Student Applicant:

Over 60% of international students in Germany opt to work part-time towards covering their living expenses.

Ways of financing studies in Germany include scholarships, parental income, student loans, personal savings and working part-time.

For the student applicant, the work authorization is as given below –

• The student must be over 18 years of age
• International students in Germany are allowed to work for up to 120 full days or 240 half days of the year.
• Do note that a job as a research assistant or student assistant at your university will not be counted towards your limit.
• Overseas students can work full-time in Germany during their regular university breaks.
• They can also work additional hours if their job can be considered to be mandatory work under certain regulations.
• An internship during semester break, even if unpaid, will be regarded as normal work and subtracted from the 120-day credit balance.
• Required mandatory internships that are part of the course do not count.
• Non-EU students are not allowed to work as a freelancer or in a self-employed capacity.
• Those aiming to work longer than the 120-day limit must take specific permission for the same. The foreigner’s registration office [Ausländerbehörde] and the local employment agency [Agentur fur Arbeit] issue these permissions.

The recommended course of action for anyone looking at part-time work while studying abroad in Germany would be to find a job that is related to their field of study.

This way, not only do they stand to gain in terms of covering their living expenses, but they can also use the work experience gained to add credits to their studies.

Spouse:

In general, spouses are given the same rights as the spouse is already in Germany. Therefore, if the spouse in Germany has the right to work, the spouse who comes to join him or her will also have that right. But also note that only work permit holders can apply for the dependent visas.

Usually, courses in Arts, Education, and Humanities are cheaper while subjects like Engineering and Medicine are expensive. Studies at the Post Graduate level have higher tuition fees typically and costs are diverse based on the program.

Universities in Germany have diverse deadlines for application. However, these two general timelines are broadly applicable:

Intake 1: Summer Semester – The application must be submitted prior to January 15th every year

Intake 2: Winter Semester – The application must be submitted prior to July 15th every year

• Transcript and certificates of your Undergraduate studies
• Details of the Secondary education
• Interview – Universities in Germany can discuss your experience and application in an arranged interview
• Additional tests for admission such as the GRE or GMAT
• Results of tests in the English language like IELTS, TOEFL, PTE if you are a non-native English speaker
• Programs in German will need test certificate for the German language as a part of your application
• Your University will make you aware of additional requirements if any prior to your application

• Upon completing the studies in Germany, students can apply for and get a residence permit of 18 months to look for a job as per their qualification
• As soon as a student gets a job offer, s/he can choose whether to apply for a German residence permit or an European Union Blue Card for the next part of their stay
• Students may get a residence permit though they get a job offer for a part-time employment, provided that the expected salary secures all the means of subsistence
• If a student wants to stay in Germany and become a permanent resident, s/he can apply for a ‘settlement permit’ as early as two years after receiving their permanent residence permit or EU Blue Card.