Germany guide · Work and stay · 3 min read
Working in Germany as a student, and staying on after your degree.
As a student in Germany you can work 140 full days or 280 half days a year; jobs as a student assistant at your university don't count towards the limit. The minimum wage is €13.90 an hour from 1 January 2026. After graduating you can get a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for a job, working in any job meanwhile. A qualified job then leads to a work permit or EU Blue Card, and graduates of German universities can apply for settlement after 2 years of skilled work.
The short version
- During study: 140 full days or 280 half days a year. University student assistant jobs don't count.
- Minimum wage €13.90 an hour from 1 January 2026. Most part-time jobs need some German.
- After graduating: up to 18 months to find a job, working in any job meanwhile.
- A qualified job leads to a work permit or EU Blue Card; German graduates can apply for settlement after 2 years of skilled work.
- The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is for people who studied abroad. German graduates use the 18-month permit.
Working while you study
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Limit | 140 full days or 280 half days a year |
| Student assistant (HiWi) jobs at the university | Don’t count towards the limit |
| Mandatory internships in your course | Don’t count |
| Self-employment | Not allowed without permission |
| Minimum wage | €13.90 an hour from 1 January 2026 |
At 20 hours a week and the minimum wage, you’d earn about €1,200 a month before deductions: more than the €992 your blocked account releases. In practice most students work less in term and more in the semester breaks.
The jobs, and the language
| Job | German needed? |
|---|---|
| University student assistant (labs, libraries, research) | Often not, in English programmes |
| Cafes, restaurants, delivery, warehouses | Usually some German, at least A2 |
| Retail and customer service | Usually B1 or more |
| Working student (Werkstudent) roles in companies | Varies; IT often in English |
This is why we tell every Germany student to land with at least A2. German for study and work has the levels and the time each takes.
After graduating: the 18-month permit
When you finish, you can apply for a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for a job that matches your qualification. During those months you can work in any job to support yourself.
Apply at the foreigners’ office before your student permit ends, with your degree certificate (or a confirmation of completion), proof you can support yourself, and health insurance.
From a job to staying
| Permit | What it needs | Leads to |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit for skilled workers | A job matching your qualification | Settlement after 2 years for German graduates, with conditions |
| EU Blue Card | A qualified job at or above the Blue Card salary threshold (set each year; lower for shortage jobs and recent graduates) | Settlement faster with German language |
| Settlement permit (permanent) | For German graduates: 2 years of qualified work, pension contributions, B1 German, among other conditions | Permanent residence |
Check the current Blue Card thresholds on Make it in Germany when you have an offer; they change every January.
Opportunity Card: not for you, usually
The Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) is a one-year job-search permit introduced in 2024 for qualified people who studied or trained outside Germany. If you graduate from a German university, the 18-month permit above is the better route. The Opportunity Card can make sense for a Nepali engineer or IT graduate with a degree from Nepal and some German, who wants to look for work in Germany without studying there first.
From our files. Sagar Rai from Ilam started German classes the week he applied for his MSc in Mechatronics in Chemnitz, so he’d land with A2. That let him look for part-time work from his first week, and it’s the start of the B1 he’ll need for settlement.
Your plan, year by year
- Year 1: German to B1; a student assistant or working-student job in your field if you can.
- Final semester: apply for jobs; check the Blue Card threshold for your field.
- After graduating: the 18-month permit if you don’t have an offer yet.
- With a job: a work permit or Blue Card; settlement after 2 years of skilled work.
