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How many hours of association work am I allowed to do?

How many hours of association work?

‘Association work’ is a specific regime for activities in the sports and socio-cultural sector. When working in those sectors, you do not need to pay social contributions.

From 2022 onward you may work under this regime for a maximum of:

  • 300 hours in the socio-cultural sector
  • 450 hours in the sports sector

You can combine the 600 hours quota of student work with association work. But bear in mind that, as a student, you can only work under the regime of association work for as much as 190 hours.

Limited amount of hours per quarter

The above maximum of 190 hours comes with extra limitations on a quarterly basis:

  • there is a limit of 150 hours for the sports sector
  • there is a limit of 100 hours for the socio-cultural sector
  • you can put in up to 190 hours in the third quarter for any sector of association work, but of course you can only do 190 hours if you didn’t already work any hours in the first two quarters.

Want to know how many hours you have left? Check the page How do I check my remaining hours?

Permitted activities

The employers and activities to which the association work regime applies are:

  • the state, the communities, the regions, the provincial and local authorities affiliated to the National Social Security Office, and the persons they employ in a job that involves working as:
    • a chief responsible, manager, caretaker, leader or assistant leader for school holiday sport camps
    • an animator of socio-cultural and sports activities during (partially) free school days
    • someone who gives introductions, presentations or lectures, taking place after 16:30 or during (partially) free school days
  • the VRT (Flemish television), the RTBF (the Walloon television) and the BRF (the television network for the German community) as well as persons who, being part of their organic staff, are additionally employed in the capacity of artist (for them the quota of 25 days/year applies)
  • the state, the communities, the regions, the provincial and local authorities, as well as the employers organised as non-profit associations or companies with a social purpose, of which the statutes stipulate that the partners do not seek financial gain, and who set up holiday camps, playground activities and sports camps including the persons they employ as managers, caretakers, leaders or security guards, but this only during school holidays
  • organisations recognised by the competent authorities or organisations which are affiliated to a recognised umbrella organisation and whose task is to provide socio-cultural education and/or sports initiation and/or sports activities, and the persons employed by these organisations as animators, leaders, leaders, coordinators, sports trainers, sports instructors, sports coaches, youth sports coordinators, terrain and material caretakers, instructors, coaches, process supervisors outside their work or school hours or during school holidays
  • organisations from the amateur arts sector recognised by the competent authorities or organisations which are members of a recognised umbrella organisation, which employ people as artistic or (art) technical supervisors and teachers, coaches and process counsellors and whose services are not artistic services that are already covered or eligible for the flat-rate reimbursement of expenses
  • governing bodies of schools subsidised by a community and the persons they employ to organise socio-cultural and sporting activities during (partially) free school days
  • organisers of sporting events and the persons they employ solely on the day of such events, with the exception of paid sportsmen and women
  • organisers of socio-cultural events and the persons they employ for a maximum of 32 hours, distributed according to need on the day of the event and 3 days before or after the event, excluding artistic services that are already covered or eligible for the flat-rate reimbursement of expenses

Want to know more? Have a look at the website Association Work (in French)(new window)