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Belgium-French-Community

2. Voluntary Activities

2.5 Cross-border mobility programmes

Last update: 14 November 2025

EU programmes

The French-speaking Community participates both in the  Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programme. The National Agency in charge of these programmes is the Youth Office of the French-speaking Community (Bureau International de la Jeunesse). 

Other Programmes

Bel'J 

In 2009, the youth ministers of the three Communities in Belgium started the Bel’J Programme. Bel’J allows groups of young people or young individuals between the age of 16 and 30 to meet young people from other Belgian Communities or develop volunteer projects in the other Communities in collaboration with local organisations. Each of the communities has put an agency in charge of overseeing the activities of Bel’J. The International Youth Office (Bureau International Jeunesse) is responsible for the implementation for the French-Speaking Community. 

Other mobility programmes

The International Youth Office (Bureau International Jeunesse) offers various programmes such as Quebec or Axe Sud in which some volunteering activities can take place among others things depending on the young person's project. 

Associations working on the thematic interculturality

Some recognised youth association's main purpose is to organise volunteering activities abroad with groups of young people. In total, there are 6 recognised youth organisations organising youth volunteering abroad: 

1. Compagnons batisseurs 

2. Service volontaire International

3. Asmae

4. JAVVA

5. Defi Belgique Afrique

6. Quinoa

Legal framework applying to foreign volunteers

Short-term voluntary work can be taken on in Belgium without the need for a work permit, although the visa/residence requirements apply.

Citizens of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland can travel freely to Belgium on the basis of their national ID card or passport and do not require a visa to travel to Belgium nor a work permit to engage in economic activities. As a rule, third-country nationals (non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens) need a visa to enter Belgium and a work permit to engage in economic activities.