Combining Work and Study
Foreign students with a residence permit in accordance with § 16 AufenthG may work 140 full or 280 half days per calendar year. In addition, you may work as a student assistant at universities without limitation. A permit for this is not needed. In general, gainful employment per semester should not exceed 20 hours per week, because contributions to the pension insurance would also have to be paid.
Finding Part-Time Work in Berlin: A Guide for HTW Students
HTW Berlin does offer student assistant positions, but availability is limited, and most roles require strong German language skills. For this reason, it’s best not to depend on these positions as your main employment option.
In general, it is possible to find a working-student position ("Werkstudent*in") in Berlin as an international student without German skills. However, it’s important to keep the job market realities in mind: many companies expect at least basic German. Still, Berlin is a very international city, and there are numerous English-speaking opportunities.
To improve your chances, focus on positions that clearly list English as a working language and make sure to tailor your applications to the role.
Here are a few platforms you can explore for student job opportunities in Berlin (this list is only a suggestion, not exhaustive):
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Indeed – Use filters such as “Werkstudent” and “English” or “Remote-friendly.”
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Stellenwerk Berlin – A student-oriented job portal.
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Berlin Startup Jobs – Particularly strong for English-speaking roles in the startup ecosystem.
Please keep in mind that the first semester can be demanding. You will need to manage various administrative tasks upon arrival, and if this is your first time living abroad, adapting to life in Germany may take some time. It’s therefore important to have a secure financial foundation for the first few months, rather than relying immediately on income from a part-time job.