Resign from a job in Germany: notice and signed letter
Resign from a job in Germany: the four-week notice period, probation, fixed-term contracts, the hand-signed original and the Sperrzeit risk. German example.
Quick answer
To resign from a job in Germany, give your employer a letter signed by hand: email, WhatsApp or a scan is invalid (§ 623 BGB). The statutory notice for employees is four weeks to the 15th or to the end of a month (§ 622 BGB); during probation it is two weeks. Your contract or collective agreement can set longer periods. The notice period runs from the day the employer receives the letter, so hand it over in person and get a signed acknowledgement. Resigning can trigger a Sperrzeit on unemployment benefit, and you must register as a job seeker three months in advance.
| Who it’s for | Employees giving ordinary notice of resignation in Germany |
| Form | Paper letter with your handwritten signature; no email, scan or electronic signature (§ 623 BGB) |
| Notice period | Four weeks to the 15th or the end of a month, unless the contract or collective agreement differs |
| Probation | Two weeks to any day, for up to six months (§ 622(3) BGB) |
| Delivery | By hand against a signed acknowledgement, or in front of a witness |
| Common mistakes | Resigning by email, counting from the sending date, forgetting job-seeker registration |
This guide is for employees who want to give ordinary notice of resignation (Eigenkündigung) from a job in Germany. It does not cover a dismissal by your employer or an agreement to end employment (Aufhebungsvertrag). Check your employment contract and any applicable collective agreement (Tarifvertrag) before choosing your end date. If your employer has dismissed you, get advice quickly: a claim against a dismissal must usually be filed within three weeks.
A signed original is required
§ 623 BGB requires statutory written form for ending employment and expressly excludes electronic form. Together with § 126 BGB, this means a paper document with your own handwritten signature. Email, WhatsApp, a scanned signed PDF or a signature image printed by a mailing service does not replace the signed original, and even a qualified electronic signature is not enough here. Prepare the text, print it, sign the original and deliver it yourself. For this reason, this guide offers no online print-and-post option for a resignation.
Check the notice period and end date
Under § 622(1) BGB, the statutory notice for employees is four weeks to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month. Four weeks is not the same as one month. The longer periods in § 622(2) BGB, which grow with length of service, bind only the employer unless your contract or collective agreement extends them to you, which is common. Work back from an allowed end date and count from the day your employer receives the letter. For example, if your employer receives your resignation on 10 March, four weeks end on 7 April, so the earliest end date is 15 April. The examples do not calculate or guarantee a valid end date.
Probation and fixed-term contracts
During an agreed probation period (Probezeit) of up to six months, § 622(3) BGB allows two weeks’ notice to any day, unless a collective agreement provides otherwise. Not every job has probation, and once it has ended the normal notice period applies. A fixed-term contract (befristeter Arbeitsvertrag) can only be terminated early with notice if the contract or the applicable collective agreement allows it (§ 15(4) TzBfG). A probation period in a fixed-term contract must also be proportionate to the expected length of the contract and the type of work (§ 15(3) TzBfG). If your fixed-term contract has no termination clause, you cannot simply resign early; ask your employer about an agreed end date instead.
German example: ordinary resignation
Add your name and address, the employer’s correct name and address, the date and your personnel number if you have one. Fill in the end date only after checking your contract and when the employer will receive the letter, then sign the paper original. The fallback wording “hilfsweise zum nächstmöglichen zulässigen Termin” makes the resignation effective at the next permitted date if your date is wrong; it does not replace a missing right to resign or a missing signature. Keep a copy. Asking for confirmation does not fix the end date or replace delivery of the original.
Ordentliche Kündigung meines Arbeitsverhältnisses — [Personalnummer, falls vorhanden]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
hiermit kündige ich mein Arbeitsverhältnis ordentlich und fristgerecht zum [geprüftes Enddatum], hilfsweise zum nächstmöglichen zulässigen Termin.
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir den Erhalt dieser Kündigung und das Datum, zu dem mein Arbeitsverhältnis endet.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen [Ort, Datum, Name und eigenhändige Originalunterschrift]
Handover, leave and unemployment benefit
Agree on the handover of your work, remaining holiday, any release from work (Freistellung), your final pay and the return of equipment. Remaining holiday does not automatically shorten your notice period or let you stop working early. You can ask for a reference (Arbeitszeugnis) and other end-of-employment documents. Resigning without an important reason usually leads to a Sperrzeit of up to 12 weeks without unemployment benefit, which can also shorten your total entitlement (§ 159 SGB III). You must register as a job seeker with the Agentur für Arbeit at least three months before your job ends, or within three days if you learn the end date later (§ 38 SGB III). Ask the Agentur für Arbeit about your situation before you resign.
Deliver the original and keep evidence
Under § 130 BGB, what counts is when your employer receives the letter; posting it before the deadline is not enough. Hand the signed original to your employer or a person authorised to receive it, and have them sign an acknowledgement on a separate copy, or bring a witness who has read the letter. If you post it, allow for delivery time; tracking shows that an item arrived, not what it contained. The acknowledgement below is for the recipient to complete; it does not replace your signed resignation. Do not use online print-and-post to deliver the required original.
Empfangsbestätigung auf einer separaten Kopie
Das eigenhändig unterschriebene Original der Kündigung von [Name des Arbeitnehmers] wurde am [Datum] um [Uhrzeit] entgegengenommen.
[Name und Funktion der empfangsberechtigten Person] [Unterschrift der empfangenden Person]
Official sources
References used and links to the rules currently in force.
- § 623 BGB — Schriftform der KündigungGesetze im Internet
- § 126 BGB — SchriftformGesetze im Internet
- § 622 BGB — Kündigungsfristen bei ArbeitsverhältnissenGesetze im Internet
- § 15 TzBfG — Ende des befristeten ArbeitsvertragesGesetze im Internet
- § 130 BGB — Zugang der WillenserklärungGesetze im Internet
- § 38 SGB III — Pflicht zur frühzeitigen ArbeitsuchendmeldungGesetze im Internet
- § 159 SGB III — SperrzeitGesetze im Internet
- § 4 KSchG — Klagefrist bei Kündigung durch den ArbeitgeberGesetze im Internet
- Kündigung, Abfindung, FreistellungBundesagentur für Arbeit
Information current as of the last verification date. This guide is informational and is not legal advice — for a complex situation, consult a qualified professional.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice must I give my employer in Germany?
By law, four weeks to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month (§ 622(1) BGB), unless your contract or collective agreement sets a different period. The longer periods that grow with length of service bind the employer by law; they apply to you only if your contract extends them to you.
Can I resign by email or WhatsApp?
No. A resignation must be in writing with your handwritten signature on the original (§ 623 BGB), and electronic form is expressly excluded. A resignation sent by email, WhatsApp or as a scan is invalid, so your employment continues.
What is the notice period during probation?
During an agreed probation period of up to six months, either side can terminate with two weeks’ notice to any day (§ 622(3) BGB), unless a collective agreement says otherwise. Once probation has ended, the normal period applies.
Will I get unemployment benefit if I resign?
Resigning without an important reason usually leads to a Sperrzeit: up to 12 weeks without unemployment benefit, which can also shorten your total entitlement (§ 159 SGB III). You must register as a job seeker with the Agentur für Arbeit at least three months before the job ends, or within three days of learning the end date (§ 38 SGB III).
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