Work & employment
Praktikum
A 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.
A Praktikum is a fixed-term placement to learn practical skills in a company. German law splits internships into two categories with very different rules. Mandatory internships (Pflichtpraktika) are required by a study or school curriculum and are exempt from minimum wage and most social-security contributions. Voluntary internships (freiwillige Praktika) count as regular employment relationships: minimum wage applies if they run longer than three months, and standard contribution rules kick in.
Internship lengths in Germany typically run three to six months. Companies use them as a recruiting funnel, and many working student positions and graduate offers start with a successful internship. Compensation for voluntary internships of paid type commonly lands between minimum wage and roughly €2,200 per month in industries like tech, consulting, and automotive.
What it means for working students
Check which category your internship falls into before negotiating: a voluntary internship over three months must pay at least minimum wage for every hour, while a Pflichtpraktikum can legally pay nothing (though good companies pay anyway). For non-EU students, mandatory internships do not count against the 140-day annual work allowance; voluntary ones do. After the internship, ask about converting into a working student contract to keep the relationship running through the semester.