Status of Student-Self-Employed Individuals to Become More Flexible Starting October 1, 2026
August 2026 - Starting October 1, 2026, students who engage in self-employment will find it easier to take advantage of the student-self-employed status. The federal government is relaxing the rules to encourage entrepreneurship among young people and reduce the administrative burden.
A student-self-employed person is someone who engages in a self-employed professional activity while studying, for example as a freelancer, consultant, or operator of an online store. Thanks to this status, the student pays no or reduced social security contributions, depending on their income. To qualify, they must, among other things, be enrolled in a sufficient number of course credits and be affiliated with a social insurance fund.
What’s changing?
The most significant change is that students who turn 25 during their studies will no longer automatically lose their status. As long as they continue to meet the requirements without interruption, they can retain it until the end of their studies.
In addition, the requirement to declare in advance at the start of each school or academic year that classes are being attended regularly is being eliminated. From now on, verification will take place retrospectively based on objective supporting documents, such as academic results. The certificate confirming that an educational institution is supervising a business project is also being abolished.
Furthermore, the rules are clarified for students who are only completing an internship or writing a thesis. They may retain this status, but for no more than one school or academic year.
Finally, a student will now remain a self-employed student even during the quarter in which they graduate, even if they no longer fully meet the study requirements during that quarter.
Greater Legal Certainty
All of the relaxations will take effect on October 1, 2026. For students who run their own business while pursuing their studies, the new rules will primarily provide greater legal certainty and reduce administrative burdens.
