I want to give you practical, honest guidance here, including which sectors are realistically accessible to international students, which pay the best, and what I'd avoid.
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What You Need Before You Start Working
Before I get into the specific jobs, I'd remind you of two things you need in place before you can legally start working in the UK. First, your student visa must permit work; check your eVisa conditions, which specify your allowed hours. Second, I'd also encourage you to apply for your national insurance number as soon as you arrive in the UK, since you'll need it once you start earning. Your employer can hire you and begin paying you before your NI number arrives, but you'll need to provide it when it does.
Hospitality: The Most Immediately Accessible Option
Cafes, restaurants, bars, and hotels in London hire a large volume of part-time staff, and many actively target students given the flexible shift patterns involved. I'd say hospitality is typically the easiest sector for international students to find their first London job in, since the barrier to entry is relatively low, English language ability is the main requirement, and shifts can often be arranged around your lecture schedule.
Typical roles include barista, waiter or waitress, kitchen assistant, and hotel front desk support. Pay starts at the national minimum wage, currently £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over from April 2025, and can rise meaningfully with tips in busier restaurants and bars.
I'd flag that zero-hours contracts are common in hospitality, which gives you flexibility to work the hours you want. As an international student on a zero-hours contract, your hours can flex to stay within your 20-hour weekly limit during term time, which makes hospitality genuinely well-suited to the student visa work structure.
Retail: Stable Hours, Good for Scheduling Around Lectures
Major London retailers Zara, H&M, Boots, Superdrug, and Marks and Spencer regularly recruit part-time sales assistants and stockroom staff. Retail typically offers more predictable shift patterns than hospitality, which I'd say suits students who prefer to know their schedule in advance and plan lectures around it.
Pay is typically at or slightly above the national minimum wage, without the tips element that hospitality can add. Weekend and evening shifts are the most commonly available, which often aligns well with a student timetable.
Campus Work: The Option I'd Recommend First
Your university itself is often one of the best employers you can work for as an international student. Campus jobs, such as library assistant, student ambassador, study skills mentor, language partner, and research assistant, come with built-in schedule flexibility given that they're designed around the academic year and managed by people who understand student timelines.
I'd suggest checking your university's student jobs or careers portal as your first step before looking off-campus. Campus roles often pay at or above the minimum wage, require no commute, and are explicitly structured around not conflicting with your studies.
Tutoring: Higher Pay Per Hour, Worth Considering
If you're studying a numerate or science-based subject at the degree level, private tutoring is one of the best-paid part-time options available to students in London. Platforms like Tutorful and MyTutor connect tutors with school students wanting help in GCSE or A-level subjects, and rates typically range from £15 to £35 per hour depending on subject and level.
I'd flag one important caveat here: you need to structure any tutoring work carefully to ensure it's properly classified as employment rather than self-employment. As a student visa holder, you can only work if you are employed as an employee by an employer. You cannot be self-employed. This includes freelancing and gig-economy work. Some tutoring platforms employ their tutors directly (acceptable), while others structure tutors as self-employed contractors (not acceptable on a student visa). I'd check the employment structure of any tutoring platform before signing up and consider private tutoring arranged through a proper employment relationship rather than a solo freelance basis.
What I'd Avoid
Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and similar gig economy platforms operate through self-employment arrangements; self-employment is always prohibited on a student visa regardless of level. I'd avoid these platforms regardless of how convenient they seem, since the employment structure itself is what matters, not how it feels.
My Part-Time Job Comparison for International Students
| Job Type | Typical Pay | Flexibility | Ease of Access |
| Hospitality (cafe, restaurant, bar) | NMW + tips | Very flexible | Easy |
| Retail | NMW | Moderate | Easy |
| Campus jobs | NMW or above | Very flexible | Easy to moderate |
| Private tutoring (via employment) | £15-£35/hour | Flexible | Moderate |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best part-time jobs for international students in London?
I'd say campus jobs, hospitality, and retail are the most accessible and most compatible with student visa conditions. Tutoring offers the best hourly rate but requires careful attention to employment structure.
How do I find part-time work as an international student in London?
Start with your university's student jobs portal for campus roles. For off-campus work, I'd check Indeed, LinkedIn, and the careers websites of specific retailers and hospitality chains directly.
Can international students work in gig economy jobs like Deliveroo in London?
No. Gig economy platforms like Deliveroo operate through self-employment arrangements, which are not permitted on a UK student visa regardless of your course level.
How much can I earn part-time as an international student in London?
At the current National Minimum Wage of £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over, working the permitted 20 hours per week would generate approximately £244 per week during term time.
Do I need an NI number before I can start a part-time job in London?
You can start working before your NI number arrives, as long as you can prove your right to work. You'll need to provide your NI number to your employer once it arrives.
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Key Takeaways
- Campus jobs are my top recommendation: flexible, conveniently located, and explicitly designed around student schedules.
- Hospitality is the easiest off-campus sector to break into, with flexible zero-hours contracts well-suited to the student visa 20-hour limit.
- Tutoring offers the highest hourly rate, but check that the platform employs tutors as employees rather than self-employed contractors.
- Gig economy platforms (Deliveroo and Uber Eats) are self-employment arrangements and are not permitted on a UK student visa.
- Sort your NI number application out early after arriving in the UK so it doesn't delay your first payslip.