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Hiring aids
Recruitment of an apprentice: what changes
Publié le 31 décembre 2025 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
The maximum amount of assistance for hiring an apprentice has just been changed. It shall apply to contracts concluded from 1er January 2026. The conditions for requesting this assistance are also changing.
What are the new amounts of assistance for the hiring of an apprentice?
Pending the adoption and publication of the Finance Law for 2026, the Ministry of Labor indicates that for apprenticeship contracts concluded from 1er January 2026, the contracted aid will be:
- €5,000 for the companies with less than 250 employees ;
- €6,000 for the recruitment of apprentices with disabilities (aid cumulated with other aid for disabled workers).
This aid shall be paid only for the first year of contract performance and concerns only the hiring of an apprentice preparing a diploma at or below the baccalaureate level (level 4).
The Ministry of Labor adds that a decree will be issued as soon as the budget law is adopted to set the new parameters of the aid. These will not be retroactive.
What aid for contracts concluded previously?
Contracts concluded between 24 February 2025 and 31 December 2025
The decree of 22 February 2025 modifies the amount of aid for the hiring of apprentices.
Thus, for apprenticeship contracts concluded from 24 february 2025 (the day after the date of publication of the decree), themaximum aid awarded by contract is fixed at:
- €5,000 for the companies with less than 250 employees ;
- €2,000 for the companies with 250 or more employees ;
- €6,000 for the recruitment of apprentices with disabilities (aid cumulated with other aid for disabled workers).
This aid shall be paid only for the first year of contract performance. It shall be levied pro rata to the duration of the contract where it is less than one year.
Reminder
The Decree of 22 February 2025 introduced two new conditions for receiving this aid:
- the transmission of the contract by the employer to theSkills Operator (OPCO) must take place no later than 6 months after its conclusion and the operator's filing it with the Minister responsible for vocational training;
- not having received first-time assistance in hiring an apprentice. This provision applies to apprenticeship contracts concluded between a same employer and one same apprentice for a same professional certification.
Contracts concluded between 1 January and 23 February 2025
For contracts concluded during this period, the maximum aid shall be €6,000 by contract for companies with less than 250 employees.
The other companies do not benefit from this aid.
FYI
For more information, please see the corresponding sheet.
How is the aid paid?
No particular steps are necessary to benefit from the aid, it is sufficient for the company to declare the hiring of an apprentice.
The aid is paid automatically by the Service and Payment Agency (SPA) every month during the first year of the apprenticeship or professionalization contract, before the salary is paid. The company receives a payment notice that can be consulted on the SYLAé platform.
Summary table
Apprenticeship contracts concluded since 1er january 2026 (preparing for any diploma or professional title at or below the baccalaureate level (level 4)) | Apprenticeship contracts concluded since 24 February 2025 (preparing for any diploma or professional title up to the master level: bac +5 (level 7)) | Apprenticeship contracts concluded between 1er January and February 23, 2025 (preparing for any degree or title professional of a level lower than or equal to the baccalaureate (level 4) or bac +2 in the Outer-Sea) | Apprenticeship contracts concluded before 1er January 2025 (preparing for everything diploma or a professional title up to the master level: bin +5 (level 7)) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum amount of aid for companies with less than 250 employees | €5,000 | €5,000 | €6,000 | €6,000 |
Maximum amount of aid for companies with 250 or more employees | x | €2,000 | x | €6,000 |
Maximum amount of aid for the recruitment of apprentices with disabilities | €6,000 | €6,000 | €6,000 | €6,000 |