Taking out disability insurance (Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung, BU) as a working student depends less on the part-time job itself than on giving the right details and on your social insurance status. Many students ask whether a minijob (geringfügige Beschäftigung) is assessed differently from a working student job. This guide explains the differences, what they mean for statutory pension insurance (gesetzliche Rentenversicherung) and what you should watch for in the application.
Short answer: A working student job or a minijob does not change your disability insurance on its own. What counts is the last occupation you practised (§ 172 VVG) and the completeness of your answers in the application (§ 19 VVG). The difference lies in pension insurance: working students pay mandatory contributions, while minijob holders can apply to be exempted. Last updated: October 2026.
The most important points
- As a working student, you may work up to 20 hours per week. The amount you earn does not matter, as long as the hour limit is respected.
- A minijob remains a minor employment up to 603 euros per month (2026 status). From 2027, the limit is 633 euros according to the minijob centre (Minijob-Zentrale).
- The side job alone does not decide whether a later disability benefit is paid. What counts is the last occupation you practised and the completeness of your answers.
- The biggest difference between the two jobs lies in pension insurance. It determines whether you can later claim the statutory pension for reduced earning capacity.
- If you apply to be exempted from pension insurance for a minijob, you accrue no mandatory contributions for that job.
How do a working student job and a minijob differ?
Both forms of employment are regulated by law, but they follow different patterns. A working student job is exempt from health, long-term care and unemployment insurance, as long as the conditions of the working student privilege (Werkstudentenprivileg) are met. For a minijob, a fixed earnings threshold applies instead.
| Feature | Working student job | Minijob |
|---|---|---|
| Limit | up to 20 hours per week, pay not relevant | up to 603 euros per month (2026), 633 euros (2027) |
| Health insurance | exempt (working student privilege) | exempt, family insurance (Familienversicherung) remains possible if income stays within the minor employment threshold |
| Pension insurance | mandatory insurance, no privilege | mandatory insurance, exemption possible on application |
| Unemployment insurance | exempt | exempt |
| Legal basis | Joint circular (Gemeinsames Rundschreiben) of 23 November 2016 | § 8 SGB IV, § 6 Abs. 1b SGB VI |
The table shows the basic rules. The joint circular on employed students dates from 2016. Whether it still applies unchanged, ask your health insurance fund or the minijob centre. How health insurance works in detail is explained in Working Student Health Insurance: Costs by Age.
What role does pension insurance play for disability insurance?
Private disability insurance is a separate form of cover. The statutory cover for reduced earning capacity runs through the German Pension Insurance (Deutsche Rentenversicherung). Under § 43 SGB VI, a claim to a pension for reduced earning capacity only exists if you have three years of mandatory contributions in the last five years and the general waiting period is met. This is where the choice of job makes a difference.
As a working student, you pay mandatory contributions to pension insurance. With a minijob you are also subject to mandatory pension insurance, but you can apply to be exempted (§ 6 Abs. 1b SGB VI). If you use this exemption, you build up no pension entitlements in this job. The period does not count as a mandatory contribution period.
Calculation example (assumption: 800 euros gross earnings per month as a working student):
- The pension insurance contribution rate in 2026 is 18.6 percent in total (contribution rate notice for 2026, last updated October 2026).
- Employer and employee share the contribution. Your share is therefore half, namely 9.3 percent.
- 800 euros times 9.3 percent results in 74.40 euros per month, deducted from your wages for pension insurance.
What does a minijob change in the disability insurance application?
In the application, the insurer asks about your current activity, secondary employment and, depending on the tariff, also about your income. Under § 19 para. 1 VVG, you must disclose the circumstances the insurer has asked about in text form (Textform). If you breach this duty of disclosure (Anzeigepflicht), the insurer may withdraw from the contract or terminate it, depending on the degree of fault (§ 19 paras. 2 and 3 VVG).
The occupation also matters for the benefit. Under § 172 para. 2 VVG, you are occupationally disabled if you can no longer practise the last occupation you exercised, in the form it had without the health impairment. Whether your studies, your side job or both count as an occupation is governed by the policy terms. They also state whether the insurer provides for a referral to other activities (Verweisung). Under § 172 para. 3 VVG, the insurer may contractually require that you do not take up any other activity that corresponds to your training.
Pay attention to three points in the application:
- Hours per week, type of activity and duration of the side job.
- Whether you have other income alongside your studies, and how much.
- Whether the tariff conditions for students contain their own definition of occupation.
When does the working student privilege end?
The privilege applies up to 20 hours per week, and several jobs are added together. Evening, night and weekend work can also exceed 20 hours if your studies predominate. During the lecture-free period, the employment is generally exempt from insurance. However, if you work more than 20 hours per week for more than 26 weeks a year, the privilege no longer applies.
The rules are based on the joint circular and the provisions of the Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch). In individual cases, your health insurance fund or the statutory pension insurance decides on a binding basis.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take out disability insurance as a working student?
Yes, working students can also take out disability insurance. Many tariffs explicitly consider students. What matters is that you state your side job in full and check which occupation the contract uses as its benchmark. Health questions relate to the application, so pre-existing conditions are just as important as the details about your activity.
Do I have to mention my minijob in the disability insurance application?
If the insurer asks about it, yes. The duty follows from § 19 VVG and covers all questions asked in text form. A minijob is no exception. When in doubt, it is wiser to state the activity in full than to leave it out out of uncertainty. An overview of costs and the start of disability insurance during your studies is provided in Disability Insurance for Students: Costs and Start.
Does statutory pension insurance pay out in case of occupational disability?
The statutory pension for reduced earning capacity is a different benefit from private disability insurance. It is not linked to a specific occupation but to your ability to work. Partial reduced earning capacity under § 43 SGB VI applies if you cannot work at least six hours a day. Full reduced earning capacity applies if you cannot work at least three hours a day. Private disability insurance therefore does not replace the statutory pension, it supplements it.
Do I lose family insurance through a minijob?
Not automatically. For a minor employment, § 10 para. 1 sentence 5 SGB V permits a regular total monthly income up to the minor employment threshold. In 2026, this threshold is 603 euros per month (last updated October 2026). Other income is added together, so it is worth looking at your total income. Details on family insurance are in Family Insurance for Students Under 25: Income Limit.
What happens if I work more than 20 hours?
The working student privilege then no longer applies, and the employment is generally subject to social insurance in health, long-term care and unemployment insurance. The exceptions for evening, night and weekend work only apply if your studies predominate. If you are unsure, your health insurance fund or the German Pension Insurance can give you a binding answer.
How to proceed now
- Note the working hours, pay and contract type of your side job before you fill in an application.
- Check your insurance record with the German Pension Insurance and decide deliberately whether to apply for an exemption from the minijob.
- State your activity and side income in full in the application, even if you are unsure whether they are relevant.
- Check in the policy terms which occupation is decisive and whether a referral to other activities is provided for.
- If you are unsure, a personal consultation can look at your situation. Our process is described on the page How we work (in German).
Related reading
- Disability Insurance for Students: Costs and Start
- Working Student Health Insurance: Costs by Age
- Minijob Limit 2027 for Students: €633 a Month
- Working Student Exemption: Definition, Rules and Example
Sources:
- § 172 VVG, Insurer’s benefits in case of occupational disability (last updated October 2026)
- § 19 VVG, Duty of disclosure (last updated October 2026)
- § 43 SGB VI, Pension for reduced earning capacity (last updated October 2026)
- § 8 SGB IV, Minor employment (last updated October 2026)
- Contribution rate notice for 2026 (status 1 January 2026)
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
