Jobs & Careers
Germany lets international students work part-time and offers excellent career prospects after graduation. Here's how it works.
The rules at a glance
Work hours
International (non-EU) students may work up to 140 full days or 280 half days per year without extra permission. EU/EEA students can work freely.
Minimum wage
Germany's statutory minimum wage is about €13.90 per hour (2026), so part-time work meaningfully helps with living costs.
Working student
As a 'Werkstudent' (working student) you can work up to 20 hours per week during the semester and full-time during semester breaks.
Mini-jobs
A 'Mini-job' lets you earn up to ~€600 per month (2026) largely tax-free — common in cafés, retail and logistics.
After graduation
After graduating, non-EU graduates can apply for an 18-month residence permit to find a job related to their degree.
Types of student jobs
Common ways students earn while studying.
On-campus & academic jobs
Working as a student/research assistant (HiWi) at your university. Flexible hours, relevant experience, and these often don't count against your work-day limit.
Working student (Werkstudent)
Part-time roles at real companies (up to 20 hrs/week in term) directly related to your field. The best way to gain German work experience and build a network.
Mini-jobs & part-time
Cafés, restaurants, retail, delivery, warehouses and events. Easy to find, flexible, and great for covering daily expenses — German not always required.
Internships (Praktikum)
Mandatory or voluntary internships, often a part of your degree. A strong path into a full-time job offer after graduation.
Freelance / IT & tutoring
Programming, design, content and tutoring. Higher pay for skilled work; freelancing has separate tax/visa rules, so check before you start.
Popular student side jobs
The most common, easy-to-get jobs students actually do — with the kind of employers that hire and how much German you'll need.
Warehouse & parcel sorting
Picking, packing and sorting parcels in fulfilment centres. Plenty of shifts, easy to start and one of the most popular jobs among international students.
🏢 Amazon, Zalando, DHL, Hermes
🗣️ Little German
Quick-commerce & grocery picking
Picking grocery orders in a 'dark store' or delivering them by e-bike within minutes. Flexible shifts that fit around classes.
🏢 Flink, Getir, Picnic, Rewe
🗣️ Little German
Food delivery rider
Deliver restaurant food by bike or scooter. Work when you want — great if you like being active and setting your own hours.
🏢 Lieferando, Wolt, Uber Eats
🗣️ Little German
Kitchen helper & dishwashing
Food prep, plating and washing up (Küchenhilfe) in busy kitchens. One of the easiest jobs to land with limited German.
🏢 Restaurants, hotels, canteens
🗣️ Little German
Waiter, café & bar staff
Serving customers and barista work. Tips can be good, but you'll need conversational German to deal with guests.
🏢 Cafés, restaurants, bars
🗣️ Some German
Supermarket & retail
Stocking shelves, working the till and inventory. Steady, reliable shifts close to where you live.
🏢 Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, dm, Edeka
🗣️ Some German
Cleaning
Early-morning or evening cleaning (Reinigungskraft). Flexible hours that are easy to combine with a study timetable.
🏢 Offices, hotels, buildings
🗣️ Little German
Parcel & courier driving
Delivering parcels along a route. Usually needs a driving licence, but pays well and is in constant demand.
🏢 DHL, Hermes, UPS, GLS
🗣️ Some German
Event & promotion staff
Working as host/hostess, stand staff or catering crew at fairs and events. Well-paid, occasional work — common in cities like Frankfurt, Cologne and Munich.
🏢 Trade fairs, festivals, catering
🗣️ Some German / English
Production helper
Assembly and packaging on production lines (Produktionshelfer). Widely available in industrial regions, with shift bonuses.
🏢 Factories & assembly lines
🗣️ Little German
Tutoring (Nachhilfe)
Teach school subjects, English or your native language. The best pay-per-hour on this list — and you can do it in English.
🏢 Schools, students, online
🗣️ Depends on subject
Big cities vs small cities for part-time jobs
Where you study changes how easy it is to find part-time work — and how far your earnings go.
Big cities
e.g. Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne
Pros
- ✓Far more jobs — cafés, retail, logistics, events, startups
- ✓Many working-student (Werkstudent) roles at large companies
- ✓English-speaking jobs are realistic, even with limited German
- ✓Higher hourly wages and more internship opportunities
Watch out for
- !High rent and living costs eat into what you earn
- !More competition from other students
- !Long commutes can cut into study time
Small cities & towns
e.g. Aachen, Ilmenau, Cottbus, Göttingen, Freiburg
Pros
- ✓Low rent and living costs — part-time income goes much further
- ✓Less competition for the jobs that exist
- ✓On-campus / research-assistant (HiWi) jobs are easier to land
- ✓Shorter commutes, calmer student life
Watch out for
- !Fewer jobs overall, especially outside the university
- !More German is usually needed for local work
- !Lower wages and fewer large employers nearby
Career path after graduation
Germany actively wants international graduates to stay and work.
18-month job-seeking visa
After finishing your degree you can stay 18 months to look for qualified work. You may take any job during this period to support yourself while you search.
EU Blue Card
Once you have a qualified job offer above the salary threshold (lower for shortage occupations like IT and engineering), the EU Blue Card offers a fast track to permanent residence.
Permanent residence
Blue Card holders can apply for permanent residence in as little as 21–27 months (with German language skills), and graduates of German universities are on a favourable path.
High-demand fields
Germany faces skilled-worker shortages in IT, engineering, healthcare, data science and the skilled trades — graduates in these fields have excellent job prospects.
Where to find jobs
Popular portals to search for student jobs and internships.