Can I work as a job student?
You can work under the 600-hour rule if you:
- are a student;
- old enough;
- not working when you are expected to attend training or other school activities.
Are you a student?
For the purpose of calculating social contributions, you are a student if:
- you are following a recognised course of study in secondary, higher or university education;
- studying is your main activity and any work is clearly secondary to it.
- For example: an employee who adds a bachelor’s degree after working hours is not a student.
You are no longer a student if
- you have a contract with an employer for 12 months or more. After these 12 months, you can no longer do a student job with that employer. From then on, you and your employer pay the normal social security contributions anyway. However, you can still get a job as a student with another employer.
- you attend night school or another form of education with a limited curriculum. Even then you can no longer do a student job.
It is not always so easy to find out whether your main activity is student. In doubt about your situation? Then contact the Supervision of Social Acts of the FPS Work.
Are you old enough?
It is not always so easy to work out whether your main activity is being a student. In doubt about your situation? Then contact the Supervision of Social Acts of the FPS Work.
You must have reached a certain age to work as a job student.
You can start working as a job student as soon as you:
- 16 years old;
- 15 years old and have completed the first two years of secondary education.
It is not always so easy to work out whether your main activity is being a student. In doubt about your situation? Then contact the Supervision of Social Acts of the FPS Work.
Do you go to school part-time?
If you go to school part-time, you can only work as a job student if you:
- enter into a student agreement with an employer other than the one with whom you follow your practical training at the workplace;
- enter into a student agreement with the employer with whom you followed your practical training during the summer holidays, during the period in which the work placement agreement does not apply;
- your student job takes place outside the hours when you are expected to follow your theoretical or practical training;
- do not receive unemployment benefit or integration benefit.
Nog vragen?
Vraag het ons
Kom je ergens niet uit? Geen probleem, wij staan altijd voor je klaar.
Veelgestelde vragen
Neen. Je kan arbeidsrechtelijk slechts werken bij 1 klant /dag van Deltaworx en dus werken met slechts 1 uniek arbeidscontract.
Ja. Je kunt bij één werkgever blijven of gaan jobhoppen. Het maakt niets uit, zo lang je maar binnen je contingent blijft.
Every student who is allowed to do student work in Belgium gets 600 hours in which they can work at reduced social contributions, regardless of their nationality or origin.
Please note that in some cases there are limits or additional obligations you have to fulfil in order to work in Belgium. Read our section I am not Belgian, but I am currently studying in Belgium to find out more.
Want to work more than the 600 hours you get from the government?
You can, but you will pay the normal social contributions.
Once your 600 hours are used up, the normal social contributions are due from the 601st hour worked.
Please note: even after your 600 hours, you remain a student and must therefore have a student contract. The only difference is in the level of social contributions.
During the corona crisis, additional measures were also taken for student work. You can find all the details about that on the page about special corona measures for students.
No. Working as a job student is not tied to a season. You choose when you work and for how long.
Want to sell ice creams for 600 hours in summer? You can. Do you still like to keep hours to do extra work as a Santa later in the year? No problem at all.
Whatever you do, just make sure you:
- stay within your quota;
- be on post for classes or other school activities; you may not work as a job student at those times.
