Working student jobs & side jobs in Aachen: Hours, taxes, insurance

Whether it's a part-time job at a café on Pontstraße or a student position at a tech company in Aachen, side jobs are part of everyday life for most students. To ensure your job doesn't jeopardize your family health insurance, pension credits, or student status, you need to know a few firm limits. This article explains how many hours you are allowed to work, what happens with taxes and social security contributions, and what you need to watch out for regarding part-time jobs, student positions, and internships.

• As a working student, you are generally allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the semester; otherwise, mandatory insurance applies just as it does for regular employees ^[1][3].
• The Working Hours Act also applies to student jobs: in principle, a maximum of 8 hours per working day is allowed, or 10 hours in exceptional cases ^[7].
• With a mini-job, your earnings remain tax-free for you as long as they stay within the mini-job limit, because the employer covers the flat-rate contributions ^[4].
• Family health insurance ends if your own income consistently exceeds the applicable limit, at which point you must insure yourself ^[8].
• In a mini-job, you can apply for an exemption from mandatory pension insurance, but you will then forfeit pension credits and full coverage ^[5][6].
• As a working student, you are automatically subject to pension insurance contributions; every month counts toward your future pension eligibility periods ^[2][3].

How many hours are you allowed to work as a working student or in a mini-job?

If you are studying in Aachen and want to earn some extra money, the first question is almost always: How much are you actually allowed to work without running into trouble with your health insurance provider or the tax office? The answer depends on the type of job you have. As a working student—meaning you have a job subject to social security contributions alongside your studies—the so-called working student regulation applies. Under this rule, you are generally allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the lecture period. If you stay under this limit, you pay taxes and contributions for health, long-term care, and pension insurance, but you are exempt from unemployment insurance and your student status with your health insurance provider remains intact ^[1][3].

Things are different during the semester break. You are allowed to work full-time without losing your working student privileges, provided that your studies clearly remain your primary focus and you do not exceed the 20-hour limit for more than 26 weeks in a calendar year ^[1][3]. For many students in Aachen, this is practical: working a few hours during the semester at a company near RWTH or in a café downtown, and then working more hours during the semester break, for example, to save up for next month's rent or a trip.

With a mini-job, it is not primarily the number of hours that counts, but the earnings limit. As long as your earnings stay within the current mini-job limit, it does not matter for your mini-job status whether you work ten or twenty hours. The only important thing is that the limit is not exceeded on a monthly average ^[4]. Especially if you have several small jobs, you should keep track of your hours, as income from different mini-jobs is added together.

Regardless of whether you have a mini-job or a working student position, the Working Hours Act always applies to you as an employee. It stipulates that daily working hours generally must not exceed eight hours. In exceptional cases, up to ten hours are permitted, provided that the average over six months returns to eight hours ^[7]. This primarily affects jobs with irregular shifts, such as in the catering industry or retail, which are common around Pontstraße or in the Aachen Arkaden.

What are the tax implications for mini-jobs and working student positions?

For a mini-job, the tax situation is usually straightforward: your employer pays flat-rate contributions, and your earnings are generally tax-free as long as you stay within the mini-job limit ^[4]. This means you typically don't have to pay your own income tax or file a tax return for this job, unless you have other income that, when combined, exceeds the tax-free allowances.

Working student jobs are different. You are treated like a regular employee, your salary is taxed according to your tax bracket, and your employer automatically deducts income tax and the solidarity surcharge. If you don't earn much over the year, you can often get some of this back by filing a tax return, as you may not have fully utilized your basic tax-free allowance. It is therefore worth filing a voluntary tax return even as a working student. While not mandatory, it can be financially beneficial.

Important for international students in Aachen: Even if you are from abroad, you are generally treated the same as domestic students for tax purposes once you have a residence here and are working. For details on your tax ID, registering with the tax office, and tax-free allowances, it is best to contact your student union or a tax assistance service directly. General statements are often too imprecise here because they depend on your country of origin and double taxation agreements.

If you are also receiving BAföG, you should keep an eye on how additional income affects your eligibility. This is a separate, quite complex topic; you can find more information in our article on BAföG in Aachen.

How do health and pension insurance work for part-time jobs?

For most students under 25, family insurance through their parents is the most affordable health insurance option. However, it only works as long as your own income remains below a certain limit. If this limit is exceeded on a permanent basis—not just in a single month—family insurance ends, and you must take out your own student or voluntary insurance ^[8]. Especially if you are considering working more regularly during the semester, you should clarify this with your health insurance provider beforehand to avoid any back payments or gaps in coverage.

Regardless of your income, your age also plays a role. From a certain age, the discounted student health insurance generally expires, and you automatically switch to a different, usually more expensive, plan ^[9]. Exactly when this applies to you depends on your individual course of study and any potential exceptions, such as raising children. Your health insurance provider can calculate this for you precisely.

Regarding pension insurance, there is an important difference between a mini-job and a working student job. In a mini-job, you are generally required to pay pension insurance contributions, but you can apply for an exemption. However, if you do so, you lose your full pension insurance coverage ^[5]. Many students choose the exemption because it means a slightly higher net income from the mini-job. It is worth calculating this for your own situation, however, as even small pension contributions count toward your qualifying period later on ^[2][3]Important to know: Once you have opted out, this applies to all future mini-jobs you take on. Reversing this is only possible under certain conditions. ^[6].

As a working student, you are automatically subject to pension insurance contributions just like a regular employee, but you are exempt from unemployment insurance. ^[1][3]. This means that every month you work as a student counts toward your future pension, which is particularly interesting for those who want to start building up their qualifying periods while still at university. ^[2][3].

What documents and steps do you need for your side job?

Before you start a side job in Aachen, you should have a few things organized. The following checklist shows you what is generally required, although individual employers may request additional documents.

DocumentPurposeSocial security numberFor registration by the employer with health and pension insuranceTax ID numberFor correct payroll accounting and tax bracketCertificate of enrollmentProof that you are an enrolled student, important for working student status ^[1]Bank details (IBAN)For salary transferProof of health insuranceFamily insurance or your own student insuranceResidence permit / Visa (for international students)Proof of work authorization, important if there are restrictions on weekly hours

International students in particular should clarify in advance how many hours their residence permit actually allows for employment. This is regulated independently of the working student rules. You can find more information on this in our article on the Aachen Foreigners' Registration Office.

Once you have all your documents together, your employer will generally register you with the social security authorities themselves. You usually only need to provide your social security number and tax ID. If you do not yet have a social security number because this is your first job in Germany, it will be sent to you automatically after your first registration by the pension insurance fund.

If you have several side jobs at the same time, for example a mini-job and a working student job, be sure to inform both employers. They need to know about the other job so that social security contributions are calculated correctly and you do not unintentionally fall into a different insurance category.

How do part-time jobs, housing costs, and daily life in Aachen connect?

A part-time job is primarily intended to cover daily expenses, which, in addition to groceries and leisure activities, mainly include housing costs. When planning how many hours you want to work, it is worth taking a look at your actual fixed costs. For most students, rent, utilities, internet, and the broadcasting fee make up the largest portion of monthly expenses. If you can calculate with predictable, fixed amounts, you will rarely need to pick up extra shifts on short notice just because an unexpected utility bill arrives.

This is exactly where a furnished apartment with an all-inclusive rent pays off for some students. At Guten Hirten in Aachen-West, a renovated, listed monastery building with 71 furnished apartments in seven different types, the rent is calculated as a complete package consisting of the base rent, heating cost prepayment, and a flat-rate utility fee, including Wi-Fi, property management, a caretaker, and a fitness room. This means no utility bill surprises at the end of the year that suddenly eat up your part-time earnings. The apartments are located about ten minutes from RWTH, Campus Melaten, and the University Hospital, and with your semester ticket, you can travel throughout Germany and as far as Maastricht. You can find the current prices for the individual apartment types directly on the apartment page.

You should also keep an eye on other fixed items when planning your part-time job. This includes, for example, the broadcasting fee, which you may need to register for or can be exempted from as an enrolled student under certain conditions. You can read more about this in our article on the broadcasting fee for students. Those coming to Aachen from abroad also often need to open a bank account and arrange health insurance at the same time; we have separate guides on bank accounts for students and on health insurance for international students.

Once you know your fixed costs and how many hours you can reasonably and legally work, the rest is usually easy to plan. For many students, a working student job of 20 hours per week during the semester is enough to cover rent, groceries, and a bit of leisure time, provided housing costs are predictable, without your studies and job holding each other back.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the maximum number of hours I can work as a working student in Aachen?

During the semester, the limit is generally 20 hours per week so that you qualify as a working student for insurance purposes. During semester breaks, you are allowed to work more, as long as your studies remain your primary focus and you do not exceed the limit for more than 26 weeks per year ^[1][3].

Do I have to pay taxes on a mini-job in Aachen?

No, as a rule, your mini-job earnings remain tax-free for you within the current mini-job limit because the employer covers the flat-rate contributions. Therefore, you usually do not need to file a separate tax return for a mini-job, unless you have other relevant income ^[4].

What happens to my family insurance if I earn more?

If the income limit for family insurance is permanently exceeded, your coverage through your parents ends and you must insure yourself, for example through student insurance or voluntary public insurance. Therefore, before permanently increasing your hours, it is best to check directly with your health insurance provider to see exactly where the limit lies for you. ^[8].

View apartments at Guter Hirte

Sources

1. Federal Employment Agency: Working while studying
2. German Pension Insurance: Insurance 2026 – Pupils, students, and interns
3. German Pension Insurance: Studies count towards your pension
4. Minijob-Zentrale: Minijobs for students
5. Minijob-Zentrale: Pension insurance obligation for minijobs
6. Minijob-Zentrale: Revoking exemption from pension insurance
7. Working Hours Act
8. Techniker Krankenkasse: Family insurance during employment while studying
9. Techniker Krankenkasse: Age and student insurance