Public Transport
The reimbursement of commuting costs from home to work by train or other public transport is governed by the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) 19/9 of the National Labour Council. This CLA sets a minimum reimbursement. Sectors and you, as the employer, can choose to reimburse more.
Since last year, the table for the minimum reimbursement is automatically adjusted when SNCB prices increase. Workers who commute by public transport will therefore be entitled to a higher reimbursement starting from February 2026.
The following situations are possible:
The sector provides for the minimum reimbursement
The sector refers to the CLA 19/9 of the National Labour Council for the reimbursement of public transport costs. The reimbursement increases by an average of 1.91%. This applies, for example, to CP 100, 201, 111, and 209.
The sector provides its own reimbursement, based on SNCB prices
This reimbursement must be at least equal to the CLA 19/9 of the National Labour Council. The horeca sector (CP 302) has its own table, but it is lower than the CLA 19/9 level and therefore cannot be applied.
The sector can set a certain percentage of the train ticket price. As train ticket prices rise, these sectoral reimbursements will also increase. This is the case for CP 200 (80%).
The sector can implement a third-party payment scheme. This scheme allows you to enter into a convention with the SNCB, enabling your worker to obtain their subscription at the counter without having to pay upfront. As the employer, you pay 80% of the subscription price to the SNCB, while the State covers the remaining 20%. Starting from February 2026, third-party payment schemes will become more expensive due to price increases. This applies to CP 119, 307, 330, and 331.
Our advice
If your sector offers a 100% reimbursement of the train ticket price, it is beneficial to establish a third-party payment scheme with the SNCB, even if it is not mandatory. You will only pay 80% of the subscription cost. This applies to CP 226 and 121, as well as SCP 149.010 and 149.040.
Regarding other modes of public transport
The amount of reimbursement for commuting from home to work by tram, bus, metro, or waterbus varies depending on whether the worker pays a fixed fare for a ticket or a fare based on the distance travelled.
- Fixed price: your worker is entitled to a reimbursement of 71.8% of the actual transport price, but this is limited to the reimbursement for train transport for a distance of seven kilometres (one way).
- Distance-based price: your worker is entitled to the same reimbursement as for train transport, with a maximum of 75% of the actual transport price.
The prices of STIB, De Lijn, and TEC will be adjusted in February 2026.
In the fixed price system, the reimbursement will increase for STIB, De Lijn, and TEC transport titles.
In the distance-based price system, the impact in February will be the same as for train subscriptions.
Your sector can, however, provide a different form of reimbursement for these modes of public transport, as long as it is higher than those described above.
Private Transport
There is no general obligation to reimburse the commuting costs from home to work for your worker using a private mode of transport. However, this obligation can be defined in a sectoral CLA or at the company level.
Sectors that provide for a reimbursement expressed as a percentage of train ticket prices will see their reimbursement increase in February 2026. Most sectors are affected.
Some sectors still base their reimbursement on public transport costs from 2009. These reimbursements will not change. This specifically concerns the non-profit sector (e.g., CP 330, 331, and 332).
Bicycle
For workers who commute to work by bicycle, increases in the bicycle allowance may have been applied in January, depending on your sectoral or company agreements.
Bicycle allowance in 2026: everything you need to know
What does Securex do for you?
We automatically apply the correct reimbursements, provided that we have all the necessary data from your workers (commuting distance and mode of transport).
Do you want to know the applicable provisions in your sector? Go to Lex4You - Joint Committees > Select your joint committee > Transport costs.
We also remind you that your temporary workers are entitled to reimbursement for their commuting from home to work (extras, occasional workers, flexi-workers, daily contracts...).
Our advice
Check for all your workers if you have entered the correct mode of transport and the correct commuting distance in Officient or HRAccent. In the coming weeks, a reminder will be sent to you in your tool.
If you do not use our tools, it is important to regularly check if the commuting distance and the mode of transport used by your workers are up to date.
