Transition to electronic meal vouchers - Paper meal vouchers disappear on 1 January 2016

Aware of the advantages of meal vouchers in electronic form, the Government has decided to definitively replace the paper form by electronic form, with effect from 1 January 2016.

Since 2011, the coexistence of meal vouchers in paper form and in electronic form led to a multiplication of the administrative charge for employers. The principle of reversibility of choice when using electronic meal vouchers, i.e. the possibility of returning to meal vouchers in paper form, was also an obstacle to the development of the system.

The Royal Decree of 29 June 2014 published in the Belgian Official Gazette of 24 July 2014 marks the end of meal vouchers in paper form and replaces them by their electronic equivalent.

The transition from one system to the other will take place in 2015. On the one hand, all meal vouchers issued in 2015 must be used before 31 December 2015. Hence, their validity will be less than 12 months. On the other hand, no more paper meal voucher may be issued to employees after 30 September 2015, unless it is to regularize the number of meal vouchers issued during the third quarter of 2015.

As a reminder, you can only grant meal vouchers by virtue of a collective agreement or, where appropriate, an individual agreement. If you already opt for meal vouchers in electronic form, the possibility to change to paper form must be maintained until 31 December 2015, but will de facto be no longer applied from 30 September 2015. However, under certain conditions, it is already possible to secure the choice of electronic meal vouchers.

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We can assist you with the transition to electronic meal vouchers and secure this choice.