English-speaking internships & working student jobs
The widest door into the German job market doesn't need fluent German: employers try students in English long before they'd hire a full-timer in English. Here are the rules, where the roles are, and how to apply.
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The three doors
Werkstudent, internship, HiWi: which is which
Werkstudent
A paid part-time contract at a company while you're enrolled, usually up to 20 hours a week during lectures, with lower social contributions. The best way to show an employer what you can do.
Internship (Praktikum)
A fixed block of weeks or months, mandatory (part of your degree) or voluntary. Good for a first German reference letter; check the pay and whether it counts towards your degree.
HiWi / student assistant
Student jobs at university chairs and research institutes. Often English-speaking, flexible around lectures, and a natural fit if you're aiming at research or a PhD.
The rules
What you're allowed to do: the short version
The 20-hour rule
Stay at or under about 20 hours a week during the lecture period and you keep the Werkstudent advantage: lower social contributions. Go over and you pay more, but you don't lose your place at university. Work in the semester break, or in the evenings and at weekends, can be an exception, under conditions.
Non-EU students: 140 full days per year
A student residence permit lets you work 140 full days (or 280 half days) a year, or alternatively up to 20 hours a week, with no extra permission. Student assistant jobs at your university and mandatory internships that are part of your degree don't count against it; voluntary internships do. Your permit's wording is the final word.
EU/EEA students: no quota
EU/EEA students have no day quota: they work under the same rules as German students, so only the Werkstudent 20-hour rule matters.
Pay
Werkstudent jobs pay at least the statutory minimum wage, and so do most internships. The exceptions are mandatory internships and voluntary ones of up to three months, for orientation or alongside your studies, if you haven't interned with that employer before. Ask before you sign.
General information, not legal advice: your university's international office and the Ausländerbehörde have the final word on your permit. The visa side of studying is covered on Study in Germany.
Where to look
Where the English-speaking student roles actually are
- Software, data, IT and engineering teams: student roles are advertised in English across the big tech hubs
- University chairs and research institutes (HiWi / student assistant jobs): many research groups work in English
- Startups in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg, where English is often the company language
- The English-speaking teams of international companies: product, analytics, finance, in-house consulting
- An ad written in English is the best signal you'll get, so apply to those first, and ask in the interview what language the team really works in.
Check your university’s own job portal and the notice boards of individual chairs and institutes: HiWi jobs rarely make it to the big job sites. For company roles, apply on the career portal. Student jobs at large employers run through the same Workday and SuccessFactors forms as full-time ones, so every application now is practice for later. Which fields are hiring overall is tracked on job-market insights.
Common questions
Internships & Werkstudent jobs, answered
Can I find a Werkstudent job or internship in English?
Yes, realistically in tech, data, engineering, research groups and startups, and in international companies' English-speaking teams. A role advertised in English is usually one you can do in English, but ask about the team's language in the interview. Outside these fields and the big cities, student roles usually expect German.
How many hours can I work as an international student in Germany?
Two separate rules. On a student residence permit you can work 140 full days or 280 half days a year, or up to 20 hours a week instead. And for a Werkstudent contract, staying around 20 hours a week during lectures keeps your social contributions low. Mandatory internships and university student-assistant jobs don't count against the 140 days.
Do internships in Germany pay?
Usually, yes. Werkstudent jobs and most internships must pay at least the statutory minimum wage. Mandatory internships, and voluntary ones of up to three months for orientation or alongside your studies, can be exempt (§ 22 MiLoG), so some are unpaid. Clarify before signing.
Do I need a separate work permit for a Werkstudent job?
No. Working within the student allowance is part of the student residence permit itself. You only need the Ausländerbehörde's permission to work beyond those limits, or to work self-employed.
Does a Werkstudent job actually lead to a full-time offer?
Often it's how German employers find junior hires: they already know your work. There's no guarantee, but ask about openings well before you graduate. After graduation, the 18-month job-search permit gives you time to make the switch; our study-to-work guide covers it.
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