Rules for students

Students from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland enjoy unrestricted access to the German labour market and have practically the same rights as German students. However, if they work more than 20 hours per week they must pay certain insurance contributions (just like German students). For students from other countries, special legal regulations apply:

    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). Whether they are given permission depends on the situation on the labour market: the chances are better in regions with low unemployment.

An exception is working as an academic assistant. There is no limit to how many days academic assistants may work. They still have to inform the foreigners' office however. If you are uncertain what category a job falls into, you should seek advice from student services or the International Office.