Many students who earn extra money with a job during semester breaks or after university ask themselves whether working students are entitled to vacation and how it is calculated, if so.
Below we address exactly this question and explain what vacation entitlement for a working student in Germany looks like.

Vacation Entitlement for Working Students and the
Legal Rules in Germany

Whether a working student is entitled to vacation, we can answer with a clear "YES".
The law states that every single student is entitled to vacation days; the exact number of vacation days depends, of course, on the hours worked. As a rule, an employment contract for working students also records all the details and the exact number of vacation days, so that unnecessary conflicts do not arise later for either the employer or the working student and both parties are clear about the vacation entitlement.
Even though many working students do not know this, and unfortunately there are also employers who exploit this ignorance, under the German Federal Vacation Act (BUrlG) working students are treated as part-time employees and are accordingly legally entitled to vacation days.

The Statutory Minimum Vacation for Working Students

The entitlement to vacation is always based on the weekdays worked. The BUrlG provides that someone on a 6-day week has a vacation entitlement of at least 24 days off, and on a 5-day week 20 days off. Depending on the employment or collective agreement, it can certainly be more vacation days, but never fewer.
As a rule, you are entitled to the first days once you have already worked at the company for 6 months.

What Does the Vacation Entitlement Look Like for Part-Time Working Students?

Since most students only work a few hours a week and are very unsure about their vacation entitlement, we have listed below what the minimum vacation entitlement looks like in this case.
For part-time employment, the BUrlG provides the following minimum vacation:

  • 5 days of work per week = 20 days of annual vacation
  • 4 days of work per week = 16 days of annual vacation
  • 3 days of work per week = 12 days of annual vacation
  • 2 days of work per week = 8 days of annual vacation
  • 1 day of work per week = 4 days of annual vacation


The law does not include any hours; only the working days are counted.

An important note!
Even if the vacation entitlement is not part of the employment contract, it is yours by law and, if ignored, can even be enforced in court.

Is Vacation Paid for Working Students?

Of course, as a working student you are also paid for your vacation days; the exact amount depends on a wide range of factors. Students often work irregularly and do not get the same number of hours every month.
By law, vacation pay is calculated from the average pay of the last 13 weeks.