Work and Internships during your Studying
Formalities before starting employment
To start your employment, your employer will require your Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer (tax identification number) and your Rentenversicherungsnummer (Pension insurance number).
1. Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer:
The tax identification number is required so that your employer can forward your tax payments directly to the tax office. When you first register your place of residence in Germany, the registration office usually forwards your data to the Federal Central Tax Office (Bundeszentralamt für Steuern, or BZSt). Within three months, you should have then, received your tax identification number via mail, which remains valid for your entire life. If this does not occur, you can request it directly from the BZSt. Please use this online form:
2. Rentenversicherungnummer
The pension insurance number (RV number) is identical to the previously used social insurance number. It is required so that your employer can pay your social insurance contributions (health insurance, nursing care insurance, pension insurance, unemployment insurance). If you are insured by a statutory health insurance provider, they will send you your number by post.
If you are insured either privately or outside of Germany, you can apply directly for your Rentenversicherungsnummer from the German Pension Fund (Deutsche Rentenversicherung). You can do this in person or by mail, the only thing you will need is your passport. Creating a Rentenversicherungsnummer can take about two weeks. Your number then remains valid for your entire life:
https://www.deutsche-rentenversicherung.de/DRV/EN/Home/home_node.html .
If you have any further questions, the social counselling service of the Studentenwerk (Association for Student Affairs) Potsdam can help you:
https://www.studentenwerk-potsdam.de/en/counselling-social/social-consulting/
Working more than 20 hours a week
The Framework Act for Higher Education (Hochschulrahmengesetz: HRG) does not limit a student’s working hours in any way. This means that you can work full-time whilst being enrolled as a student.
However, students from non-EU countries with a residence permit for study purposes must observe the following Legal information for international students.
Additionally, the following applies to students under the age of 30 who have statutory health insurance: If students work more than 20 hours a week during lecture period, they lose their status as a student at the insurance company, which leads to potentially higher contributions. Similarly, higher contributions to long-term care and unemployment insurance must also be paid.
The 20 hours per week regulation does not depend on nationality. It applies equally to German and international students.
During the lecture-free period students are usually allowed to work more than 20 hours per week without losing their insurance status as students.
The extent to which the weekly working hours can be increased depends on the respective employment and the regulations of the health insurance company. You should always consult your health insurance company before exceeding the 20 hours of working time during the lecture-free period. There may always be special individual circumstances.
Further information (only in German) can be found at :
Legal information for International Students
Students from EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can be employed without restrictions.
Students from other countries with a Student Residence Permit or Student Visa are entitled to limited employment and may not be self-employed.
Employment based on 140 full or 280 half days
You are entitled to work up to a maximum of 140 full days or 280 half days per calendar year. Thereby the purpose of your residence permit - study - should not be affected.
Only days actually worked are counted, regardless of the validity of your employment contract. This means that the weekend is not counted as long as you did not actually work on the weekend.
Half days are calculated on the basis of the regular working hours in the company: if these are eight hours, four hours are a half day; if they are ten hours, five hours are a half day.
Alternatively, employment of up to 20 hours per week is also permitted.
Employees and employers must monitor and document compliance with the regulations.
Employment as undergraduate or graduate student assistant
Working as an undergraduate or graduate student assistant (academic student employment) can always be carried out without requiring approval and without time restrictions. Academic employment includes occupation with a department at the university and other academic institutions as well as collaboration in research projects. Academic student employment also includes work for organizations affiliated with the university (e.g., tutoring in the residence halls of the Studentenwerk).
Occupation requiring a permit
If you have used up your quota of employment that did not require a permit or if your employment does not fall under the categories listed here, you will need a permit for your occupation. You can apply for this permit with the Immigration Office.
Students may only be permitted to work more than 140 full or 280 half days as part-time employment if it does not change the purpose of study and if it does not pose a significant obstacle or delay in completing your degree. The Immigration Office issues work permits on a case-by-case basis. The Federal Employment Agency must usually also approve the occupation (the Immigration Office will make this request on your behalf).
Internships while Studying
Mandatory internships
No permit is necessary for this type of internship. Because it is required for your studies and thus included in your residence permit, you do not need a permit even when the internship is paid. This also includes the completion of a final thesis at a company. The 140 full / 280 half workdays without permit are not affected and may be used in addition.
Voluntary internships
They are not part of the curriculum and you will need to make sure that the 140 full workdays have not yet been used up by other employment! If the 140 workdays have already been used up, voluntary internships are deemed to be gainful employment and require a permit, even if they are unpaid. In this case, you must apply for the necessary permit with the Immigration Office.
Self-Employment / Work on a fee basis
According to the Aliens Act, students with a residence permit for studying are only permitted to work as employees. These students need permission from the Immigration Office for most kinds of self-employed work.
It must be proven that the self-employed work will not interfere with your studies. The Immigration Office would welcome it if there were also a connection to the course content.
You can initially send your request together with your employment contract to the responsible Immigration Office by email.
Self-employment is now generally permitted by the Berlin Immigration Office (Landesamt für Einwanderung). Residence permits are adjusted when they are issued/renewed. A separate application is only required if the self-employed activity is to be taken up immediately, but the residence title still contains the prohibition.