as a self-employed person for a maximum of half the time. In this way, the period can amount to a maximum of 48 weeks .
Example: A baby remains in the hospital for 25 days after birth. The first week of hospitalization is therefore exceeded by 18 days. As a result, an extension of two weeks is possible.
If the extension takes place in full weeks, this means two weeks during which you completely cease your activities. You can also choose to carry out your activities as a self-employed person for a maximum of half the time for four weeks.
If you wish to make use of the extension, please contact CM within fifteen days of the birth. We will send you the necessary application forms.
How much is the benefit?
The benefit amounts to 908.11 euros per week for the first four weeks. From the fifth week, the benefit amounts to 830.59 euros per week .
A first payment is made no later than the thirtieth calendar day, calculated from the first day of maternity leave. Monthly payments follow thereafter. The amount is always reduced by 11.11 percent corporate withholding tax.
Do you choose to continue your activities as a self-employed person for up to half of the time for one or more weeks? Then the benefit for that week amounts to 454.05 euros (first four weeks) or 415.30 euros (from the fifth week).
Working as a volunteer or taking up a mandate during maternity leave
In principle, you are not allowed to engage in economic activities during your maternity leave. As of April 1, 2026, there is an exception for:
- volunteer work;
- political mandate as a municipal councilor, member of the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW) councilor, district councilor, provincial councilor, member of a social welfare council, councilor of a police zone or member of a special committee of the social service;
- mandate as a representative of a municipality, Public Centre for Social Welfare, or province.
You may resume these activities from the fifteenth calendar day after the actual date of delivery. However, you must notify CM before the start of your maternity leave that you will be performing these activities and provide proof of this to CM: either a certificate from the organization where you will be doing volunteer work, or a copy of the decision assigning the mandate.
If you do not provide us with the supporting document in advance, CM must refuse the entitlement to benefits for the weeks of the activity concerned.
Forms
- Application for maternity leave for employees and the unemployed in My CM
- Application for maternity leave for employees and the unemployed
- Maternity leave application for the self-employed in My CM
- Application for maternity leave for the self-employed
- Attachments to the maternity leave application for self-employed persons
- Proof of return to work
- Employer's certificate