The Ministry of Labor announced on March 16 the publication of Decree No. 223 of 2026, which establishes new regulations for internships and apprenticeship contracts.
The decree aims to provide clear guidelines for how students can participate in internships and outlines the mechanisms for their employment during these periods. It applies to both public and private sectors, covering the formative relationships involved in student internships as well as the methods by which students are contracted for such experiences.
According to the Ministry, the regulation covers students enrolled in several types of programs: normalista programs at teacher training schools, undergraduate and postgraduate higher education, education for work and human development, comprehensive professional training at the National Learning Service (SENA), or within the Work Training Subsystem. As a result, its provisions apply to both apprenticeship contracts and other forms of educational engagement.
The decree also sets age restrictions for participation in internships. Students under fifteen years old are not permitted to undertake internships, following Article 35 of the Code of Childhood and Adolescence and Article 16(a) of Law 1780 of 2016. For those between fifteen and seventeen years old, legal representatives must obtain prior authorization from either a Labor Inspector or local territorial authority before beginning an internship.
Further details can be found in the accompanying official document released by the Ministry.
