Germany · BUrlG

Vacation Entitlement in Germany

How many paid vacation days you are owed under German law, how it is prorated when you join or leave mid-year, and how part-time changes it — explained in English for expats and HR teams.

The statutory minimum

The Federal Leave Act (Bundesurlaubsgesetz, BUrlG) sets a minimum of 24 working days per year on a six-day week. Because most people work five days, this is usually expressed as 20 days. Entitlement scales with the number of working days per week:

Statutory leave = (working days per week × 24) ÷ 6

So a 5-day week gives 20 days, a 4-day week 16, and a 3-day week 12. Many contracts grant more (commonly 28–30 on a 5-day week).

Proration for a mid-year start or leaving date

Partial leave = (full months employed ÷ 12) × annual leave

Starting on 1 August with 30 days' contractual leave gives (5 ÷ 12) × 30 = 12.5 days, rounded up to 13. Full entitlement is earned after the six-month qualifying period (§ 4 BUrlG). If you leave from 1 July onward after qualifying, you keep the full statutory minimum rather than a prorated share.

Working time in Germany

German public holidays by state→ Overtime in Germany→ German working hours calculator→ Urlaubstage berechnen (auf Deutsch)→

Frequently asked questions

The statutory minimum under the Federal Leave Act (Bundesurlaubsgesetz, BUrlG) is 24 working days on a 6-day week — equivalent to 20 days on a 5-day week. Most contracts and collective agreements grant more, commonly 28–30 days on a 5-day week.
For each full month of employment you earn one twelfth of the annual leave: partial leave = (full months ÷ 12) × annual leave. Starting on 1 August with 30 days' contractual leave gives (5 ÷ 12) × 30 = 12.5 days. Full entitlement is earned after the six-month qualifying period (§ 4 BUrlG).
Under § 5 (2) BUrlG, fractions of a leave day that amount to at least half a day are rounded up to a full day. A calculated 12.5 days therefore becomes 13. Fractions below half a day may not be rounded down by the employer.
If you leave from 1 July onward and have completed the six-month qualifying period, you keep the full statutory minimum (20 days on a 5-day week), not just a prorated part. Contractual extra leave may be reduced only if the contract contains a pro-rata-temporis clause.
Yes. Entitlement scales with weekly working days: leave = (individual working days per week × 24) ÷ 6. A 4-day week gives (4 × 24) ÷ 6 = 16 statutory days; a 3-day week gives 12.
In principle leave must be taken within the calendar year. Carry-over into the first quarter of the next year is only allowed for urgent operational or personal reasons. Employers must also actively enable employees to take their leave, or it does not lapse.

Note: This calculator and its content offer general guidance based on the assumptions given and do not constitute legal advice. The applicable statute, collective agreement and employment contract prevail.