Calculate your notice period
under Section 622 BGB
Calculate the statutory German employment notice period for employees and employers. The calculator applies Section 622 BGB and considers length of service, probation and statutory termination dates.
The graduated notice periods under Section 622(2) BGB generally apply only when the employer terminates the employment relationship.
The actual date of receipt is generally decisive. Under Section 130 BGB, a termination declaration becomes effective when it reaches the recipient.
For Section 622(2) BGB, the relevant service period is based on the duration of the employment relationship up to receipt of the notice. Relevant periods of employment should generally be included; periods before age 25 cannot be generally excluded under Federal Labour Court case law.
Section 622(3) BGB provides a 2-week notice period during an agreed probationary period of no more than 6 months.
Collective agreements and valid contractual provisions can change the statutory notice period. In insolvency, Section 113 InsO can impose a maximum period of 3 months to the end of a calendar month.
Notice period (Section 622(1) BGB):
Based on German BUrlG incl. correct rounding. Non-binding result – please verify with HR or legal counsel.
Get your result in 3 steps
1. Select notice type
Choose who is giving notice and whether probation or a special regime (e.g. insolvency) applies.
2. Enter dates
Enter the date of notice receipt and the start of employment.
3. Get period and date
Your statutory notice period under §622 BGB and the earliest permissible termination date.
Notice Periods in Germany: Rules and Calculation
The statutory notice period in Germany is mainly governed by Section 622 BGB. The decisive factors are the terminating party, the length of employment, a running probationary period and possible deviations agreed in the employment contract or a collective agreement.
The calculator shows the statutory basic rule and important special cases. A binding individual review must also consider the employment contract, any applicable collective agreement and special dismissal protection.
Notice period under Section 622 BGB
Holiday entitlement is calculated using the statutory proportionality principle:
Employee: 4 weeks + next permissible date | Employer: schedule by length of service + month-end | Probation: 2 weeks
An employee generally gives 4 weeks notice to the 15th or month-end. For employer termination, Section 622(2) BGB increases the notice period with length of service, up to 7 months to month-end after 20 years; during a probationary period of no more than 6 months, 2 weeks generally apply.
Practical examples:
- Employee resigns to the 15th: An employee gives notice on 15 September 2026. The employee is not in probation and the statutory basic rule applies. → Under Section 622(1) BGB, the notice period is 4 weeks. 15 September 2026 + 28 calendar days = 13 October 2026; the next permissible termination date is therefore 15 October 2026. Result: employment ends on 15 October 2026.
- Employer after 3 years: The employer gives notice on 15 September 2026. Employment started on 1 August 2023, so the service period is more than 2 years but less than 5 years. → Under Section 622(2) no. 1 BGB, the notice period is 1 month to the end of a calendar month. Result: employment ends on 31 October 2026.
- Employer after 11 years: The employer gives notice on 15 September 2026. Employment started on 1 January 2015, so the service period is more than 10 years but less than 12 years. → Under Section 622(2) no. 4 BGB, the notice period is 4 months to the end of a calendar month. Result: employment ends on 31 January 2027.
- Termination during probation: Notice is received on 15 September 2026 during an agreed probationary period. The probationary period lasts no more than 6 months. → Under Section 622(3) BGB, the notice period during probation is 2 weeks. 15 September 2026 + 14 calendar days = 29 September 2026. Result: employment ends on 29 September 2026, provided the notice is received while the agreed probationary period is still running.
1. The key rule: Section 622 BGB sets the statutory notice period
Section 622 BGB is the central statutory provision for employment notice periods in Germany. An employee can generally terminate with 4 weeks notice to the 15th or the end of a calendar month. For employer termination, Section 622(2) BGB increases the period according to length of employment up to 7 months to the end of a calendar month.
- Less than 2 years: 4 weeks to the 15th or month-end
- At least 2 years: 1 month to month-end
- At least 5 years: 2 months to month-end
- At least 8 years: 3 months to month-end
- At least 10 years: 4 months to month-end
- At least 12 years: 5 months to month-end
- At least 15 years: 6 months to month-end
- At least 20 years: 7 months to month-end
For the employer schedule, the relevant service period is generally the length of employment when the notice is received. Periods before age 25 cannot generally be excluded.
2. Common misunderstanding: 4 weeks are not 1 month
Under Section 622(1) BGB, 4 weeks means 28 calendar days, not one calendar month. In addition, the law provides specific termination dates: the 15th or the end of a calendar month.
Example: If an employee gives notice on 15 September 2026, 28 days expire on 13 October 2026. Because termination must be possible on the 15th or month-end under Section 622(1) BGB, the next permissible date is 15 October 2026. Monthly notice periods under Section 622(2) BGB are calculated as calendar-month periods.
3. Practical effect for employees
For employees, the actual receipt of the notice by the employer is especially important. Under Section 130 BGB, a termination declaration becomes effective when it reaches the recipient, so the date printed on the letter or the mailing date is not necessarily decisive.
An employee generally has 4 weeks notice to the 15th or month-end under Section 622(1) BGB. During an agreed probationary period of up to 6 months, Section 622(3) BGB generally reduces the period to 2 weeks. The employment contract and any applicable collective agreement should also be reviewed.
4. Practical effect for employers and HR
For employers, the length of employment is particularly important because it determines the statutory graduated notice period. Under Section 622(2) BGB, the period increases to 1 month after 2 years and reaches 7 months to month-end after 20 years.
HR should therefore check the employment start date, relevant previous service periods, applicable collective agreements and the contractual notice clause before issuing notice. The formal written-form requirement under Section 623 BGB and any special dismissal protection must also be assessed.
5. Distinction from similar rules
The notice period is not the same as dismissal protection. Section 622 BGB mainly determines the time between effective notice and termination, while other provisions determine whether a termination is legally permitted or valid.
- Section 626 BGB governs extraordinary termination for good cause without an ordinary notice period.
- Section 15(4) TzBfG limits ordinary termination of fixed-term employment.
- Section 113 InsO contains a special notice rule in insolvency.
- Section 4 KSchG generally provides a 3-week deadline for bringing an unfair dismissal claim after receipt of the written termination.
The calculator therefore primarily calculates the statutory notice period and does not perform a complete validity assessment of the termination.
Relevant Statutory Regulations
- Section 622 BGB - Notice periods for employment relationships: Section 622 BGB contains the statutory basic notice periods, the graduated employer periods based on length of service, the probation rule and provisions on collective and contractual deviations.
- Sections 187 and 188 BGB - Start and end of periods: Sections 187 and 188 BGB determine how statutory periods are calculated and when periods measured in days, weeks or months end.
- Section 130 BGB - Receipt of termination notice: Section 130 BGB determines when a declaration requiring receipt becomes effective. For termination, the actual date of receipt is therefore generally decisive.
- Section 623 BGB - Written form of termination: Termination of an employment relationship requires written form. Electronic form is expressly excluded.
- Section 15 TzBfG - End of fixed-term employment: Section 15 TzBfG provides, among other things, that a fixed-term employment relationship can be ordinarily terminated only where this has been agreed individually or under an applicable collective agreement.
- Section 113 InsO - Termination during insolvency: In employer insolvency, Section 113 InsO generally permits termination with 3 months to the end of a calendar month unless a shorter period applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
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