Seasonal jobs in Belgium: harvests, hospitality, pay and rules

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What does seasonal work in Belgium involve?

Belgian seasonal work is concentrated in horticulture and agriculture, which use a tightly regulated casual-work scheme, and in tourist hospitality. Festivals, Christmas markets and year-end logistics add short assignments, frequently arranged through licensed temporary work agencies.

Most farm jobs need no qualifications and are done in teams, paid by the hour. In hospitality, extras and flexi-jobs are common, but front-of-house roles usually require Dutch on the Flemish coast and French in Wallonia.

Regions and crops

Limburg and Hesbaye, around Sint-Truiden, form the country’s main orchard area for pears, apples and cherries. The Hoogstraten area in Antwerp province is famous for strawberries, while West Flanders grows field vegetables and potatoes on a large scale.

For tourism, the Belgian coast from De Panne to Knokke-Heist recruits from May to September, as do the Ardennes around Durbuy, Bouillon and La Roche. Major festivals such as Tomorrowland, Rock Werchter and the Francofolies in Spa hire staff for a few days.

• Fruit growing: pears, apples, cherries, greenhouse and field strawberries.
• Vegetables: chicory, leeks, cabbages, greenhouse crops.
• Nurseries and flowers: preparing and shipping plants.
• Hospitality and events: coast, Ardennes, festivals, Christmas markets.

When are the Belgian seasons?

Greenhouse strawberries start early and extend the season. The pome fruit harvest in late summer remains the biggest recruitment peak of the year in Belgian agriculture, followed by autumn vegetable work.

Brussels and the large cities

Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Liège mainly offer seasonal work in restaurants, events and retail. The Brussels winter festival and the sales periods generate short contracts, often through licensed temporary work agencies rather than direct hiring.

Who can work a season in Belgium?

Access rules depend on nationality and, for non-Europeans, on the region where the job is located. Belgium gives its regions responsibility for issuing work authorisations to foreign nationals.

EU citizens

Nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland work freely in Belgium. For stays over three months they register with the municipality. For short seasonal work, an ID document and the employer’s Dimona declaration to social security are enough.

Non-EU nationals

Third-country nationals need a single permit combining residence and work. The employer files the application through the federal Working in Belgium portal, and the competent region processes it before the worker arrives in Belgium.

In Wallonia, the permit is issued by the Employment and Work Permits Directorate of the Walloon Public Service. Its validity follows the contract, and the employer must pay at least the sectoral minimum wage and usually cover travel costs.

Students

Students may work up to 650 hours a year under a student contract with reduced contributions. According to VDAB, they can add days on a picking card, but students aged 18 or over are limited to 80 hours per month this way.

Pay and working conditions

In Belgium, minimum wages are set by joint committees for each sector. The national minimum wage acts as a general floor, but agriculture and horticulture apply their own hourly scales for seasonal workers.

National minimum wage

According to the cross-border information service Frontaliers Grand Est, the guaranteed average monthly minimum income stands at 2,189.81 euros gross since 1 April 2026 for full-time work. Many sectors set higher minimum rates.

Hourly rates for seasonal farm workers

Rates published by VDAB range from 12.43 euros gross per hour in agriculture to 16.41 euros for flax and hemp, with 13.38 euros in fruit growing and 13.89 euros in flower growing, plus possible travel reimbursement.

Day contracts and annual limits

Seasonal farm workers have no classic contract: each day recorded on the picking card counts as a day contract. The annual cap is 100 days in horticulture, or 65 through an agency, and 50 days in agriculture, or 30 through an agency.

Steps to find a season in Belgium

The Belgian market relies heavily on word of mouth and on rehiring the same crews. A methodical approach helps newcomers secure a place from their first season.

1. Choose the crop or region and check the corresponding harvest period.
2. Browse VDAB seasonal vacancies for Flanders and Le Forem job offers for Wallonia.
3. Contact fruit growers in Hesbaye or Hoogstraten directly two to three months before harvest.
4. Register with licensed temp agencies for hospitality, logistics and festival work.
5. Obtain your picking card from your first farm employer and have it filled in daily.
6. Confirm in writing the hourly rate, working hours and any accommodation.
7. Non-EU nationals should ensure the employer has obtained the single permit before departure.

Mistakes and scams to avoid

Labour inspections regularly find undeclared work in picking and hospitality. A few precautions avoid most of the problems seasonal workers face in Belgium.

• Starting work without a Dimona declaration or a completed picking card.
• Accepting cash payment below the sector’s hourly scale.
• Unknowingly exceeding the annual day cap and losing the simplified scheme.
• Paying an intermediary for a place or a permit.
• Leaving your home country before the single permit is granted, which makes the work illegal.

Costs, pay and documents

The table below gathers the main figures and documents for a season in Belgium. Tax withheld from seasonal farm workers is a flat rate that depends on residence status.

Hours in peak season

The normal week in horticulture is 38 hours, but peak season allows longer days, up to 11 hours a day and 50 a week. All hours must be paid at the scale rate, and a personal record of hours worked is the best protection.

Frequently asked questions

The following answers address the questions most often asked by Europeans and foreign nationals considering a farm or tourism season in Belgium.

Can a French cross-border worker pick pears in Hesbaye?

Yes. A French citizen works freely in Belgium and benefits from the seasonal farm scheme like a Belgian. The first employer issues the picking card, and the worker must respect the sector’s annual day cap.

Is accommodation provided for picking?

Some large farms offer housing, often in converted containers or caravans, but it is not a general obligation. Many Belgian pickers commute daily, so anyone travelling from far away should confirm accommodation before leaving.

Do I need Dutch in Flanders?

Not for picking, where crews are often international and managed in English or Polish. However, hospitality on the Flemish coast and retail generally expect solid Dutch for any customer-facing role.

How many days can a seasonal farm worker work?

Up to 100 days a year in horticulture, with at most 65 through a temp agency, and 50 days in agriculture, with at most 30 through an agency. The livestock sector applies a cap of 100 half-days per year.