Notice Period in Germany: The § 622 BGB Table for Employees

JobChamp Guide · Updated July 17, 2026

If you work in Germany, your statutory notice period (Kündigungsfrist) as an employee is four weeks, effective to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month, as set out in Section 622(1) of the German Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB). The longer periods staggered by seniority in Section 622(2) BGB mainly protect you when your employer gives notice, they do not automatically extend your own resignation notice. What actually applies to you depends on your employment contract or collective agreement (Tarifvertrag).

The legal baseline notice period for employees

Section 622(1) BGB sets the rule: an employment relationship can be terminated with four weeks' notice, effective to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month. This baseline applies to both sides at first, your employer and you as the employee, unless something else has been agreed. In practice this means: if you hand in your resignation on the 3rd of a month, your employment usually ends on the last day of that month or on the 15th of the following month, whichever the four weeks allow first.

Table: Staggered notice periods by seniority under § 622 BGB

Section 622(2) BGB extends the notice period as your time with the company (Betriebszugehörigkeit) grows. The law states this staggered scale explicitly for notice given by the employer:

Here is the part that matters most for you as an employee: these extended periods apply to your own resignation only if your employment contract explicitly says so. Under Section 622(6) BGB, your notice period as an employee may never be contractually longer than your employer's. Without a special clause in your contract, you are usually still bound only by the four weeks from Section 622(1), even if you have worked at the company for ten years.

Special case: the two-week rule during probation

If a probationary period (Probezeit) of up to six months has been agreed, a much shorter notice period applies: either side can end the employment relationship with two weeks' notice, effective on any calendar day, not only the 15th or the end of the month. That gives you more flexibility during probation if you realize the job is not the right fit.

If your resignation is turning into a termination instead, or you are weighing a settlement over quitting outright, our guide on the termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) in Germany walks through what changes when you sign one rather than resign.

A worked example: finding your last working day

Say you have worked at the company for three years, your contract has no special notice clause, and you want to resign today, the 10th of the month. The statutory baseline from Section 622(1) BGB applies to you: four weeks to the 15th or to the end of the month. Four weeks from the 10th lands on the 7th of the following month, so the next allowed effective date after that is the 15th of the following month. Your last working day in this example would be the 14th of the following month, with your employment ending on the 15th.

Resign instead on the 25th of a month, and four weeks is no longer enough to reach the 15th of the following month, so your end date shifts to the end of that following month. A few days' difference in your resignation date can therefore mean half a month's difference in your final day, which is why it always pays to calculate precisely before you send your letter. Build in a buffer too: if your resignation letter arrives a day or two later than planned because the post office was slower than expected, your entire end date can shift by weeks.

Contract, collective agreement, or works agreement: what applies first?

The statutory periods in Section 622 BGB are not always the final word. Here is how to work out which notice period actually applies to you:

1. Check your collective agreement. If a Tarifvertrag applies to you, it can set different, even shorter periods, and it takes precedence over the statutory rule.
2. Read your employment contract. If your contract contains its own notice period clause, check whether it is valid and whether it is worded the same for both sides or differently.
3. Calculate your exact seniority. Count from your contractual start date, not the day you actually began working, if the two dates differ.
4. Resolve any contradictions. If your contract deviates unfavorably from the law, for example by setting too long a period for you, that clause may be invalid and the statutory rule applies instead.
5. Fix your final effective date. Calculate the correct notice period day by day from your planned delivery date.

What happens if you do not meet your notice period?

If you resign too early, meaning you name an effective date that falls short of your real notice period, your resignation does not automatically become invalid. It usually still takes effect, just on the next legally correct date, even if you named an earlier one yourself. If you actually leave your job early without your employer's agreement, though, it can cause real problems:

• Your employer can in theory claim damages if your early absence causes them provable financial harm.
• The Federal Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) can impose a blocking period (Sperrzeit) on your unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosengeld) if you end the employment relationship yourself, early, and without good cause, see Section 159 SGB III.
• A qualified employment reference (qualifiziertes Arbeitszeugnis) you were already promised can turn out worse if your exit is seen as uncooperative.

If your notice is connected to being let go rather than resigning, our guide on what to do if you get fired in Germany covers the steps that matter in the days right after. And if your reference letter is part of what is at stake, see our breakdown of the German employment reference (Arbeitszeugnis) and the coded language employers use in it.

Frequently asked questions

This article is general information and does not replace individual legal advice. For a specific conflict, a union (Gewerkschaft), legal expenses insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung), or a specialized employment lawyer can help you further.