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Can you work on a student visa in Germany?

Non-EU students in Germany may work 140 days a year. How the days count, what you earn at the €13.90 minimum wage, and what happens after you graduate.

Updated 7 November 2026 · Written from Qaiser's videos · official figures checked at the source; Qaiser's own estimates are marked as his

All guides · Part of: Money questions

Short answer: Yes. Non-EU students may work 140 working days a year (§ 16b of the Residence Act), and student assistant jobs at the university do not count towards that. At the 2026 minimum wage of €13.90 an hour, a part-time job covers a large share of a student's monthly costs.

Yes, you can work on a German student visa. When Qaiser arrived about nine years ago, the minimum wage was about 9 euros an hour; the 2026 rate is €13.90. The question is how much you are allowed to work. Source: Federal Government · checked 6 Nov 2026

The limit is 140 working days a year

The Residence Act gives non-EU students an allowance of 140 working days a year (§ 16b(3) AufenthG). How a day counts:

  • A day of up to 4 hours counts as a half day.
  • During the lecture period, a week of up to 20 hours can be counted as two and a half days, if that is better for you.
  • Jobs as a student assistant at your university (studentische Nebentätigkeit) are not counted at all.

You may have heard "20 hours a week", as in Qaiser's video. In law that is one way of counting a week against the 140 days, not a separate rule. Source: § 16b AufenthG · checked 7 Nov 2026

What you can earn

At €13.90 an hour, 20 hours a week comes to roughly 1,100 to 1,200 euros a month before deductions. Qaiser's video says "at least a thousand euros a month", which covers most of a student budget. Many student jobs pay above minimum wage. The rate rises to €14.60 from January 2027.

Whether you pay tax on it depends on your yearly income, not on being a student: do students pay tax in Germany?

A job does not replace the visa money

You cannot use a future part-time job to prove funds for a student visa: you show the money before you arrive. The visa guide explains the three ways to prove it.

After graduation: up to 18 months to find a job

When you finish your degree in Germany, you can get a residence permit of up to 18 months to look for work that fits your qualification, provided you can support yourself. Source: § 20 AufenthG · checked 7 Nov 2026 Qaiser's advice for that phase is the same as always: the graduates who learned German find work; the ones who did not, struggle.

Watch Qaiser explain it

This guide is written from these videos (Urdu/Hindi). Quotes are our translation.

Questions people ask

How many hours can a student work in Germany?

Non-EU students may work 140 working days a year (§ 16b AufenthG). A day of up to 4 hours counts as half a day, and in lecture periods a week of up to 20 hours can count as 2.5 days. Student assistant jobs at your university do not count.

What is the minimum wage in Germany in 2026?

€13.90 an hour from 1 January 2026, rising to €14.60 from 1 January 2027 (Fifth Minimum Wage Adjustment Ordinance).

Can I pay for my studies only with a part-time job?

Not for the visa: you must prove the money before you arrive. After arrival, a part-time job can cover a good share of your monthly costs.

Official sources

Questions about a video? Ask Qaiser in the comments on Instagram or YouTube.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change. Check the official source linked above; for your own case, the German mission decides.

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