Short-term
Employment
Work flexibly at trade shows and events in Germany — exempt from social security contributions for up to 70 days per year.
Short-term employment — known in Germany as kurzfristige Beschäftigung — is the standard employment type for trade show jobs, hostess jobs and promoter roles. Students, retirees, and people working alongside a main job can earn any amount while remaining fully exempt from social security contributions — as long as they stay within 70 working days or three months per calendar year across all employers.
At eventas, our hostesses, promoters and service staff work across Germany on this basis: at trade shows like bauma, IFA, Anuga or IAA, at roadshows, VIP receptions and brand activation events.
The 70-day rule —
what you need to know
Whichever limit is reached first applies. At a five-day week, three months equals roughly 70 working days.
Short-term employment
vs. Minijob
| Criteria | Short-term Employment | Minijob |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Maximum 70 days or 3 months per calendar year. | Ongoing — no time limit. |
| Earnings | No cap. Earnings above €603/month trigger a professional-purpose check. | Capped at €603/month (2026), €633 from 2027. |
| Social security | Fully exempt. Only accident insurance is paid by the employer. | Pension contributions required. |
| Best suited for | Trade shows, events, seasonal work, brand activations. | Regular part-time side income. |
Current minor employment threshold: €603/month (2026), rising to €633 from 1 January 2027. The threshold is dynamically linked to the statutory minimum wage (2026: €13.90/h · 2027: €14.60/h).
Who can work on
short-term employment?
Short-term employment comes with strict eligibility rules under German law. Here is a clear overview of which situations are permitted — and which are not.
- /01
School students
Anyone still attending secondary school may take short-term jobs — even alongside a Minijob with a different employer.
- /02
University students
Permitted. A simultaneous Minijob with a different employer is also allowed. Keep track of the time limits.
- /03
Apprentices (Auszubildende)
Allowed alongside an apprenticeship, provided the annual time limits are respected.
- /04
Homemakers
No primary employment, no professional purpose — short-term work is straightforwardly permitted.
- /05
Full-time or part-time employees
A short-term job on the side, alongside a social-security-liable main job, is permitted.
- /06
Retirees
A pension is not classified as employment under German social security law — short-term work is fully permitted.
- /01
Registered as unemployed or job-seeking
German law presumes a professional purpose in this case. The employment becomes subject to social security contributions.
- /02
During parental leave (Elternzeit)
Working during parental leave is treated as professionally motivated — contributions apply.
- /03
During unpaid leave
Like parental leave, a professional purpose is assumed when the main employment relationship is suspended.
- /04
Gap between school and apprenticeship
A professional purpose is assumed during this transition — short-term employment is not permitted.
- /05
Gap between university and first job
Graduates available on the labour market are considered to be working for professional purposes.
- /06
Already reached 70 days in the current year
Once the annual limit is reached, no further short-term employment can begin until the next calendar year.
Liability for incorrect declarations
You are personally responsible for the accuracy of the information you provide about your employment status. If it later emerges that incorrect details were given and the German Pension Insurance Authority (Deutsche Rentenversicherung) subsequently claims social security contributions, those back-payments will be sought from you directly.
Frequently asked questions
How your German
income tax is calculated
Extrapolated to 360 days
When calculating daily pay, your employer projects your daily rate across an entire year. This results in a fictitiously high annual income — and a correspondingly high tax withholding.
In reality you may only work 12 or 30 days in the year. Your actual earnings are a fraction of the projected figure.
No tax at all below €12,348
If your total annual income in Germany falls below the basic tax-free allowance (Grundfreibetrag — €12,348 in 2026), you owe no income tax, regardless of how much was withheld by your employer during the year.
File a tax return at year end — and the money comes back
The tax office (Finanzamt) recalculates your liability based on what you actually earned. Any excess withholding is refunded. For many short-term workers this means recovering everything that was deducted.
Primary employer,
secondary employer & your tax class
Now that you know whether you are eligible, it helps to understand how Germany distinguishes between a primary and a secondary employer — as this determines how much tax is withheld.
Primary employer
- Definition
- The employer where you hold your main job and whose payroll applies your personal tax class (I–V).
- Number
- There can only ever be one primary employer at a time.
- Tax class
- I, II, III, IV or V — depending on your personal situation.
Secondary employer
- Definition
- Any additional employer alongside your main job.
- Taxation
- Always taxed at Class VI — regardless of the amount earned.
- Refund
- Excess withholding can often be reclaimed via the annual tax return.
German tax classes at a glance
Choose the class that matches your personal situation:
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