Work and Internships

Outside the university, typical off-campus student jobs include waiters, fairs, babysitting and courier services. As a rule, employers require B1 language skills in German. This applies especially to job offers outside the university.

In principle, foreign students are allowed to work alongside their studies. Students from the EU (except Croatia) and the EEA are on an equal footing with German students. They have free access to the German labour market.

Students from Croatia and non-EU countries are allowed to work 140 (8h) full days or 240 half days (4h) per year.

In addition, employment as a student assistant at the university is permitted, which is not counted towards this maximum limit. A work permit must be applied for from the Foreigners' Registration Office or the Labour Office for all other activities.

• Please take the 140-day rule or 280 half-day rule seriously! The labour law regulations for international students are very strict. You may be deported if you violate them!
   
• Both students from the EU and students from non-EU countries may work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the lecture period. During the lecture-free period, however, there is a limit of 40 hours per week
   
• Overall: As a student, a maximum employment of 50% is permitted (assessment limit for health insurance)

In fact, students of the Studienkolleg are allowed to work only during the holidays.The legal text can be found in the Residence Act, Section 3 (residence for the purpose of education), §16 (study, language courses, school attendance) sentence (3)"The residence permit entitles to employment, which may not exceed a total of 140 days or 280 half days per year, as well as to the exercise of student secondary employment. This shall not apply during the stay to preparatory studies during the first year of residence, except in the holiday season and in the case of a stay referred to in paragraph 1a "

Some students work as a research assistant (colloquially "Hiwi") at the university. They are responsible, for example, for supervising the library, conducting tutorials or researching literature for professors. Hiwi jobs are a good addition to your studies. Anyone who is interested should ask for vacancies in the secretariat of the department and pay attention to notices from the university.

Frequently, the Student Service Center or the International Office are also looking for committed students.

Working as a Hiwi is usually not included in the 140 - day rule as part of the work at the university.

The regional contact points of the Federal Employment Agency often have job placements for students.

At large universities there are job offers at the Studentenwerk. Online job boards can be found on the university websites and on the website of the Studentenwerke.

Sometimes a glance at the bulletin board at the university or in the advertising markets of local and regional newspapers is sufficient.
 
You can get help with finding a student job here:

in Bernburg 

Agentur für Arbeit Standort Bernburg
Kalistr. 11
06406 Bernburg

Telefon:
0800 4555500

Mail:
Bernburg(at)arbeitsagentur.de

Website

Contact details and opening hours for the Agentur für Arbeit in Dessau you can find  here.

 

Contact details and opening hours for the Agentur für Arbeit in Köthen you can find here.

Online job boards for internships and part-time jobs are e.g.:

• https://jobs.meinestadt.de/
• https://de.indeed.com/
• http://www.aushilfsjobs.info/
• https://www.praktikum.info/
• https://www.adzuna.de/
• https://www.jobbörse-stellenangebote.de
• https://de.jooble.org
• https://www.jobtensor.com
• https://www.backinjob.de/
• https://www.minijobs.info/
• https://www.praktikumsplatz.info/
• https://www.praktikumsstellen.de/studienfaecher/
• https://www.jobs-in-halle.de/
• https://www.traineestellen.com/traineestellen-koethen

If a compulsory internship is prescribed in your degree programme, this will not be counted towards the 140-day rule. Your internship company is not obliged to pay you for the internshi, due to the minimum wage law.

If your internship is a voluntary internship, the company is obliged to pay you the statutory minimum wage. In addition, a voluntary internship is counted towards your working hours as part of the 140-day rule.

Salary
Germany has had a new minimum wage since January 2024, which currently stands at 12.41 euros per hour. However, how much you earn depends heavily on your own skills, the industry and the regional labour market. In cities such as Munich and Hamburg, hourly wages are usually higher, but so is the cost of living. The average hourly wage for unskilled labourers, production assistants in industry or service staff at trade fairs is often slightly higher than the minimum wage.

Taxes
Students can have a mini-job and earn up to 520 euros a month without paying tax. If you regularly earn more than 520 euros, you need a tax number. A certain amount is then deducted from your salary each month. Students receive this back at the end of the year through an income tax return.

Insurance
If you are permanently employed in Germany, you normally pay social security contributions. These include contributions for health insurance as well as nursing care, pension and unemployment insurance. If you do not work for more than two months at a time or less than 50 days in a year, you do not have to pay social security contributions. Anyone who is employed for a longer period of time is liable for pension insurance. Students usually pay small amounts - and only if they earn more than 538 euros per month.

Jobs that take up more than 20 hours a week not only affect student performance but you also have to pay health, unemployment and long-term care insurance.

They would also violate the provisions of your residence permit!

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Residence permit for  graduates looking for employment-according to §20 Abs.3/1 AufenthG

After getting your degree in Germany you can extend your residence permit for up to 18 months for the purpose of seeking appropriate employment, if you previously held a permit according to §16b. It is mandatory to apply for this extension at your local Foreigners Registration Office (Ausländerbehörde) after completing your studies. You'll need proof of a secure livelihood, which also entails appropriate health insurance, in order to apply for this permit.

Residence for the purpose of taking up employment-according to §18b AufenthG

When you have found suitable employment in accordance with your university degree, your current residence title can be extended into a residence title for the purpose of taking up employment. For that you need to submit your new employment contract to the Foreigners Registration Office. Should all requirements be fulfilled, the office together with the Federal Employment Agency will change your title accordingly.

! Important !- The job needs to coincide with your area of expertise acquired during your studies.

Residence permit for the purpose of self-employment according to §21 AufenthG

As a graduate you may wish to become self-employed. As long as you can demonstrate a connection to your degree, you can apply for a Residence permit for the purpose of self-employment.