Germany: notice period calculator

The statutory period under BGB § 622 and the day the employment ends in Germany if the notice is received on a given day.

Notice period

2 months

to the end of a calendar month

Ends on December 31, 2026 (Thursday)
Length of service 6 years

If the notice is received on October 15, 2026 (Thursday), the employment ends at the end of December 31, 2026 (Thursday). If the employment is to end on that date, the notice must be received no later than October 31, 2026 (Saturday); if it arrives later, the employment ends on the next date.

If the employment has lasted 6 years in the business or company, the employer must give a notice period of 2 months to the end of a calendar month (BGB § 622 para. 2).

The employment contract or a collective agreement can provide other periods (BGB § 622 paras. 4 and 5): check there first.
A notice of dismissal must be in writing (BGB § 623): by email or messenger it is invalid.

I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.

Your numbers

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Who gives notice?

The employee has the basic period; for the employer the period gets longer with the length of service.

Length of service

How many full years the employment has lasted in the business or company when the notice is received. It only counts when the employer gives notice.

Is the agreed probation period still running?

During an agreed probation period of at most six months, a period of two weeks applies.

YesNo

Notice received: day

The day the notice reaches the other side (not the date on the letter). If the month has no such day, the last day of the month applies.

Notice received: month

Notice received: year

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The employer’s periods by length of service

Length of service	Employer’s notice period
under 2 years	4 weeks to the 15th or the end of the month
from 2 years	1 month to the end of the month
from 5 years	2 months to the end of the month
from 8 years	3 months to the end of the month
from 10 years	4 months to the end of the month
from 12 years	5 months to the end of the month
from 15 years	6 months to the end of the month
from 20 years	7 months to the end of the month

How it works

The basic period (BGB § 622 para. 1) is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month; it applies when the employee gives notice and when the employer does so in the first two years. After that the employer’s period gets longer: 1 month after 2 years, 2 after 5, 3 after 8, 4 after 10, 5 after 12, 6 after 15 and 7 after 20 years, always to the end of a calendar month (para. 2). During probation of at most six months, two weeks apply (para. 3).
Counting follows BGB §§ 187 and 188: the day of receipt does not count. A period in weeks ends at the end of the day with the same name as the day of receipt; the four weeks therefore count 28 days from receipt, and the employment ends on the first 15th or last day of a month from that day. For a period in months to the end of a month, it ends at the end of the month that lies that many months after the month of receipt.
What matters is receipt by the other side, not the date on the letter: a declaration becomes effective on receipt (BGB § 130).

Worked example

The employer gives notice after 6 years of service and the notice is received on October 15, 2026: a period of 2 months to the end of a month, the employment ends on December 31, 2026. The employee gives notice and it is received on October 15, 2026: 28 days later is November 12, the next 15th or last day of a month is November 15, 2026.

Sources

Text checked on October 5, 2026

Good to know

The periods apply unless the employment contract and a collective agreement say otherwise: a collective agreement may deviate from paragraphs 1 to 3 (BGB § 622 para. 4). For the employee, no longer period may be agreed than for the employer (para. 6).
In businesses with normally at most 20 employees, the contract may provide that the four-week period ends on any day, but not shorter than four weeks (BGB § 622 para. 5).
The probation period may last at most six months: after that the normal period applies. It must be agreed; without an agreement there is no short period.
If you do not want to accept a dismissal, you must file a claim with the labor court within three weeks of receiving the written notice (KSchG § 4).
This is not legal advice. Special cases (pregnancy, severe disability, parental leave, works council) and the review of a specific dismissal belong in a consultation, for example with a specialist lawyer, a trade union or the works council.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the statutory notice period in Germany?

Four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month when the employee gives notice, and also when the employer does in the first two years. After that the employer’s period grows with the length of service up to seven months to the end of a month after 20 years (BGB § 622).

How long is the notice period during probation?

Two weeks, with no fixed end date, if the probation period is agreed and lasts at most six months (BGB § 622 para. 3). If the notice is received on March 10, for example, the employment ends 14 days later, on March 24.

Does notice have to be in writing?

Yes: notice of an employment relationship needs written form, electronic form is excluded (BGB § 623). Notice by email, messenger or a photo of a fax is invalid; the person giving notice must sign it.

Does the employer’s long period also apply when I give notice?

No: when the employee gives notice, the basic period of four weeks applies. The contract may not, however, set a longer period for you than for the employer (BGB § 622 para. 6).

When does the employment end if the notice arrives at the end of a month?

With two months’ notice to the end of a month: if the notice is received on October 31, the employment ends on December 31; if it is received on November 1, it ends only on January 31. What matters is receipt, not the date on the letter (BGB § 130).