How many hours a student may work per year
The NSSO limits the favourable scheme to a quota of 650 hours per calendar year, with one or more employers combined. That limit has applied permanently since 1 January 2025. The student may spread the hours freely over the year; they are counted on the basis of the Dimona STU. Above the quota the student contract simply continues: only the contributions change.
Exceptions
A student who works for the same employer for longer than 12 months without a break cannot conclude a student contract. Work as an occasional worker in hospitality, up to 50 days, or in agriculture and horticulture comes on top of the student quota.
What is the risk?
From the first hour beyond the quota, ordinary employee and employer social contributions are due on the pay. If you schedule too many hours as student work, you pay the difference for those hours.
What to do
Before you schedule, ask the student for a Student@work certificate showing the hours they have left, and declare the hours above the quota with ordinary contributions.
Would you like to know how many hours your student can still work at the reduced contribution?
Read next
Sources
Every amount and deadline on this page was checked against these official sources, last consulted on .