UNSER SERVICE FÜR FIRMENKUNDEN (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I work more than 20 hours in Germany as a student? ›

You can work up to 20 hours per week while studying. If you exceed this, you'll be required to pay into the German social security system, and there could be a negative impact on your studies. Non-EU/EEA students are also able to work in Germany alongside their studies, for 120 full days or 240 half days per year.

Yes. However, your employer must also agree. As long as you only have one mini-job, the income resulted will be exempt from social security contributions. If you have more than one mini-job alongside your full-time job, however, all the extra mini-jobs and your full-time job are taken into account.

Students from third countries are permitted to work up to 140 full days or 280 half-days per year without requiring the approval of the Federal Employment Agency (BA). A working day of up to four hours counts as half a working day.

International students from other countries are allowed to work 120 full days or 240 half days per year. They are not allowed to be self-employed or work as freelancers . Students who want to work more need permission from the Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) and the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners' office).

Legal limits to working hours in Germany

The working week runs from Monday to Saturday, and employees must not work more than 48 hours per week. This can be extended to 10 hours per day, if within six months (or 24 weeks) the overall average working time does not exceed eight hours per day.

A full-time employee that is not on an executive level can work 8 hours a day on 6 days a week. With overtime, the daily hours can be increased to a maximum of 10. However, throughout a period of 6 months, the average daily working hours must be 8 hours.

The German workweek, unlike its American counterpart, is tightly regulated. For example, the Hours of Work Act stipulates that no one can work on Sundays and public holidays. Also, Germans can only work five or six days a week for a maximum of 48 hours and no more than eight hours daily.

Labour law prohibits taking the break at the end of the day's work in order to leave earlier. Breaks are not considered working time and are therefore not paid.

The current statutory minimum wage is EUR 12 gross per hour. On January 1, 2024, it will initially be increased to EUR 12.41 gross per hour and will rise to EUR 12.82 gross per hour in a further step on January 1, 2025.

The latest measures outlined in the Act came into force on 1 March 2024, including a number of important new rules for international students. First and foremost, international students from outside the European Union may now work up to 20 hours per week (an increase from the previous limit of 10 hours per week).

What is the average salary in Germany? ›

In April 2022, the average salary of full-time employees in Germany amounted to €24.77 per hour, €4,105 monthly, or €49,260 per year. This is much higher than in much of the rest of Europe. In fact, Germany had the seventh-highest salary in the European Union in 2021.

The general, rough costs of living in Germany per month for a single person are as follows: Rent: from €300 (student halls or room in a shared flat) to €700+ (one-bed flat in city) Utilities: €220 (inc. internet, mobile & TV)

Minimum Wage Updated in Germany from 01 January 2024 - January 01, 2024. The minimum wage has been revised in Germany, with effect from 01 January 2024. The minimum wage has increased from €12.00 to €12.41 per hour. Note: This minimum wage increase might not reflect the inflationary trends.

According to DAAD statistics, the average monthly living expense for a student in Germany is 867 euros (864 USD*). Thus, the annual living expenses can be calculated as 10,368 euros per year or 10,334 USD per year. This is far lower than other European countries, including the UK, Switzerland, Denmark, etc.

All told, how high is the cost of living in Germany? According to Destatis, it adds up to €2,507 a month, with 37% of this going towards housing and energy costs and 15% on food, alcohol, and tobacco (as of September 2022). If you calculate this on an annual basis, the average cost of living in Germany is €30,084.

If you violate your status by committing either type of authorized-employment violation; whether working at an illegitimate on-campus location or working over your weekly limit; you are required to apply for reinstatement to lawful F-1 status.

Students from outside the EU can work up to 140 full days or 280 half-days per year. Alternatively, both Non-EU students and students from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland may work up to 20 hours per week during the lecture period, just like German students.

In principle, however, it should be noted that the working student should not work more than 20 hours per week with overtime (up to 40 hours during the semester break).

As a student, you can earn up to 522.50 euros per month without having to pay taxes to the German state (as of January 2024). So if you receive your salary every month on a mini-job basis, you will receive 6,270 euros per year. There is an annual tax-free allowance for students.