Guide to Working in a Ferienjob in Germany

Guide to Working in a Ferienjob in Germany (2025)

1. What is a Ferienjob?

A Ferienjob is a short-term employment contract taken up by pupils or university students during school or university holidays to earn extra income.

In most cases, it is treated as a short-term employment (Kurzfristige Beschäftigung) if:

the job does not exceed 3 months, or
does not exceed 70 working days in the calendar year.

If these limits are exceeded, the job is treated as regular employment with full social insurance contributions (JuraForum.de, de.wikipedia.org).

2. Age groups and working hours

For younger workers (15–18 years), jobs are subject to the Youth Employment Protection Act (Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz):

Maximum 8 hours per day (can be extended to 8.5 hours with compensatory time off).
No more than 40 hours per week and 5 working days per week.
Working hours are only allowed between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., with at least 12 hours of rest between shifts (Arbeitsrechte, mbjs.brandenburg.de).

For adults (≥ 18 years), they are treated as regular employees:

The statutory minimum wage and all general German labour-law rules apply,
without additional youth-specific restrictions.

3. Social insurance contributions and taxes

Short-term employment (Kurzfristige Beschäftigung as a Ferienjob):

A short-term job is exempt from employee and employer contributions to
- health insurance,
- pension insurance, and
- unemployment insurance,
  if it is limited to no more than 3 months or 70 working days per calendar year,
  regardless of income level or weekly working hours (de.wikipedia.org).

Minijob as a Ferienjob (for workers earning ≤ €556 per month):

Employee contribution: 3.6% pension insurance, with an option to request exemption.
Employer contributions:
- approx. 13% to statutory health insurance,
- approx. 15% to pension insurance,
- approx. 2% flat-rate tax (Minijob Magazin, Industrie- und Handelskammer).

Taxes:

The employer usually withholds income tax (Lohnsteuer) from your wages at first.
If your total annual income remains below €12,096 (the basic tax-free allowance for 2025), you can often reclaim the withheld tax in full or in part by filing an income tax return (de.wikipedia.org).

4. Statutory minimum wage

For workers aged 18 and above, the statutory minimum wage is €12.82 per hour as of 1 January 2025.
For minors under 18 who have not completed vocational training, the minimum wage law does not apply,
but their rights to fair pay and protection are covered by the Youth Employment Protection Act (Die Techniker).

5. Residence rules for foreign students

Students from the EU/EEA/Switzerland:
- Generally enjoy the same working conditions as German citizens,
- there is no legal limit on the number of working days for residence purposes.
Non-EU students (§ 16b AufenthG):
- May normally work 140 full days or 280 half days per year,
- or up to 20 hours per week during the lecture period.
- During semester breaks, full-time work is usually allowed (tu-freiberg.de, make-it-in-germany.com).
People who are not enrolled as students in their home country:
- Often need a confirmation and placement from the
  Zentrale Auslands- und Fachvermittlung (ZAV) of the Federal Employment Agency to take up a Ferienjob in Germany (arbeitsagentur.de).

6. Rights and obligations of the employee

Written contract:
- Within one month after starting the job, you must receive a written employment contract or documentation,
- specifying wage, working hours and duration of the contract.
Paid leave:
- During the first 4 weeks of employment, there is usually no entitlement to paid holiday,
- after that, paid leave is granted according to the Federal Holiday Act and the duration of employment.
Sickness:
- In the first 4 weeks, there is usually no entitlement to continued wage payment in case of illness.
- After this initial period, the usual German rules on continued wage payment in case of sickness apply and wages are continued for a limited time.
Workplace safety:
- The employer must be registered with the relevant professional accident insurance association (Berufsgenossenschaft),
- and is obliged to provide a safe working environment and appropriate occupational safety measures.

7. How to find a Ferienjob

Specialised job portals:
- For example, StudentJob.de (filter option “Ferienjob”) (StudentJob DE).
General job platforms:
- Such as Indeed, StepStone, Aushilfsjobs.info.
Local businesses:
- Supermarkets, restaurants, cafés, factories, warehouses,
- often advertise on their websites or via posters/notices in-store.
Educational institutions:
- Notice boards and online bulletin boards in language schools, vocational schools, colleges and universities.

8. Tips to increase your chances of getting a Ferienjob

Prepare a short and clear CV,
- clearly listing the exact period of availability during the holidays (start and end date).
Write a short motivation letter,
- explaining that you are fully available during the whole holiday period
- and highly motivated to work efficiently and reliably.
Be flexible with working hours,
- especially for weekends and evening shifts – this can significantly improve your chances.
Follow up politely:
- If you do not receive any feedback after about two weeks,
- send a polite email or make a phone call to ask about the status of your application.
Strictly comply with all legal and insurance rules,
- to avoid negative consequences for your social insurance status, tax situation or residence permit.

With good planning and strict adherence to the legal rules on working hours, minimum wage and social insurance, a Ferienjob can become a great opportunity to gain valuable work experience and to finance your personal goals during the holidays. Good luck!

The editorial team of the website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and multiple sources. Nevertheless, errors or outdated details may occur. Therefore, this article should be regarded as an initial point of reference; for binding and individual advice, please contact the competent authorities, the Federal Employment Agency, universities or qualified advisory services.