Working in Germany: Information for international students

Transcription

1 Working in Germany: Information for international students

2 1. Work permit for international students Students from abroad are entitled to work in Germany under certain conditions. This is often necessary in order to earn an extra income. You need to keep in mind though that a part-time job cannot cover all of your studies finances. Preferably, try to get a job during the semester breaks, this way you will not unnecessarily have to extend your studies. We recommend that you do not to work more than hours per week so that you have enough time for your studies. If possible, wait to find a job until you finish your first semester in Germany. This way you can have a better idea of how many hours a week you could work alongside your studies What applies for EU citizens (except from Croatia) and students from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (and Switzerland)? Citizens from European Countries or the European Economic Area (EEA) are treated equally to Germans in the labor market. These students are allowed to work as much as they wish without a permit. The working time should not exceed 20 hours per week. For more than 20 hours (or more than EUR 450 per month) pension contributions of max. 9.35% need to be paid (less with an income up to EUR 850). Students who work for more than 20 hours a week during the lecture period risk losing the health insurance student status (exception: short-term employment of up to 3 months or 70 working days) Note: the situation for students from Switzerland is not entirely clear. When in doubt, contact the relevant immigration authorities What applies for students from non-eu countries and Croatia (probably until 2020) Students are permitted to work 120 days or 240 half-days in one year. This includes voluntary internships, even if they are unpaid (since 2015 there is a minimum wage of EUR 8.50 which also applies to voluntary internships of more than 3 months). Mandatory internships for your studies are not included! For this you need to hand in the following documents at the immigration office o A valid passport o A certificate from your university (from your faculty) stating that the internship is mandatory for your studies o An internship contract describing your tasks and your month s salary 2 In addition to the 120 days and the 240 half-days, student part-time jobs can be carried out without time limitations. These are activities as a student or research assistant or as a tutor at university or other academic institutions. These include university-related organizations (e.g. Studentenwerk) when the activity is study-related. Jobs of up to 20 hours per week that are conducive to studies are permitted if the employment agency agrees. For this purpose, an appropriate certificate issued by the university and the draft contract must be submitted to the immigration authorities.

3 Whoever wishes to work more needs a permit from the immigration authorities and the employment agency. However, this authorization is granted only in exceptional cases, generally shortly before graduation. Self-employed or freelance activities are usually not permitted. In special cases, if the activity is conducive to studies, the immigration department can approve these activities to a certain extent of hours. In these cases a certificate of the beneficial occupation issued by the international office of the respective institution is required. If you are taking a language course or attending the Studienkolleg (to pass the assessment test), the rules are particularly strict: you can only work during the semester breaks in the first year of study preparation and only with the approval of the immigration department and the employment agency Special case: Croatia After the entry of Croatia into the EU in 2013, there is initially no freedom of movement for Croatian workers. As of now, Croatian citizens will receive unrestricted access to the German labor market at the latest in In the meantime, the same conditions as for students from non-eu countries apply. Croatian nationals must obtain a work permit issued by the employment agency. You will find more information in the following DAAD brochure: deutschland/arbeitsrecht.pdf (from 2012) Useful links: DAAD: Earn money (from 2012) Studying in Germany: earn money while studying German Studentenwerk: working during your studies 2. Taxes, social contributions and employment contracts In Germany, various social charges and taxes are automatically deducted from your salary. Yet often, generous rules apply to students. You pay either lower fees or no fees at all. Please note: We don t assume liability for the information supplied! 2.1. Income tax All employees in Germany must pay taxes. Their amount depends on the income and the tax category. The taxes paid over the year are to be understood as an advance payment. At the end of the year the employee submits an income tax return invoice. After examination, the tax office decides whether you receive a partial tax refund or if a subsequent fee is due. Since the taxes are ultimately measured by the average income of the calendar year, in many cases if your salary has varied each month, you might receive a refund with the income tax return invoice. 3

4 Note: commonly student jobs are not taxed. In most cases these are mini-jobs and 450-euro jobs, for which taxes are not deducted. Tax allowance: Those who earn no more than EUR per year do not pay taxes / receive a taxes refund after verification of tax returns. Note: In Germany there are different tax categories with varied charges. Your tax category depends on your marital status and, for example, the number of jobs you have (in tax category I (e.g. single, no children) no income tax is paid up to about EUR 940 per month. In tax category VI (e.g. mostly for a second employment with different employers during the same time period) taxes are paid for any amount of salary Pension insurance All social insurance employees in Germany are required to deposit an amount of their earnings to contribute to the state pension. This is usually 9.35% of the income. Mini-jobs of up to EUR 450 remain tax exempted if an application is provided (questionnaire for social security, page 2), otherwise the contribution amounts to 3.7% of the gross income. For a salary between EUR 450 and 850 per month or a weekly working time of over 20 hours, reduced contribution amounts are required Health care / nursing insurance Even if you work, you are usually insured as a student and not as an employee. This means you pay the health insurance student rate (this applies until you are 30 years old or until the 14 th semester). If you work more than 20 hours per week, under certain circumstances you might have to pay the usual health insurance amount. Speak to your employer about this! If you are unsure, you can also contact your health insurance agency and seek advice before you start working. More information about this topic is in the flyer Insurance and Health Unemployment insurance Students usually pay no contributions to unemployment insurance if they are partially employed or working as a student. This also means that they are not entitled to unemployment benefits if they lose their part-time job What is the tax number and when do I need it? Those who work in Germany usually need a tax number which is used as reference to file tax related documents. Your tax number is issued by the tax office of your place of residence During the semester breaks ( lecture-free time ) there are special legal regulations for students Jobs during the semester break are not exempted from tax. If the employment is exclusively during the semester break, you are permitted to work more than 20 hours. Short-term jobs that last no longer than 3 months or 70 working days, at an hourly wage of EUR

5 8.50, are free from social insurance contributions. Though it can apply to higher hourly wage, but only if your salary is less than EUR Freelancers, work contracts or self-employed activities Sometimes students are offered work activities on a freelance basis. If worked on an independent basis, an income tax card is not needed. The tax deduction therefore is made via the tax office. In this case, your employer or your client asks you to submit an invoice, or you arrange with him a work contract. The revenues that you make are provisionally not taxed. You have to report this income to the tax office at the end of the year and submit an income tax return invoice. Note: International students, who do not come from the EU or the EEA, should not engage in self-employed activities! Comprehensive information on the topic Jobbing as a student can be found in the brochure of the German Pension Insurance: Useful links: Minijob Centre German Student Services Association: Taxes and duties German Student Services Association: Employment contract 3. Finding a student job Here you will find job offers for students: The job service of the Studentenwerk or the Career Center at the Goethe University: (nach Teilzeit oder Nebenjob suchen) On bulletin boards on campus; here you will also find offers of organizations or individuals outside of the university, and you can even post your own notice, if you have an offer to make (e.g. piano lessons, language lessons, etc.) On online job boards (here a selection): Arbeitsagentur - Jobmensa - Connecticum - Studentjob Internationale Plattform - Kalaydo Jobbörse Regional Advertisement: in regional and local newspapers, for example, Frankfurt Rundschau, Frizz, Frankfurter Neue Presse, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Sat & Sun), these usually have an online offer as well.you can also submit your own ads and job applications, online or by phone. However, these are subject to a charge (of about EUR 30). Instead, you can first give it a try on the bulletin boards of the university or local supermarkets.

6 An ideal situation and a sought-after job for your studies is working at an institute, library or another institution of higher education. If this is of interest, ask the administration office of your institution or department for student- or graduate research assistant and tutor jobs. Some institutions have lists where offers are regularly sent. The best option is to sign up to these. Also to look out for posts on bulletin boards in front of libraries, lecture halls and the cafeteria. There you will find lots of offers for part-time jobs. Ask companies or institutions where you would like to work later, if they are offering student jobs (or internships) or send a speculative application (an application which is not directed to a specific vacancy) to a company you are aspiring to work for. Ideally, you will find a student job that matches your studies and your chosen profession. You then have two advantages: you not only make money, but at the same time gain important skills and experience for your future career and job. Employers like to see that you have gained experience in relevant areas while studying and will preferably invite you to an interview with this background How much will I make taking on a student job? The merits in a part-time job depend greatly on your knowledge of the industry and the labor market of the region in which you are studying. If you already have a degree at university for example, higher wages apply to you than those who have not yet finished their studies. Since 2015, in Germany, a minimum wage of EUR 8.50 per hour exists; there are only a few exceptions (e.g. all mandatory internships and voluntary placements for less than 3 months) What is a mini-job? Most part-time activities in Germany are offered as so-called mini-jobs (also called 450-euro jobs or minor employment ). It is a particular employment relationship, where not more than EUR 450 per month is allowed to be made. According to German law, minor employment workers are not insured in statutory health-, care- or unemployment insurances. You can be released from the pension insurance. Note: You can also have several mini-jobs at the same time, but should inform your respective employer and the limit of EUR 450/month should not be exceeded. More information on mini-jobs can be found here: What is a student trainee Student trainees are students who are employed in addition to their full-time studies, but do not exercise a EUR 450 mini-job. The student trainee rules state: If a student is employed as a working student neither student nor employers must pay contributions to health-, care- and unemployment insurance, no matter how high the wage is. Only the contribution to the pension insurance applies. The number of hours per week for student trainees is limited to 20 hours per week - with some important exceptions. Working during the semester breaks: during the semester breaks, a working student can work without time limit regardless of an additional regular job of up to 20 hours a week or exclusively as a student trainee. Temporary activities of up to three months: student trainees are entitled to work more than 20 hours per week if they are employed for a maximum of three months - even repeatedly and consecutively. Yet, only if studying is their primary purpose. Working during lecture-free periods: if the student only works during lecture free periods, especially at night or on weekends, they can be classified as a student, even if they work more than 20 hours. This applies, for example, for vigils or porters.

7 A student trainee can work for almost 26 weeks for more than 20 hours per week. Specifically: a total of 181 calendar days, which is 25 weeks and six calendar days. 4. Advisory services at Goethe University The Goethe University offers a variety of advisory services relating to career and work. Even if it is only about a part-time job while studying or an internship, you should seize the opportunity of consultation. For example, your application and CV can be checked and it can be made sure that they correspond to what is customary in Germany. You will be advised on your upcoming job interview, various information events and lots more! Career services: Offers German and international students career guidance and career profile: individual counseling (career coaching, application check, exam coaching), workshops and lectures (practical lectures, vocational guidance, job application training, introduction to the job, occupation-related qualifications, life / work plan meetings career services specifically for international students are currently under construction Contact: Jens Blank For more information, please visit: Career center and the Federal Employment Agency: Part of the career services to mediate job offers to students and graduates and in cooperation with external partners of the economy. In addition, courses for additional qualifications and career fairs are offered. Consultation in the Hörsaalzentrum: Federal Employment Agency: Monday and Friday 9:00-13:00 h Career Center at the Goethe University: Monday 14:00-17:00 h and Thursday 9:00-17:00 h Weitere Informationen: General services of the student council (AStA) in Frankfurt and the DGB youth: Initial legal work consultation (for all students) at the counseling center of the AStA (room 7, white bungalow between Casino and PA-building, Campus Westend), Mon and Thurs 14:00-16:00 h campusoffice@asta-frankfurt.de For more information, please visit: We don t assume liability for the information supplied! - Publisher: International Office, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Campus Westend, PEG-Gebäude Postfach 3, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 6, Frankfurt am Main international@uni-frankfurt.de, 069/ [August 2015]