Working alongside studies in Germany (Nebenjob) is common and legal within specific limits. The rules differ depending on your visa type and how many hours you work. Getting this wrong affects your residence permit status, so understanding the exact thresholds matters.
Work Limits for Student Visa Holders
Non-EU students on a student visa (Aufenthaltstitel zum Studium) may work:
- 120 full days per year, or
- 240 half days per year (days where you work 4 hours or fewer)
These limits can be combined. A day where you work 3 hours counts as a half day; a day where you work 8 hours counts as a full day. Keep a log — your employer typically reports this to the Rentenversicherung, and you are responsible for not exceeding the annual cap across all employers.
Jobs at your own university (as a Studentische Hilfskraft/SHK or Wissenschaftliche Hilfskraft/WHK) are usually exempt from this limit — confirm with your Ausländerbehörde.
Minijob (Under €556/month)
A Minijob (formerly 520-Euro-Job, now threshold is €556 as of January 2024) is a form of marginal employment where you pay no income tax and reduced social security contributions. From the employee side:
- No income tax on your side (employer pays flat tax to Minijobzentrale)
- You opt into pension insurance contributions (3.6% of earnings) — often worth doing to accumulate contribution years
- No health insurance contribution from this job (your student health insurance (GKV) covers you regardless)
Minijob days count toward your 120/240-day annual limit.
Regular Employment
Above €556/month, you pay standard income tax (via Lohnsteuer), health insurance contributions, and pension contributions. Your employer handles the deductions. Tax class (Steuerklasse) 1 applies to single employees with one job. File a tax return (Steuererklärung) annually — most students receive a refund because their income is below the annual tax-free allowance (€12,000 in 2025).
Finding Student Jobs
- University job boards: most universities have a Stellenportal for student jobs (type “SHK Stelle [your university]”)
- Absolventa.de, Jobmensa.de, Unicum.de: student-specific job boards
- LinkedIn: filter for “Werkstudent” (working student, up to 20 hrs/week during semester)
- Praktikum.info: for internships (Praktikum), which can also count toward study requirements
Werkstudent Status
If you work more than 20 hours per week during semester or up to 40 hours during semester breaks for one employer, the job may be classified as “Werkstudent” employment. This has favorable social insurance treatment (reduced or no contributions to health, unemployment, care insurance during studies) but requires you to be enrolled as a student. Werkstudent jobs don’t fit within the 120/240-day cap model — consult your Ausländerbehörde before taking such a position as a non-EU student.
