Service Agreements by Country: Governing Law in 36 Jurisdictions
A service agreement sets the terms on which one party provides services to another, and is governed by contract and civil-code rules that affect formation, the contractor-versus-employee line, and termination. This reference compares the governing law for 36 jurisdictions, with a free, locally-drafted service agreement template for each.
Why service-agreement law differs by country
Services contracts sit at the intersection of general contract law and labour law. Civil-code systems treat the contract for services (locatio operis / contrato de prestación de servicios) as a named contract with default duties; common-law systems rely on the agreement plus implied terms. The critical local difference is the boundary between an independent contractor and an employee — misclassification triggers tax and labour liabilities that vary widely by country. Formation, IP ownership and termination notice are all set by local rules, which is why the template differs per jurisdiction.
Governing statute & free template by country
| Country | Primary governing statute | Free service agreement template |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Código Civil y Comercial de la Nación Arts. 1251–1279 (Ley 26.994) | Contrato de Servicios Profesionales Argentina |
| Australia | Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) | Service Agreement (Australia) |
| Austria | ABGB §§859–937 (Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, JGS Nr. 946/1811) | Dienstleistungsvertrag Österreich |
| Belgium | Code civil ancien art. 1779 (louage d'ouvrage); Code civil belge livre 5 (Obligations); Loi du 2 août 2002 sur les retards de paiement dans les transactions commerciales | Contrat de Prestation de Services Belgique |
| Brazil | CC Arts. 593–609 (Lei 10.406/2002) | Contrato de Prestação de Serviços |
| Canada | Common law of contract + provincial consumer-protection law | Service Agreement (Canada) |
| Chile | Código Civil de Chile Arts. 2006–2012 | Service Agreement Chile (Contrato de Prestación de Servicios) |
| Colombia | Codigo Civil arts. 2063-2069; Codigo de Comercio arts. 968-980; Estatuto Tributario arts. 392, 594-1 | Service Agreement Colombia (Contrato de Prestacion de Servicios) |
| Denmark | Aftaleloven (LBK nr. 193 af 02/03/2016) § 1 og § 36; lov om forretningshemmeligheder (lov nr. 309 af 25/04/2018) § 2; databeskyttelsesloven (lov nr. 502 af 23/05/2018) og GDPR art. 28 | Serviceaftale Danmark |
| Finland | Oikeustoimilaki (228/1929); Kauppalaki (355/1987); Kuluttajansuojalaki (38/1978) | Service Agreement Finland (Palvelusopimus Suomi) |
| France | Code civil art. 1710 et suivants (louage d'ouvrage) ; ordonnance n°2016-131 du 10 février 2016 (réforme contrats) ; Code de commerce art. L441-10 (délais paiement) ; Loi Toubon n°94-665 du 4 août 1994 | Contrat de Prestation de Services France |
| Germany | BGB §§ 611-630 (Dienstvertrag); UStG § 14 (Rechnungspflichtangaben); DSGVO Art. 28 (Auftragsverarbeitung); BGB §§ 305-310 (AGB) | Dienstleistungsvertrag Deutschland |
| Ghana | Contracts Act 1960 (Act 25) | Service Agreement (Ghana) |
| Hong Kong | Supply of Services (Implied Terms) Ordinance (Cap. 457) | Service Agreement (Hong Kong) |
| India | Indian Contract Act, 1872 | Service Agreement (India) |
| Ireland | Companies Act 2014 | Service Agreement (Ireland) |
| Italy | Codice Civile artt. 1655–1677; D.Lgs. 231/2002 | Contratto di Prestazione di Servizi (Generico B2B) |
| Kenya | Law of Contract Act Cap. 23 | Service Agreement (Kenya) |
| Malaysia | Companies Act 2016 (Act 777) | Service Agreement (Malaysia) |
| Mexico | Código Civil Federal art. 2606; Código de Comercio art. 75; LFPPI art. 82 | Management Consulting Contract Mexico (Contrato de Servicios de Consultoría) |
| Netherlands | Burgerlijk Wetboek art. 7:400; BW art. 6:217; BW art. 6:231-247 (algemene voorwaarden B2B) | Zakelijke Serviceovereenkomst Nederland |
| New Zealand | Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 | Service Agreement (New Zealand) |
| Nigeria | Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020 | Service Agreement (Nigeria) |
| Norway | Avtaleloven (1918); Merverdiavgiftsloven (2009); Forsinkelsesrenteloven (1976); Forretningshemmelighetsloven (2020) | Service Agreement Norway (Tjenesteavtale Norge) |
| Pakistan | Contract Act 1872 | Service Agreement (Pakistan) |
| Philippines | Revised Corporation Code (RA 11232, 2019) | Service Agreement (Philippines) |
| Poland | Kodeks cywilny (Dz.U. 1964 nr 16 poz. 93), art. 750 w zw. z art. 734, art. 735, 738, 746 | Service Agreement Poland (Umowa o świadczenie usług) |
| Portugal | Código Civil (DL 47 344/66) artigos 1154.º a 1156.º | Services Agreement Portugal (Contrato de Prestação de Serviços) |
| Quebec | Civil Code of Québec (CCQ), Book Five: Obligations | Service Agreement (Quebec) |
| Singapore | Companies Act 1967 (Cap. 50) | Service Agreement (Singapore) |
| Spain | Código Civil (art. 1544) and Ley de Contratos del Sector Privado | Service Agreement Spain (Acuerdo de Prestación de Servicios) |
| Sweden | Avtalslagen (1915:218); Konsumenttjänstlagen (1985:716) vid konsumentförhållanden; Mervärdesskattelagen (1994:200); Räntelagen (1975:635) | Service Agreement Sweden (Tjänsteavtal Sverige) |
| Switzerland | OR Arts. 363-379 (Werkvertrag; Abnahme Art. 367, Mangelrüge Art. 367); OR Arts. 394-406 (Auftrag/Mandate; Sorgfalt Art. 398, Kündigung Art. 404) | Dienstleistungsvertrag Schweiz |
| United Arab Emirates | UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No. 5 of 1985) | Service Agreement (UAE) |
| United Kingdom | Companies Act 2006 | Service Agreement (UK) |
| United States | Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) | Service Agreement |
Statutes shown are the primary governing act; the specific requirements are set out on each linked country page. All 36 template links verified live on 2026-06-25.
Frequently asked questions
Does a service agreement need to be in writing?
Most jurisdictions recognise oral services contracts, but a written service agreement is strongly recommended — and sometimes required above a threshold — because it fixes scope, fees, IP ownership and termination, and it evidences that the provider is an independent contractor rather than an employee. Each country template is drafted to local norms.
What's the difference between a service agreement and an employment contract?
A service agreement engages an independent contractor who controls how the work is done and bears their own tax and benefits; an employment contract creates a subordinate relationship with statutory protections. The test for which applies — and the penalty for getting it wrong — differs by country. The country page explains the local position.
Who owns the intellectual property created under a service agreement?
By default this varies: some jurisdictions vest IP in the commissioning party, others in the creator absent an assignment. A well-drafted service agreement assigns or licenses the IP expressly. Each country template addresses ownership to the local default.
Are these service agreement templates free?
Yes — a free, jurisdiction-specific service agreement template is available for every country listed, as PDF or Word with no signup.
About this comparison
Each entry maps a jurisdiction to its primary governing statute and to the matching free template on forms-legal.com. The data is curated from our multi-jurisdiction legal document library; the linked country pages carry the full, locally-drafted document and the current statutory detail. Templates are free to download as PDF or Word with no signup. This is reference information, not legal advice.