FAQ: Jobs

There are different kinds of jobs, with varying rules:

• Mini-job: Minor occupation
  A mini-job is a job that is short-term and has a restricted amount of working hours. The maximum amount of money that can be earned with a mini-job is 538 € per month. Unlike a "working student" position a mini-job does not require one to be student.

• Working student and the 20-hour-rule (see below)

• Midi-job: More than a minor occupation (regular income between the mini-job limit and 2,000€)
  A midi-job means more working hours than mini-jobs and a maximum income per month of 2,000 €. The legal prerequisites are the same for everyone, including students.
  Detailed information (only available in German)

• Working during semester break (see below)

• Self-employment
  The 20-hour rule also applies to self-employed work. If you work more than 20 hours per week during the semester, you will lose your student status. This means that you can no longer stay insured under the student health insurance. Whether you need to register a business as a self-employed person or are considered a freelancer depends on the nature of your self-employment. For example, freelancers do not need to register a business and, therefore, do not have to pay trade tax (“Gewerbesteuer”). Freelancers only need to apply for a tax number at the tax office before starting their self-employed work. Income tax only applies if the annual profit exceeds the tax exemption limit.
  Detailed information (only available in German)
  Please be aware: Self-employment is generally only available to students from Germany and EU countries. For international students from non-EU countries, this is usually not possible.

In a working student job (“Werkstudierendenjob”), neither students nor employers pay contributions to (employer) health, long-term care, or unemployment insurance. Only the pension insurance contribution is due. It is important that the focus is on studying. Therefore, working hours are limited to 20 hours per week, with one exception.

• 26-week rule
  If the 20-hour limit is exceeded by working on weekends, evenings, nights, or during the semester break, the 26-week rule applies. The working student status remains valid if the period in which more than 20 hours are worked is known in advance and does not exceed a total of 26 weeks (or 182 days) per calendar year.

Students in a leave semester, part-time study, or during their doctoral studies are not covered by the working student regulations.

If you only work during the semester break and engage in short-term employment, you will generally remain exempt from social security contributions, regardless of the income level. A short-term employment may last a maximum of three months or 70 working days per calendar year.

Further information and detailed regulations (in German)

You can earn up to the mini-job limit each month during the BAföG approval period (not calendar year!) without affecting the amount of your BAföG funding.

Different rules apply to other types of employment, and additional allowances may be possible. The topic is very complex, so if you have any questions, please contact the BAföG Office.

Detailed information (only in German)

In general, everyone who earns money also has to pay social contributions / taxes. Fortunately, there are exceptions to this rule:

• Mini-job and short-term employment
  With a mini-job, you can earn up to mini-job limit without social security contributions being due. However, this income limit applies to all mini-jobs together. Upon request, you can be exempted from pension insurance.  A “short-term employment” that lasts up to 3 months or 70 days per year is also exempt from social security contributions. A “short-term employment” can be done alongside a mini-job, and the incomes are not added together.
  Further information (only in German)

• Working student job
  Here, only pension insurance contributions are deducted, and no other social security contributions are required. You can work up to 20 hours per week. During the semester break, working 40 hours per week is no problem. The only condition is that you should not work more than 26 weeks or 182 calendar days per year full-time.
  Further information (only in German)

• Midi-job
  For earnings between mini-job limit and 2.000 Euro the sliding zone regulation (“Gleitzonenregelung”) applies: the contributions to the pension insurance are calculated lower in favour of the net income. Taxes are due according to the wage tax class. Social security contributions are calculated on an increasing scale. Only from 2000 €, the full social security contributions have to be paid. Students who are working within the framework of the working student regulation only pay the proportional contributions to the pension insurance.
  Further information (only in German)

• Taxes
  In general, taxes only have to be paid if the basic tax-free allowance is exceeded. If the annual salary is below this amount, any income tax paid can be refunded via the income tax return.

The following explanations only refer to those with statutory health insurance.

• Family insurance
  People under 25 years of age are insured with their parents' health insurance if they do not earn more than the mini-job limit. Family insurance membership ends if the income limit is exceeded for more than three months within a year. If it is already clear at the beginning of the job that this will be the case, the family insurance ends immediately. In this case, you must take out health insurance yourself. Practice shows that every case is very different from one person to another, so it is best to contact your health insurance company in advance and clarify the details.

• Student health insurance
  From the age of 25 or if your earnings are too high for the family insurance, you must insure yourself in the student health insurance scheme. This is generally valid until the semester in which you turn 30. In order to remain in the student health insurance scheme, you may not work more than 20 hours a week during the semester.
  If you have worked several jobs within one year (365 days without interruption), each working more than 20 hours per week and for a total of more than 26 weeks, you can no longer stay in the student health insurance.

• Self-employment
  Even if you are self-employed during your studies, you may still be able to remain insured as a student. However, you may not employ any staff and you may not be self-employed for more than 20 hours per week.
  Further information (only available in German)

As an employee, you do not have to apply for an income tax card. Instead, you simply inform your employer of your tax identification number (“Steuer-ID”) and date of birth at the beginning of the employment relationship. The employer then informs the tax office of this data and enters it in your payroll account. The 11-digit tax ID is valid for life. Anyone who does not yet have a tax ID should enquire at the relevant tax office. The tax office will then request the tax ID from the Federal Central Tax Office (“BZSt”).

•  Minimum wage
  There is a statutory minimum wage in Germany.

• Holiday
  In principle, students who work are also entitled to holiday. According to the Federal Leave Act (“Bundesurlaubsgesetz”), full-time employees are entitled to at least 20 days’ holiday per year. If you work 20 hours a week, you are entitled to half that amount, i.e. 10 days' holiday per year. However, the full holiday entitlement only exists if the employment relationship has already lasted six months. However, the full holiday entitlement only applies if the employment relationship has already lasted six months. If you work less than 20 hours a week, the holiday days are calculated on a pro rata basis.

• Certificate of employment (“Arbeitszeugnis”)
  You have the right to an employer's reference for every job. A reference contains information about the company and a brief description of your area of work and can be helpful for future job applications.

• Continued payment of wages in the event of illness
  Every employee is entitled to 100% wage payments for up to 6 weeks even in case of illness. This applies even to part-time jobs with varying weekly working hours, in which you are employed for a “shift” at more or less short notice: If the assignment is agreed and you fall ill at short notice, you will still receive full pay. If you are ill for a longer period, payment is based on your average earnings.
  Further information (only available in German)

There are many opportunities.

We have compiled an overview for you on the page Jobs and Profession - find and apply.