Internship
With an internship, you can gain your first professional experience and increase your job prospects. In many schools and universities, internships are even compulsory during your studies. However, you can of course also complete an internship voluntarily at any time. Here you can find out what rights you have as an intern, what you need to bear in mind and why an internship is useful.
What do I need to know?
What is an internship?
An internship is a time-limited practical activity in a company or organization that serves to get a taste of a profession and gain initial experience in an industry. An internship is usually completed during school, while studying or shortly before starting a career.
What types of internships are there?
A distinction is usually made between a school internship, a compulsory internship as part of a degree course and a voluntary internship.
Depending on the type of school, a school internship is usually completed between the eighth and eleventh grade. It is stipulated in the curriculum, i.e. it is not usually voluntary, but must be completed by all pupils. A student internship usually lasts one to two weeks and serves to provide career guidance.
A mandatory internship during the course of study is prescribed in many degree programs. In some cases, you even have to complete this before you start your studies. The procedure and duration of a compulsory internship are regulated in the study regulations. An internship during your studies serves as career orientation and to gain initial work experience.
Anyone who wants to gain work experience or get to know a company can do a voluntary internship. A voluntary internship usually lasts between two weeks and several months.
Why is an internship useful?
An internship can give you an insight into different professional fields or companies and thus help you to decide on a career or make important contacts with a particular company. This can help you with a subsequent application to that company. An internship will also generally give you a better chance in future applications, as employers will see that you have already gained some work experience. If you are currently unemployed, targeted internships can also help you to close gaps in your CV and gain new experience. They also show your motivation and willingness to find a job.
What residence status do I need for an internship?
All people - regardless of their residence status - are allowed to do a student internship or mandatory internship. If it is a voluntary internship, it depends on your residence status. In this case, you need a residence permit that allows you to work.
The following applies to refugees:
- If you have a residence permit as a refugee, you are generally allowed to do an internship without restrictions. Recognized refugees and persons entitled to asylum have unrestricted access to the labour market, including internships, for the duration of their residence permit.
- If you have a tolerated stay permit, you will need a work permit from the foreigners authority. Whether you receive this work permit is a case-by-case decision. In order to obtain approval, you must first look for an internship and then apply for a work permit for this specific internship.
- If you are still in the asylum procedure, you will need a work permit from the foreigners authority. After applying for asylum, there is a waiting period of three months, after which you can apply for this work permit from the Foreigners' Registration Office. In order to obtain approval, you must first look for an internship and then apply for a permit for this specific internship.
Please note: If you have a Duldung or Aufenthaltsgestattung and are from a so-called safe country of origin and have applied for asylum after 31.08.2015, you will not receive a work permit for an internship. Safe countries of origin are currently: Serbia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Ghana, Senegal. People with tolerated status who are preventing their own deportation or who are assumed to have only come to Germany to receive state benefits will also not receive a work permit for an internship
What rights do I have as an intern?
For voluntary internships of more than three months, you have the same rights as employees in terms of pay, vacation and working hours. This means that you must receive at least the minimum wage, are allowed to take two days' leave per month and your working hours must not differ from those of your colleagues employed by the company. You can find out more about this in our chapters"Employment contract" and"Employee rights".
There are no statutory rules regarding pay and vacation for mandatory internships. However, your working hours may not deviate from the company's normal working hours, even during a mandatory internship.
You also have the right to learn useful things during your internship. So if you only make coffee or stand in front of the photocopier, you should talk to your supervisor. If your tasks do not change afterwards, you can, of course, break off your internship or terminate your internship contract.
At the end of your internship, you are entitled to an internship certificate. In this certificate, your internship provider certifies that you have carried out certain activities in their company for a certain period of time. It also evaluates your performance and social conduct. An internship certificate is a useful document for your application documents.
Do I get paid during the internship?
Student and compulsory internships do not have to be paid. However, your internship provider may of course pay you a wage. If you receive a salary during a mandatory internship, this is normally exempt from social security contributions. You can find out more about this in our"Social insurance" section.
If you do a voluntary internship, you must usually be paid. However, it is up to your internship employer to decide how much you receive. However, if your internship lasts longer than three months, you must be paid at least the minimum wage. Your internship employer must also pay health and pension insurance contributions for you. If your internship lasts longer than three months and you receive more than €450 per month, you must also pay the corresponding social insurance contributions yourself.
Please note: If your voluntary internship lasts longer than three months and you earn more than €450 per month, you can no longer be covered by family health insurance and must take out your own health insurance. You can find out more about this in our"Health insurance" section.
Will I continue to receive BAföG during an internship?
If you complete a compulsory internship before or during your studies, you are still entitled to BAföG. If you receive a salary and this exceeds the set income limits for BAföG, you will receive less or no BAföG.
If you complete a voluntary internship before your studies, you cannot receive BAföG. If you complete a voluntary internship during the semester break or as a part-time internship during the lecture period, you are still entitled to BAföG. However, your salary will also be counted as income here and your BAföG will be reduced accordingly. If you complete a voluntary full-time internship during the lecture period or take a semester off for a voluntary internship, you are not entitled to BAföG during this time.
How do I find an internship?
You can search for internships at the Federal Employment Agency or on special websites just for internships such as www.praktikum.info, www.meinpraktikum.de, www.praktika.de, www.karriere.unicum.de or www.prabo.de. There you can find job advertisements for internships at various companies. Of course, you can also write directly to companies and organizations and ask for an internship.
As a rule, you do not need to have any professional experience to apply for an internship. The important thing is that you are interested and motivated. You can find out how best to apply in our chapter "Job search and application".
Once you have found an internship, it is advisable to conclude an internship contract with your internship provider. However, an internship contract is not required by law.
Please note: German is spoken in most companies and organizations in Germany. Sometimes it is sufficient if you can speak English. For most internships, however, it is important that you speak German well. There are many ways to learn German or improve your German. You can find out more about this topic in our "Language" section.
Can I do an internship despite receiving unemployment benefit?
Yes, but the employment agency or job center must agree. This is usually done if it is assumed that the internship will lead to employment subject to social insurance contributions. If your internship is not paid, you can continue to receive unemployment benefit. If your internship is paid at more than €100 (for citizen's allowance) or more than €165 (for unemployment benefit I), your income will be deducted from your unemployment benefit and your unemployment benefit will be reduced accordingly.
Important
Internships are very useful. However, after you have gained some experience, you should try to find a job instead of completing further internships. Some companies use interns as cheap labor. If you are doing the same tasks as an employee, you should ask your internship provider for a permanent employment contract.
Source: handbookgermany.de
