Students from non-EU countries may work 140 full days or 280 half days per year (the allowance since March 2024) without extra permission — or the equivalent as a Werkstudent (working student, up to 20h/week during lectures).

The rules that actually bite:

20 hours/week during the lecture period is the ceiling for keeping your favourable social-insurance status (Werkstudentenprivileg). Full-time is fine during semester breaks.
Mandatory internships (part of your curriculum) don't consume your 140 days. Voluntary internships do — even unpaid ones. Count them.
Self-employment/freelancing is NOT covered by the student allowance — it needs explicit permission from the Ausländerbehörde first. Don't casually invoice on Fiverr, tutor for money, or drive for a delivery app "as a contractor".
Exceeding the limits endangers your residence permit — this is checked at extension time via your income records.

Money reality: the minimum wage (€13.90/hour in 2026, rising to €14.60 in 2027) makes typical student jobs pay €600–1,400/month. A Minijob (up to €603/month in 2026) is tax-free and simple; Werkstudent roles in your field pay better and build your CV toward the post-study job hunt.

Red flags:

Cash-in-hand work (Schwarzarbeit): no contract, no payslip — it endangers your permit and leaves you unprotected if you're unpaid or injured. If an employer suggests it, they're transferring all the risk to you.
Freelancing "on the side" without permission — the invoice trail is visible exactly when your extension is reviewed.
Crossing 20h/week in the lecture period "just this month" — your social-insurance status flips retroactively, and both you and the employer owe back-contributions.
Forgetting that voluntary internships eat the 140 days even when unpaid.

The rules that actually bite:

20 hours/week during the lecture period is the ceiling for keeping your favourable social-insurance status (Werkstudentenprivileg). Full-time is fine during semester breaks.
Mandatory internships (part of your curriculum) don't consume your 140 days. Voluntary internships do — even unpaid ones. Count them.
Self-employment/freelancing is NOT covered by the student allowance — it needs explicit permission from the Ausländerbehörde first. Don't casually invoice on Fiverr, tutor for money, or drive for a delivery app "as a contractor".
Exceeding the limits endangers your residence permit — this is checked at extension time via your income records.

Red flags:

Cash-in-hand work (Schwarzarbeit): no contract, no payslip — it endangers your permit and leaves you unprotected if you're unpaid or injured. If an employer suggests it, they're transferring all the risk to you.
Freelancing "on the side" without permission — the invoice trail is visible exactly when your extension is reviewed.
Crossing 20h/week in the lecture period "just this month" — your social-insurance status flips retroactively, and both you and the employer owe back-contributions.
Forgetting that voluntary internships eat the 140 days even when unpaid.

Know your student work limits

Know your student work limits