What part-time jobs can I do in Germany, the UK, and Dubai as an international student, and how many hours per week am I typically allowed to work during term time?

Dubai is the outlier here, not a variation on the same rule, Germany and the UK both regulate student work through a weekly hour cap, while the UAE regulates it through permit type instead, which changes what you should actually be checking before you take a job.

Germany and UK: A Shared 20 Hour Ceiling

• Germany: third country students can work up to 20 hours a week during the lecture period, or use an annual allowance of 140 full days or 280 half days; university student assistant roles are treated separately from this allowance.
• UK: eligible degree level Student visa holders can work up to 20 hours a week during term time, with full time permitted during official vacation periods.

Dubai: Permit Based, Not Hour Based

The UAE does not run a comparable blanket student hour limit, working legally requires holding the appropriate work permit issued through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and permit type depends on your specific student status, sponsor and employer arrangement rather than a fixed weekly cap.

Typical Jobs by Country

• Germany: cafe and restaurant work, retail, university research assistant HiWi roles, library work, tutoring and delivery.
• UK: retail, hospitality, warehouse work, campus jobs, tutoring and customer service.
• Dubai: hospitality, retail, tutoring, administrative roles and part time internships, all requiring the correct permit first.

This Information Is Also Available On

Make it in Germany, the UK Government's Immigration Rules Appendix Student, and MOHRE, the UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.

My Advice

Confirm your Dubai permit before accepting any paid work, not after, since working without the correct MOHRE permit carries real risk to your student status in a way that simply exceeding 20 hours does in Germany or the UK. In all three, ask your university's international office directly rather than relying on a generic hour figure, since your specific visa category can carry additional conditions.