Can I work part-time during my degree programme?

• EU students

As a citizen of a member state of the European Union you have the same status as German students and can work part-time without a work permit. During the semester you are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Should your monthly earnings rise above EUR 325 you will be required to make payments into the German national insurance system.

• Students with visas...

... and students from countries that do not belong to the European Union are only allowed to work a maximum of 180 half days in a year - either consecutively during the holidays or on individual days spread throughout the year. Please do not plan to finance your studies by working part-time. The German authorities are becoming increasingly stringent.

When you apply for your visa you must provide proof of how you intend to finance your studies in Germany. This means you must have a disposable income of EUR 500 per month. In some countries you must provide proof of your finances for the first academic year, (EUR 5,000 - 6,000).

• Industrial placement / Bachelor/Master-Thesis

Some degree programmes require you to complete an industrial placement. As this placement is compulsory, German Labour Law does not consider students to be employees. You therefore do not need a work permit.

If you work for a company to complete your Bachelor or Master thesis, then this is also a compulsory part of your degree programme and does not require a special work permit.