Part-Time Jobs in the UK for Indian Students: Hours, Pay and Tax

How many hours you can work

• ·Degree level and above (full-time): up to 20 hours a week in term time; full-time in your university's official vacations.
• ·Below degree level: up to 10 hours a week in term time.
• ·Not allowed: self-employment or freelancing, working as a professional sportsperson or entertainer, or filling a permanent full-time job (except starting a Skilled Worker job in the last 3 months of your course once you've applied for that visa).

What you'll be paid

What 20 hours a week adds up to

At £12.71 an hour, 20 hours a week is £254 a week, or roughly £1,100 a month in term time (about ₹1.37 lakh at £1 = ₹124.67). Most students earn less than that in practice, because shifts aren't guaranteed.

For comparison, universities estimate living costs of about £1,770 a month in London (King's College London, 2026–27) and £1,510 a month in Manchester (2026–27). So part-time work can cover a good part of living costs — but you must still show the full required funds for your visa, and it won't pay tuition.

Tax and National Insurance

You pay no income tax on the first £12,570 you earn in the 2026–27 tax year (the personal allowance); above that it's 20%. National Insurance is 8% on earnings between £242 and £967 a week — at 20 hours on minimum wage you'd pay very little.

You need a National Insurance number to work. It's often already shown in your UKVI (eVisa) account; if not, apply once you're in the UK. You can start work before it arrives if you can prove your right to work.

Jobs students actually do

Retail, cafés and restaurants, supermarkets, warehouses at peak times, and on-campus roles such as student ambassador, library or helpdesk assistant, and event staff. Campus jobs fit around lectures best — ask your university's careers service when you arrive.

What we see at AimBritz: the jobs our students get, and how fast

Most of our students find their first part-time job within one week to one month of arriving. The usual jobs are in retail shops and stores, restaurants and fast-food outlets, care homes, event staffing and delivery.

Two things catch students out. First, delivery: riding for an app such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats is usually self-employed work, which a Student visa doesn't allow. A delivery job where you're on the employer's payroll — for a restaurant or a shop, say — is fine within your hours.

Second, extra shifts. Care homes and restaurants often offer more hours than you're allowed. The 20-hour limit applies to every Monday-to-Sunday week, so you can't average it out over a month, and breaking it can cost you your visa.

• ·Have a UK-style CV ready before you fly, and apply in person as well as online.
• ·Care homes usually need a DBS (criminal record) check before your first shift, which can add a week or two.
• ·Keep your own record of the hours you work each week.