💼 Can Part-Time Work Pay Your Fees?

See how much international students can legally earn in 16 countries in 2026, from Canada, the UK and Australia to Japan, Spain and Singapore, and how much of tuition and living costs it covers.

● Last updated October 31, 2026|By Arpit Chauhan|Checked against official sources · How we check facts

How the calculator works

Pick a country and the wage, hour limit and living-cost figure fill in automatically from 2026 official sources. Change any number to match your plan. Term earnings are hours a week × term weeks × wage; break earnings are the same for the weeks you work full-time. Warnings appear if you go over the legal limit.

Country	Term limit	Breaks	Default wage
🇨🇦 Canada	24 h/week	Full-time during scheduled breaks (up to 180 days of breaks a calendar year)	C$17.95
🇬🇧 UK	20 h/week	Full-time during the vacations your university sets	£12.71
🇦🇺 Australia	48 h/fortnight	Unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks	A$26.44
🇺🇸 USA	20 h/week on campus	Full-time on campus during official school breaks	$15.00*
🇩🇪 Germany	140 days/year	Full days in breaks count toward the same 140/280-day limit (student assistant jobs at the university do not count)	€13.90
🇳🇿 New Zealand	25 h/week	Full-time during scheduled holidays	NZ$23.95
🇮🇪 Ireland	20 h/week	Up to 40 hours a week from 1 June to 30 September and 15 December to 15 January	€14.15
🇫🇷 France	964 h/year	Breaks count toward the same 964 hours a year	€12.31
🇳🇱 Netherlands	16 h/week or summer	Either up to 16 hours a week all year, or full-time in June, July and August only; not both	€14.99
🇮🇹 Italy	20 h/week	Still 20 hours a week in breaks (1,040 hours a year at most)	€9.00*
🇪🇸 Spain	30 h/week	Still up to 30 hours a week in breaks	€8.22
🇯🇵 Japan	28 h/week	Up to 8 hours a day during long school vacations	¥1,280
🇰🇷 South Korea	25 h/week (TOPIK 3–4)	No separate weekly limit at weekends and in vacations if you meet the Korean-language standard, at your permitted workplace	₩10,320
🇸🇬 Singapore	16 h/week	No hour limit during official vacations	S$12.00*
🇨🇭 Switzerland	15 h/week after 6 months	Full-time in semester breaks, but no paid work in your first 6 months	CHF 24.59
🇵🇹 Portugal	No fixed cap (notify AIMA)	Full-time in breaks, as long as studies continue	€6.19

* Example wage where there is no statutory minimum.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is part-time student income calculated?

Hourly wage × hours a week × weeks worked, done separately for term time and breaks, then added. The result is before tax.

Can I use future wages as proof of funds for a student visa?

No. Every country on this page wants the first year's tuition and living costs shown before the visa is granted. Wages help with later years and day-to-day costs.

What is the legal maximum I can work as a student?

It depends on the country: from 15 hours a week (Switzerland, after six months) to 30 (Spain) in term, or annual limits in Germany (140 full days) and France (964 hours). Breaks are usually full-time, but Italy and Spain keep the weekly cap all year. The table on this page lists every country.

Sources

Figures on this page were checked against these sources on 31 October 2026. Rules change: confirm on the official site before you apply.

Related Guides