Volunteer allowance

A volunteer allowance is a way to refund for a few expenses or get these expenses refunded without much paperwork. As long as you stick to a few guidelines, it is also tax-free.

Last updated on 2nd of June 2026

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What is it and who is it for?

Associations can pay their volunteers a reimbursement of expenses.

The volunteer’s allowance cannot be used by organisations that focus on making a profit (e.g. companies or self-employed people), only by non-profit organisations, factual associations, local authorities, etc.

Everyone aged 15 that has successfully terminated the first two years of secondary school, can volunteer. Otherwise they have to wait until they are aged 16. Belgians and Europeans, people with a valid residence permit and certain asylum seekers can volunteer.

Payment, limits and maximums

Flat-rate volunteer allowance

The volunteer’s allowance is a flat-rate compensation for the expenses you incur as a volunteer. Volunteer’s allowances are never a reward or payment for work done, and are not intended as an hourly wage.

Maximums for the flat rate volunteer allowance in 2026

maximum of €44.02 per volunteer per day,
maximum €1760.83 per volunteer per calendar year

On top of this flat-rate volunteer allowance you can also pay or receive a limited amount of kilometers as travel allowance:

maximum 2000 km per year
check the maximums of the travel costs on our webpage

This can also be public transport costs or transport by bike, as long as the maximums are respected. These amounts are regularly indexed. Keep an eye on Danspunt information channels - we will definitely notify you if the amounts change.

For volunteers in the sports sector, there is a higher yearly maximum. Dancing is also a sport! Sports trainers, sports teachers and therefore also dance teachers are allowed to receive €3233,91 volunteer’s allowance in 2026. This is only allowed under strict conditions. Read more.

Reimbursement of actual expenses

You can as well choose to reimburse (part of) the actual expenses a volunteer makes, based on proofs and supporting documents (e.g. invoices, train ticket) for all expenses made. Almost all organisations and volunteers opt for the flat-rate allowance.

Paperwork and obligations

The organisation needs to inform the volunteer of certain things in advance:

What is the purpose of the organisation?
Is the organisation a non-profit organisation ('vzw') or a factual association?
What insurance does the volunteer have?
What expenses are refunded to the volunteer?
Are there any more rules that the volunteer needs to observe (such as confidentiality)?
What happens to the volunteer’s personal data (GDPR)?

You can inform the volunteer in an information note or information brochure.

You can also sign a volunteer contract with people who do voluntary work. This can include all the information above. Take a look at this sample document (in Dutch).

There is no obligation to maintain a register of volunteers listing all the volunteers in your organisation. The only obligation the organisation does have, if it pays flat-rate expense allowances, is to keep an accounting record of those allowances, as the organisation must be able to demonstrate during an audit which flat-rate allowances it has paid out. This allows the tax authorities to verify that the expense allowance scheme, as set out in the Volunteers Act, is being applied correctly.

Volunteers should keep careful track of the volunteer’s allowances they have received as well.

It is best to draw up an expense sheet (in Dutch) before the volunteer’s allowance is paid out. Your organisation can include it in their bookkeeping as documentation.

TIP! Danspunt advises organisers to ask volunteers for a guarantee in their volunteer contract that the volunteer will not exceed the annual amount if they also receive volunteer’s allowances from other organisations.

Insurance

Organisations are obliged to have civil liability insurance for their volunteers. This insurance will cover any damage that the volunteer may cause while carrying out their tasks. Clearly other forms of insurance are also allowed. We advise organisers to take out personal accident insurance for their volunteers.

→ Associations can get these types of insurance very affordably through Danspunt.

For small factual associations and non-profits without staff, you can take out a free volunteer insurance policy through the Flemish Support Centre for Voluntary Work (information in Dutch).

Combinations with other payments and statuses?

You are not allowed to combine a volunteer’s allowance with payments for work done (e.g. an employment contract, AKV or contracts through a temping agency) with regard to the same task done for the same organiser. However, following up with student work or work under Article 17 is allowed, although the RSZ (i.e. the National Social Security Office) will not accept it if it turns out to be a way to avoid paying social security contributions.

In other words, you cannot use the volunteer’s allowance system to work until the annual maximum is reached and then switch to another system.

If you receive unemployment benefits, you need to ask the social security office first whether you are allowed to do voluntary work. Do this using form ‘C45B’: it is best to submit it before you start your voluntary work.

New from 1 April 2026: employees may undertake voluntary work during their maternity leave (except during the first 15 days). However, there is an obligation to notify the health insurance fund ('mutualiteit'), accompanied by a certificate from the organisation where you are doing voluntary work. Anyone taking paternity or adoption leave is also required to notify the health insurance fund. There are also plans to allow self-employed people on maternity leave to do voluntary work, but the legislative process for this has not yet been finalised.

A volunteer’s allowance is a reimbursement of expenses, not payment for work done. That means that no social security contributions are payable on volunteers’ allowances. It also means that volunteers do not accrue any social security rights (to a pension, unemployment benefits etc.).

Neither do you pay any taxes on volunteers’ allowances. Because this income is tax-free, volunteers do not receive a tax slip documenting their allowance and they do not need to include the allowance in their tax return.

Note, however, that if you exceed the maximum amounts in the regulations, both the volunteer and the organisation are at risk of fines and retrospective demands for social security contributions.

Downloads

Example of a volunteer contract (in Dutch)
Sample expense sheet for volunteers (in Dutch)

Do you need more information or advice?

Read up on the regulations at the Vlaams Steunpunt voor Vrijwilligerswerk (Flemish Support Point for Voluntary Work) (in Dutch)
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