What are the rules for working in Germany as a Non-EU student?

As a Non-EU student with a visa for study purposes, your main occupation during your stay in Germany has to be your studies. Therefore, the amount of time that you are allowed to work alongside your studies is limited by law. It is stated in your residence permit how many days per year/hours per week you are allowed to work.

Please take this regulation very seriously, as any violations will result in your expulsion from the country, oftentimes combined with a prohibition to re-enter the country for some years!

In a nutshell, Non-EU students with a visa for study purposes can work up to 140 full days/280 half days per year, but are not allowed to exceed 20 hours of work per week during the lecture period. In the lecture free period, they are allowed to work full time. (However, it is important for you to know that exams at the Faculty of Engineering take place during the lecture-free period, making it impossible for you to work full time during this period.)

Jobs as a student assistant at the university are not counted towards the 140 full days/280 half days, but you are still no allowed to exceed the 20 hours per week during the lecture period with any of your jobs, including your student assistant job.

Please find a detailed overview of the current regulations here. Whenever you are in doubt if a specific work scenario is legal, please contact your officer at the immigrations office before you sign any work contracts.