Student glossary
The Germany glossary for students
40 terms you will meet on contracts, visa letters, and payslips, explained in plain language with what each one means for working students.
Work & employment
12 termsWerkstudentA Werkstudent (working student) is a university student employed alongside their studies, working up to 20 hours per week during the lecture period. Working students pay reduced social-security contributions thanks to the Werkstudentenprivileg and typically earn between €13 and €20 per hour in Germany.MinijobA Minijob is marginal employment in Germany capped at €603 per month in 2026. Mini-jobbers pay no income tax or health-insurance contributions on this income, and students can hold a Minijob in addition to or instead of a working student position.MidijobA Midijob is employment earning between €603.01 and €2,000 per month (2026), the so-called transition zone. Employees pay reduced social-security contributions on a sliding scale. For enrolled students the Werkstudentenprivileg usually beats Midijob treatment, so the category matters mostly for non-privileged jobs.20-hour ruleThe 20-hour rule limits enrolled students in Germany to 20 working hours per week during the lecture period. Staying under it preserves student status, the Werkstudentenprivileg social-security exemption, and student health-insurance rates. During semester breaks, students may work full-time.WerkstudentenprivilegThe Werkstudentenprivileg is a social-security exemption for enrolled students working up to 20 hours per week during lectures. They pay only pension insurance (9.3% employee share in 2026) instead of full contributions, raising net pay by roughly 10% compared with regular employees.ProbezeitProbezeit is the probation period at the start of a German employment contract, typically up to six months. During it, either side may terminate with a shortened two-week notice period. Working student contracts commonly include a Probezeit of three to six months.KündigungsfristThe Kündigungsfrist is the notice period for ending a German employment contract. The statutory minimum is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a month; during probation it shortens to two weeks. Contracts and collective agreements can set longer periods.ArbeitsvertragAn Arbeitsvertrag is a German employment contract. For working students it should state hours per week, hourly wage or monthly salary, vacation days, notice period, and the limitation to student status. German law requires essential terms in writing.WerkvertragA Werkvertrag is a contract for work and services under §631 BGB: you owe a finished result, not your working time, and you act as a self-employed contractor. Despite the similar name, it has nothing to do with a Werkstudent employment contract.PraktikumA Praktikum is an internship in Germany. Voluntary internships longer than three months must pay minimum wage; mandatory internships required by a study program are exempt. Internships are the main route into German companies for students and recent graduates.PflichtpraktikumA Pflichtpraktikum is a mandatory internship required by a study program's examination regulations. It is exempt from minimum wage and social-security contributions, and for non-EU students its days do not count toward the 140-day annual work limit.ArbeitszeugnisAn Arbeitszeugnis is a written employment reference every employee in Germany, including working students and interns, is legally entitled to when leaving. A qualified Zeugnis grades performance and conduct in standardized, polite-sounding code that German recruiters know how to decode.
Visa & residence
5 terms140/280-day ruleThe 140/280-day rule lets non-EU students in Germany work 140 full days or 280 half days per calendar year without separate authorization from the foreigners' office. A day over four hours counts as a full day; mandatory internships are exempt.Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU)The EU Blue Card is a residence permit for university graduates with a qualified job offer in Germany above an annually adjusted salary threshold. It is the fastest route from student visa to permanent residency, possible after as little as 21 months with German skills.AufenthaltstitelAufenthaltstitel is the umbrella term for German residence titles: visa, temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis), Blue Card, ICT card, permanent settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis), and EU long-term residence. Students typically hold an Aufenthaltserlaubnis for study purposes under §16b AufenthG.FiktionsbescheinigungA Fiktionsbescheinigung is a temporary certificate that keeps your German residence status legal while the foreigners' office processes your permit application or renewal. With a §81(4) fiction certificate, your old permit's rights, including work rights, continue unchanged.NiederlassungserlaubnisThe Niederlassungserlaubnis is Germany's permanent settlement permit: unlimited residence and work rights, no more renewals. Graduates of German universities can apply after just two years of qualified employment; Blue Card holders after 27 months, or 21 with B1 German.
Money & taxes
10 termsSperrkontoA Sperrkonto (blocked account) is a German bank account that proves financing for a student visa. In 2026, degree students must deposit €992 per month of planned stay, €11,904 for a year, and can withdraw only the monthly amount after arrival.Steuer-IDThe Steuer-ID (tax identification number) is an 11-digit number every person in Germany receives once and keeps for life. It arrives by post two to three weeks after your first Anmeldung, and your employer needs it to run payroll correctly.SteuerklasseThe Steuerklasse (tax class) determines how much wage tax your employer withholds monthly. Single students are class I; a second job is always taxed at class VI. The class changes withholding, not your final annual tax, which a tax return settles.LohnsteuerLohnsteuer is German wage tax: income tax withheld directly from each payslip by the employer. Thanks to the €12,348 basic allowance (2026), working students earning up to roughly €1,300 gross monthly usually pay none, and overpaid amounts come back via the tax return.SozialversicherungSozialversicherung is Germany's statutory social insurance: health, nursing care, pension, unemployment, and accident insurance. Employees and employers split contributions of roughly 40% of gross pay; working students are exempt from most branches and pay only 9.3% pension.Minijob-ZentraleThe Minijob-Zentrale is Germany's central registration office for all mini-jobs, run by the Knappschaft-Bahn-See. Employers report mini-jobbers there and pay the flat-rate contributions; for households it also handles the simplified registration of domestic help.Brutto / NettoBrutto is your gross salary before deductions; Netto is what reaches your bank account after wage tax and social contributions. For working students the gap is small: on €1,200 gross, a typical student keeps about €1,088, roughly 91%, thanks to the Werkstudentenprivileg.SCHUFASCHUFA is Germany's largest credit bureau. Its score influences apartment applications, phone contracts, and credit cards. Newcomers start with no record, not a bad one; a SCHUFA-Auskunft for landlords can be ordered online, and one free data copy per year is your legal right.GirokontoA Girokonto is a German current account, the hub for salary, rent, and SEPA direct debits. Working students need one with a German IBAN for payroll. Many banks waive fees for students or with regular incoming payments; neobanks open accounts fully online.BAföGBAföG is Germany's federal student financial aid: half grant, half interest-free loan, up to €992 per month (2024/25 rates onward). Eligibility depends mainly on parental income, and most international students qualify only after several years of prior residence or work in Germany.
Study & university
5 termsuni-assistuni-assist is the central application service that evaluates international school and university certificates for around 170 German universities. It converts foreign grades into the German system and issues the VPD that many universities require before you can apply.VPD (Vorprüfungsdokumentation)The VPD is uni-assist's preliminary review documentation: a certificate confirming your foreign qualifications meet German university entry requirements, including a converted grade. Universities that require a VPD let you apply directly to them with this document instead of a full uni-assist application.APSThe APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) certificate verifies the authenticity of academic documents for applicants from China, Vietnam, and India. It is mandatory before a German student visa application from these countries and involves document checks and, in some cases, an interview.ImmatrikulationImmatrikulation is formal enrollment at a German university. It activates your student status and everything attached to it: the Werkstudentenprivileg, student health-insurance rates, the semester ticket, and your student residence permit. The proof document is the Immatrikulationsbescheinigung.SemesterticketThe Semesterticket is public-transport access bundled into the semester fee. Since 2024, most universities offer the Deutschlandsemesterticket: nationwide regional transit for 60% of the Deutschlandticket price, around €38 per month in 2026, automatically included or bookable with enrollment.
Insurance
4 termsKrankenversicherungKrankenversicherung is health insurance, mandatory for everyone living in Germany and a prerequisite for enrollment and residence permits. Students under 30 pay a discounted statutory rate of roughly €130 to €150 per month; working student jobs do not add health contributions thanks to the Werkstudentenprivileg.Krankenkasse (TK, AOK & co.)A Krankenkasse is a statutory health-insurance fund. TK, AOK, Barmer, and DAK are the biggest names. Benefits are 95% identical by law; funds differ in supplementary rate, English-language service, app quality, and bonus programs, and students can switch with notice.HaftpflichtversicherungPrivate Haftpflichtversicherung covers damage you accidentally cause to other people or their property, with coverage sums in the millions for a premium of roughly €3 to €8 per month for students. It is not legally required but considered the one essential voluntary insurance in Germany.HausratversicherungHausratversicherung is household-contents insurance: it replaces your belongings after burglary, fire, water, or storm damage at replacement value. For a student room with laptop and bike, basic tariffs start around €2 to €5 per month; it is optional and worth it mainly when your gear is expensive.
Housing & bureaucracy
4 termsAnmeldungAnmeldung is the mandatory address registration at the local registration office within two weeks of moving in. The resulting Meldebescheinigung unlocks the Steuer-ID, bank accounts, contracts, and residence-permit appointments, making it the first bureaucratic step after arriving in Germany.AbmeldungAbmeldung is deregistering your address when leaving Germany permanently, due within two weeks around the move-out date. It formally ends obligations tied to residence, such as the broadcasting fee, and the confirmation is needed to cancel contracts and reclaim deposits from abroad.BürgeramtThe Bürgeramt is the municipal citizens' office handling address registration, registration certificates, ID confirmations, and dozens of everyday administrative services. Almost everything runs on appointments booked online, and slots in big cities are scarce, so booking early is the core survival skill.Rundfunkbeitrag (GEZ)The Rundfunkbeitrag is Germany's broadcasting fee of €18.36 per month, charged once per household regardless of whether you own a TV. Colloquially still called GEZ, it funds public broadcasters. BAföG recipients can apply for exemption; shared flats pay once and split the cost.