Non-EU students in Germany may work up to 140 working days a year without a separate permit. A day of up to four hours counts as half a day, which is why the rule is often quoted as "140 full or 280 half days", and a week in which you work no more than 20 hours during the lecture period can be counted as two and a half days. The minimum wage in 2026 is $15.86 (€13.90) an hour, and a Minijob pays up to $688 (€603) a month. Part-time work helps with living costs but does not replace the blocked account required for the visa, and after graduation you get up to 18 months to find a job.
This guide explains how to count your days in practice, how a Minijob differs from Werkstudent status, what you can realistically earn, which documents employers need and how to move from study to work. Rules were checked against the Residence Act, the minimum wage and social security legislation and guidance from the German Pension Insurance on 23 September 2026.
How much can you work? The 140-day rule explained
The limit is set out in Section 16b of the Residence Act (AufenthG) and has applied in its current form since 1 March 2024. The law calls it a working-day account (Arbeitstagekonto) of no more than 140 days a year. Part-time work can be counted in two ways, and for each week whichever is more favourable to you applies.
- By day. A day with up to four hours of work counts as half a working day; more than four hours counts as a full day.
- By week. A week during the lecture period in which you work no more than 20 hours counts as 2.5 days, however the hours are spread. During semester breaks, a week of part-time work also counts as 2.5 days.
| How you work | Better counting method | Days used |
|---|---|---|
| Two 8-hour days a week during term (16 hours) | By day | 2 days a week |
| Five 4-hour days a week (20 hours) | Either | 2.5 days a week |
| Four 5-hour days a week (20 hours) | By week | 2.5 days a week instead of 4 |
| Full-time week in the break, five 8-hour days | By day | 5 days a week |
A sample year: 26 lecture weeks at 20 hours use 65 days; 8 full-time weeks in summer use another 40. That is 105 of your 140 days.
Older articles, and even the German Embassy in Moscow's study-visa checklist of February 2025, still show the previous limit of 120 full or 240 half days. Since March 2024 the law says 140.
What does not count
- Student assistant jobs (studentische Nebentätigkeit) at a university or research institution, for example at a chair, library or lab. The law excludes them from the account. Not every job at a university qualifies, though: if you are unsure how your contract is classified, ask the international office before you start, and the foreigners' authority (Ausländerbehörde) if doubts remain.
- Mandatory internships (Pflichtpraktikum) required by your curriculum, which the law treats as part of your studies.
A voluntary internship you arrange yourself counts as regular work and uses up days.
What needs permission
- Working beyond 140 days is not covered by a student residence permit. If you cannot manage without extra work, talk to the foreigners' authority first; never exceed the limit on your own, and do not count on an exception.
- Freelancing or self-employment is allowed only if the foreigners' authority specifically permits it (Section 21(6) Residence Act).
Breaking these rules puts the extension of your residence permit at risk and, in serious cases, your right to stay in Germany.
Who follows different rules
| Status | What is allowed |
|---|---|
| University student, Studienkolleg student, or preparatory language course student with admission (Section 16b) | The 140-day account described above |
| Study applicant on a Section 17 permit | Up to 20 hours a week plus trial work of up to two weeks in total |
| Graduate on a job-search permit (Section 20) | Any employment, with no day limit |
| EU, EEA or Swiss citizen | No restrictions, same as German students |
Minijob, Werkstudent and holiday jobs: the differences
The type of contract decides how much tax and social security you pay. It does not change the 140-day account, which counts days and hours, not contract types.
| Type | Earnings | Your contributions | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minijob (geringfügige Beschäftigung) | Up to $688 (€603) a month in 2026 | Mostly paid by the employer at flat rates | Regular small job: café, shop, tutoring |
| Short-term employment (kurzfristige Beschäftigung) | No upper limit | No social security deductions | Holiday job, limited to three months or 70 working days per calendar year |
| Werkstudent | No fixed cap | Pension insurance only, as long as you work up to 20 hours a week during term | Job in your field at a company |
| Midijob (transition zone) | $688 to $2,282 (€603.01–2,000) a month | Reduced contributions that rise with pay | Earnings above Minijob level when Werkstudent status does not apply |
Why 20 hours matters. While you work no more than 20 hours a week during the lecture period, you are treated primarily as a student: no health, long-term care or unemployment insurance contributions come out of your pay, and you keep student health insurance. The German Pension Insurance ties this exemption to the 20-hour line: above it, contributions normally apply, with narrow exceptions for evening, night or weekend work under contracts of no more than 26 weeks. Jobs done only during semester breaks are exempt from these three contributions regardless of hours.
The Minijob ceiling is $688 (€603) a month in 2026. It is tied to the minimum wage: ten hours a week at the minimum rate. From 1 January 2027 the minimum wage rises to $16.66 (€14.60), and the ceiling rises with it.
Income tax. No income tax is due on annual income up to $14,090 (€12,348) in 2026. If tax was withheld and your annual income stays below that level, you get it back by filing a tax return.
Minimum wage. $15.86 (€13.90) an hour since 1 January 2026, including for students and Minijobs. Exceptions are mandatory internships and voluntary internships of up to three months alongside your studies, if you have not interned with that employer before.
Paid leave. A student worker is an employee: the law guarantees at least 24 working days of leave a year on a six-day-week basis, pro rata to the days you work.
What can you realistically earn?
Pay depends on the city, sector and your German, so the table shows minimums at $15.86 (€13.90) an hour before tax and contributions.
| Workload | Monthly gross | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10 hours a week | About $688 (€603) | Roughly 60% of the $1,132 (€992) visa benchmark |
| 20 hours a week during term | About $1,374 (€1,204) | Close to the visa benchmark, with little left for semester fees or emergencies |
| 40 hours a week for 8 summer weeks | About $5,076 (€4,448) for the summer | A cushion for the next semester, at the cost of 40 days from your account |
Werkstudent jobs in your field usually pay above the minimum wage, but rates vary too much to predict; check live vacancies in your city.
Two practical conclusions:
- A job does not replace the blocked account. For the visa you prove funds before you arrive: $13,584 (€11,904) for the first year (see our blocked account guide). Later, when you extend your residence permit, the foreigners' authority looks at your actual income: Berlin, for example, accepts an employment contract for a side job at first issue and six months of bank statements at extension.
- Do not build your first semester on wages. Finding a job, getting a tax ID and opening a bank account take weeks, and the language barrier is highest in the first months.
Where to find work
- Your university. Student assistant (HiWi) posts at chairs and institutes, university and Studierendenwerk job boards. These posts do not use up your 140 days.
- Federal Employment Agency job board (Jobbörse der Bundesagentur für Arbeit), the state vacancy database, including student and holiday jobs.
- Company career pages for Werkstudent roles and internships; search for "Werkstudent" plus your field.
- Services and retail: cafés, shops, logistics, delivery. Conversational German is usually expected.
Without German, jobs are easier to find in IT, research groups and international companies, though German widens your options there too.
Avoid offers without a written contract, below the minimum wage or asking you to pay for placement. Undeclared work leaves you uninsured at work and can breach your residence conditions.
Documents your employer will need
- Residence permit or visa showing whether employment is allowed and any restrictions. Employers must check it and keep a copy.
- Tax ID (Steuer-ID), sent by post after you register your address.
- Social security number (Sozialversicherungsnummer), issued by the German Pension Insurance, usually at your first job; the request goes through your health insurer or employer.
- Bank account (IBAN) for your salary.
- Enrolment certificate (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung), requested every semester for Werkstudent status.
- Proof of health insurance.
After graduation: 18 months to find a job
After successfully completing a degree in Germany, graduates receive a residence permit to look for work for up to 18 months (Section 20 AufenthG), provided they can show they can support themselves. While it is valid you may take any job, full-time or part-time, in your field or not. It cannot be extended beyond 18 months, so switch to a work permit as soon as you have a suitable contract.
Apply to the foreigners' authority before your student permit expires, with your degree certificate or confirmation of successful completion, proof of funds and health insurance.
| Status after graduation | Requirements | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit for skilled workers with a degree (Section 18b) | A job appropriate to your qualification | A path to permanent residence |
| EU Blue Card (Section 18g) | Contract of at least 6 months and a salary of at least $57,854 (€50,700) a year in 2026; for graduates whose degree is no more than three years old and for shortage occupations (IT, engineering, medicine, natural sciences and others) at least $52,416 (€45,934.20) | Job changes without authority approval (in the first year the authority can suspend a change for 30 days), faster route to permanent residence |
| Settlement permit for German graduates (Section 18c) | 2 years holding a skilled-worker permit or Blue Card, 24 months of pension contributions, German at B1 | Permanent status |
| Settlement permit with a Blue Card (Section 18c) | 27 months with the Blue Card and A1 German, or 21 months with B1 | Permanent status |
Which status fits your case is decided by the foreigners' authority based on your contract and degree.
Common mistakes
- Using the outdated 120/240-day rule, or assuming the 20-hour option removes the annual account.
- Treating a voluntary internship as exempt: only mandatory internships are.
- Working more than 20 hours a week during term and losing student insurance status.
- Taking freelance work without the foreigners' authority's approval.
- Counting on wages to meet the visa requirement or fund the first semester.
- Throwing away contracts and payslips, which you need to prove days worked and income at extension.
- Delaying the job-search permit application while your student permit runs out.
FAQ
There is no hard weekly cap for university students, only the annual 140-day account. But a week of up to 20 hours during term counts as 2.5 days, and more than 20 hours during term triggers social security contributions. In practice students work up to 20 hours during term and more in the breaks.
Yes. Since March 2024 university students, Studienkolleg students and preparatory language course students with admission follow the same 140-day account. Check the employment note on your residence permit.
Yes, up to 20 hours a week plus trial work of up to two weeks, under Section 17 of the Residence Act.
If your annual income stays at or below $14,090 (€12,348), no income tax is due and anything withheld is refunded through a tax return. For Minijobs, tax and contributions are mostly paid by the employer at flat rates.
No. Student assistant work at a university or research institution is excluded. If you are unsure whether your post counts as a student assistant job, check with the international office before signing.
Yes. The job-search permit lasts up to 18 months if you can prove you can support yourself, and you may work without restrictions in that time.
We do not place students in jobs or promise employment. Under a service contract we help with admission, the visa and a funding plan for your studies, including a realistic view of how much part-time work can cover. See our Germany page, our guides to scholarships in Germany and the German student visa.
Sources
- Residence Act, Section 16b (study and working-day account), Section 17, Section 20, Section 4a, Section 18g, Section 18c — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Residence Act, Section 21 (self-employment) — checked 23 Sep 2026
- German Pension Insurance: the working-student exemption (Werkstudentenprivileg) — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance and Minimum Wage Act, Section 22 — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Social Code IV, Section 8 (Minijob and short-term employment) and Section 20 (transition zone) — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Income Tax Act, Section 32a and Federal Leave Act, Section 3 — checked 23 Sep 2026
- German Embassy Moscow: EU Blue Card checklist (as of 1 Jan 2026) and study visa checklist (Feb 2025) — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Berlin: residence permit for study — checked 23 Sep 2026
- Currency conversion: ECB reference rate of 23 Sep 2026, €1 = $1.1411
Next steps
- Blocked Account in Germany 2026: Amount, Opening Steps and Alternatives
- Scholarships in Germany 2026/27: DAAD, Deutschlandstipendium and Foundations
- German Student Visa 2026: Documents, Timing and Where to Apply
- Studying in Germany for international applicants
- Bachelor's in Germany for International Students: Entry Routes, Language, Deadlines and Costs
- Free University Education in Germany for International Students: Where Tuition Is Zero and What You Still Pay
