Every employee in Germany has a legal minimum of paid holiday. This page works out that minimum. Your contract may give more — some collective agreements give 30 days or more[2] — and where it does, the contract's number is the one you are owed.
The minimum
| Days you work a week | Days off a year |
|---|---|
| 6 | 24 |
| 5 | 20 |
| 4 | 16 |
| 3 | 12 |
| 2 | 8 |
| 1 | 4 |
The law counts 24 working days on a six-day week. On a five-day week that is 20 days — four weeks.[1][2] Part-time work is worked out the same way: 24 ÷ 6 × the days you work. Three days a week gives 12.[1]
A new job, or leaving one
- The full year's holiday starts after 6 months in the job — the waiting period.[1]
- One-twelfth for each full month worked, in three cases: the waiting period is not over by the end of the year; you leave before it is over; or you leave in the first half of a year after it is over.[1][2]
- Leave in the second half of a year, after the waiting period, and the full year's minimum is yours.[1]
- A fraction of at least half a day is rounded up to a full day.[3]
Work out your days
Holiday you have not taken
Holiday is meant to be taken in the calendar year. It carries over into the next year only for a reason, such as illness or the needs of the business, and then it must be taken by 31 March.[1][2] Your employer has to tell you in good time when holiday is about to run out, and give you the chance to take it.[2]
This is not legal advice. What a contract usually says is in your job contract. When a job ends, the notice period calculator gives the earliest last day. Every tool is on one page.
Sources
-
IHK Frankfurt am Main: Urlaubsrecht (German). Checked 28 September 2026.
-
DGB: Urlaub — alles, was du wissen musst (German). Checked 28 September 2026.
-
IHK Nord Westfalen: Urlaub (German). Checked 28 September 2026.