What level of German or Italian language proficiency do I need for part-time and full-time jobs during my master's in Germany and Italy?

Neither country legally requires you to speak German or Italian to work as a student, but the jobs actually available to you narrow sharply once you drop below a working conversational level. The right target depends on whether you want the widest job pool or you are comfortable staying inside English-speaking research and tech roles.

Germany: What Each Job Type Expects

• University research assistant or HiWi roles: Often workable at A0 to B1, especially in STEM and international departments.
• IT, software or Werkstudent roles: English can be sufficient at some international companies, again around A0 to B1.
• Retail, café or customer-facing work: Typically needs conversational German at B1 to B2.
• Professional roles tied to your master's: B2 or higher substantially expands your options, and DAAD material notes German remains important for employment even when the degree itself is taught in English.

Italy: What Each Job Type Expects

University or research assistant positions can work with English at A0 to B1 in international research environments, and some IT or multinational company roles are similar. Café, restaurant and retail jobs usually expect conversational Italian around A2 to B1, while office, admin or customer-facing work moves up to B1 or B2, and healthcare or heavily regulated customer roles can need B2 to C1 or higher.

The Legal Work Hour Limits

Germany currently allows non-EU students up to 140 full days or 280 half days a year, or roughly 20 hours a week during lecture periods, with different rules for university student assistant positions. Italy allows international students with a study permit to work up to 20 hours a week and 1,040 hours a year.

A Practical Target by Country

For Germany, a reasonable plan is A2 to B1 German before you arrive, moving to B2 during your master's. For Italy, aim for A2 Italian before arrival and B1 to B2 during your studies, since Italian becomes considerably more useful for local company and customer-facing work once you pass B1.

My Advice

Do not wait until your first semester to start language classes. Most universities in both countries offer subsidised or free language courses to enrolled students, and getting to B1 in your first year noticeably widens your part-time job options before you graduate and need full-time work. If your master's is entirely English taught, treat the language course as a career investment, not an optional extra.