Student jobs and internships in European countries

Students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland can work in Germany without a permit, just like Germans.

• Mini-job: if you earn no more than €603 a month (up to €7,236 a year, 2026), it is a mini-job with lower deductions. You pay a small pension contribution, but you can opt out.
• Working student (Werkstudent): to avoid paying the social security contributions of a regular employee, you may work no more than 20 hours a week during term time. During semester breaks, at weekends and at night you may work more.
• Compulsory internship (Pflichtpraktikum – required by your study regulations): the minimum wage does not apply.
• Voluntary internship longer than three months: it must be paid at least the minimum wage.

Students from outside the EU may work up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year, or up to 20 hours a week during lecture periods, without approval from the Federal Employment Agency. Jobs as a student assistant at a university are not limited.

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in Germany – practical information.