German law sets a minimum notice period for ending a job. This page works out the earliest last day that minimum allows. Check your contract first: where a collective agreement (Tarifvertrag) sets notice periods, those come first, and a contract may set a period that is better for the employee.[1]
The rules
| Situation | Minimum notice |
|---|---|
| During probation (up to 6 months) | 2 weeks, ending on any day |
| You resign | 4 weeks, to the 15th or the end of a month |
| Employer, under 2 years' service | 4 weeks, to the 15th or the end of a month |
| Employer, 2 years' service or more | 1 month, to the end of a month |
| Employer, 5 years' service or more | 2 months, to the end of a month |
| Employer, 8 years' service or more | 3 months, to the end of a month |
| Employer, 10 years' service or more | 4 months, to the end of a month |
| Employer, 12 years' service or more | 5 months, to the end of a month |
| Employer, 15 years' service or more | 6 months, to the end of a month |
| Employer, 20 years' service or more | 7 months, to the end of a month |
The same four weeks apply to both sides at first. The longer periods apply only when the employer gives notice — when you resign, the four weeks stay the same however long you have worked there.[1] Years before your 25th birthday count too: the old rule that left them out is no longer applied.[1]
How the date is worked out
- The count starts when the notice arrives — when it reaches the other person, not when it was written or sent.[1][2] The day it arrives is not counted; the period starts the next day, as in the chamber of commerce's own worked example.[1]
- Four weeks to the 15th or the end of a month means: count 28 days, then the job ends on the next 15th or last day of a month.
- One month or more to the end of a month means: notice that arrives in March, with two months to run, ends the job on 31 May.
Work out your date
Three things the date does not tell you
- Notice must be on paper and signed. Notice by email or WhatsApp is not valid.[2][1]
- If your employer lets you go and you want to challenge it, the claim must reach the labour court within 3 weeks of the notice arriving. Miss that and the dismissal stands.[2]
- It is not legal advice. For a real case, ask a specialist employment lawyer or, if you are a member, your union.
What a German contract usually says about notice, probation and holidays is in your job contract, and moving to a new employer is in changing jobs. How much holiday you are owed when you leave is on the holiday calculator. Every tool is on one page.
Sources
-
Handelskammer Bremen (IHK): Gesetzliche Kündigungsfristen im Arbeitsrecht (German). Checked 28 September 2026.
-
Arbeitnehmerkammer Bremen: Kündigung (German). Checked 28 September 2026.