Legally, as an international student, you are permitted to work for 120 full days or 240 half days each year with a German Student Visa. However, these may vary based on a lot of factors, like location, type of job( if you are supposed to put in extra man hours for the work), etc.
Here are some basic rules you need to follow:
- If you wish to work, you will require a permit from Alien Registration Office (Agentur für Arbeit) and financial officers. The permit will have the maximum number of working hours written on it. Generally, students are permitted to work 20 hours a week during college hours and full time during vacations. Rules vary depending on whether you’re from EU or not.
- If you are enrolled in a preparatory or language course, the regulations could be tighter. You will need explicit permission to work in these cases.
- The minimum wage is 8.84 euros an hour (raised in 2017).
- For anyone earning less than 450 euros a month, there is no income tax to be paid. Research assistants need to pay no taxes at all. Also, if you have been working or a time period of less than 50 continuous days over the period of one year, you do not need to pay tax.
- It is advised that students don’t work for more than 20 hours a week, not only because it is illegal but also it raises certain additional costs.
- Working on University campus can be beneficial for a student. This is because in some cases, longer working hours are permitted and taxes may also be exempted.
Please note that violating any federal laws or government policies will result in expulsion from the country so do not even think of disobeying them.
