Arbeitsvertrag: How to Read a German Employment Contract (Clauses, Legal Minimums, Questions)
Every Arbeitsvertrag must respect legal minimums: probation of at most six months with two weeks’ notice, then at least four weeks’ notice to the 15th or end of a month, 8 working hours a day (up to 10 with averaging) and 20 days’ paid leave on a five-day week. Below is the Arbeitsvertrag German vocabulary, clause by clause.
Checked in October 2026 against the statute texts of the BGB, ArbZG, BUrlG, TzBfG, KSchG and NachwG, the Federal Statistical Office (working hours) and the Federal Government (minimum wage). This is a language and orientation guide, not legal advice. Collective agreements and individual contracts can give you more than the legal minimum.
Arbeitsvertrag German glossary: the clauses in a table
The same clause can appear under different headings, but these are in almost every contract.
| Clause | German term | What it covers | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Beginn des Arbeitsverhältnisses | First working day | Fits your visa and recognition timeline |
| Role | Tätigkeit, Aufgabengebiet | Your job title and duties | Title matches what was agreed (e.g. Pflegefachkraft, not Pflegehilfskraft) |
| Place | Arbeitsort, Versetzungsklausel | Where you work | Can you be moved to other sites? |
| Probation | Probezeit | Trial period | No longer than 6 months |
| Pay | Vergütung, Bruttomonatsgehalt | Your salary | Gross, pay date, supplements |
| Hours | Arbeitszeit, Wochenarbeitszeit | Hours per week | Shifts, nights, weekends |
| Overtime | Überstunden, Mehrarbeit | Extra hours | Paid, time off, or “included” |
| Leave | Urlaubsanspruch | Paid holiday | Working days or Werktage? |
| Term | befristet / unbefristet | Fixed-term or indefinite | End date and reason |
| Notice | Kündigungsfrist | How to end the contract | Same for both sides? |
| Collective agreement | Tarifvertrag (e.g. TVöD) | Pay tables and rules | Which one, which pay group (Entgeltgruppe) |
| Side jobs | Nebentätigkeit | Second job | Must you ask permission? |
| Confidentiality | Verschwiegenheitspflicht | Business and patient data | Standard |
| Sickness | Arbeitsunfähigkeit, Krankmeldung | Reporting sick | From which day you need a sick note |
| Claim deadlines | Ausschlussfristen | Claims expire if not raised in time | How many months |
| Repayment | Rückzahlungsklausel | Repaying relocation, visa or course costs if you leave early | Amount and how it decreases |
For the sick-note clause, see calling in sick in Germany. For the salary line, see how to read a German payslip.
The legal minimums (as of October 2026)
| Topic | Legal rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Probation | At most 6 months; during it, 2 weeks’ notice | § 622 (3) BGB |
| Standard notice | 4 weeks to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month | § 622 (1) BGB |
| Employer’s notice after longer service | 1 month after 2 years, rising to 7 months after 20 years, always to the end of a month | § 622 (2) BGB |
| Your notice | May not be longer than the employer’s | § 622 (6) BGB |
| How to give notice | On paper with a handwritten signature; email or messenger is not valid | § 623 BGB |
| Protection against dismissal | Applies once you have worked more than 6 months in the same business (very small businesses are exempt) | § 1 KSchG |
| Daily hours | 8 hours per working day; up to 10 if the average over 6 months or 24 weeks stays at 8 | § 3 ArbZG |
| Breaks | 30 minutes for more than 6 hours, 45 minutes for more than 9 hours | § 4 ArbZG |
| Rest between shifts | 11 hours without interruption; hospitals, care, hospitality and some other sectors may shorten it by 1 hour with compensation | § 5 ArbZG |
| Sundays and public holidays | No work from 0 to 24 h, with exceptions (below) | §§ 9–11 ArbZG |
| Paid leave | At least 24 Werktage, which equals 20 days on a five-day week; full entitlement after 6 months | §§ 3, 4 BUrlG |
| Fixed term without a reason | Up to 2 years in total, with up to 3 extensions; must be in writing | § 14 TzBfG |
| Written terms | The employer must give you the essential conditions in writing, some on your first working day; since 2025 often by email (not in all sectors) | § 2 NachwG |
| Minimum wage | 13.90 euros gross per hour in 2026, 14.60 euros from 2027 | MiLoG |
Two words cause confusion. Werktage are Monday to Saturday, so the legal weekly maximum is 48 hours on average. Arbeitstage are the days you actually work, usually Monday to Friday. A contract that says “24 Werktage” and one that says “20 Arbeitstage” give you the same amount of leave.
Collective agreements (Tarifverträge) may set different notice periods, so in a hospital under a collective agreement the numbers in your contract can differ from the table.
The Probezeit (probation period)
The Probezeit is not automatic: it only exists if the contract says so. It can last up to six months, and during that time either side can end the contract with two weeks’ notice, on any day. A typical clause:
Die ersten sechs Monate gelten als Probezeit. Während der Probezeit kann das Arbeitsverhältnis von beiden Seiten mit einer Frist von zwei Wochen gekündigt werden.
The first six months are a probation period. During probation, either party may terminate the employment with two weeks’ notice.
Separately, protection against unfair dismissal only starts after six months, so in that period the employer usually does not need to give a reason.
Befristet vs unbefristet
An unbefristeter Vertrag has no end date. A befristeter Vertrag ends automatically on a set date or when a task is finished:
Das Arbeitsverhältnis ist bis zum 31.12.2027 befristet.
The employment is fixed-term until 31 December 2027.
What the law says:
- With an objective reason (Sachgrund), such as covering parental leave or a time-limited project, a fixed term can be longer.
- Without a reason, the maximum is two years in total, with up to three extensions within those two years. This is generally not possible if you have worked for the same employer before.
- The time limit must be in writing. If it is not valid, the contract counts as indefinite.
- Early notice: a fixed-term contract can only be ended early by ordinary notice if the contract or the collective agreement allows it. Check for a sentence such as Das Recht zur ordentlichen Kündigung bleibt unberührt.
How many hours do Germans work?
According to the Federal Statistical Office, full-time workers in Germany usually worked 40.2 hours a week in 2025, and the average across all workers, including part-time, was 34.2 hours. Part-time workers averaged 20.9 hours.
Your contract should state an exact weekly figure, for example 38.5 or 40 hours. If it only says nach betrieblichen Erfordernissen (according to operational needs), ask for the number.
Overtime: German law limits the hours but does not give a general right to an overtime premium. Whether overtime is paid, paid with a supplement, or compensated with time off depends on your contract or collective agreement. Be careful with a clause like Überstunden sind mit dem Gehalt abgegolten (overtime is covered by the salary): ask how many hours that means.
How much vacation do you get?
The legal minimum is 20 days on a five-day week. Many employers give more; your contract or collective agreement states the exact number. Public holidays are not counted as leave days. Part-time workers get leave in proportion to their working days: three days a week means at least 12 days a year (24 × 3/6).
Sunday work
Work on Sundays and public holidays is banned in principle, but the law lists many exceptions, including emergency services, hospitals and care facilities, and restaurants and hotels. If you work in one of these sectors, Sunday shifts can be part of your job. The law protects you in two ways: at least 15 Sundays a year must stay free, and for every Sunday you work you get a replacement day off within two weeks. Sunday supplements (Sonntagszuschläge) usually come from your contract or collective agreement, not from a general legal right.
Arbeitsvertrag German phrases: 10 questions to ask before signing
Ask these in the interview or by email before you sign. For the interview itself, see German job interview phrases.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Gilt ein Tarifvertrag? Wenn ja, in welche Entgeltgruppe werde ich eingruppiert? | Does a collective agreement apply? If so, which pay group will I be in? |
| Ist das Gehalt brutto, und sind die Zuschläge schon enthalten? | Is the salary gross, and are supplements already included? |
| Wie viele Stunden pro Woche arbeite ich, und wie wird der Dienstplan erstellt? | How many hours a week will I work, and how is the rota made? |
| Wie werden Überstunden erfasst und ausgeglichen? | How is overtime recorded and compensated? |
| Wie viele Urlaubstage habe ich bei einer Fünftagewoche? | How many days of leave do I get on a five-day week? |
| Ist der Vertrag befristet? Wenn ja, aus welchem Grund? | Is the contract fixed-term? If so, for what reason? |
| Wie lange dauert die Probezeit? | How long is the probation period? |
| Gibt es eine Rückzahlungsklausel, zum Beispiel für Umzugs- oder Sprachkurskosten? | Is there a repayment clause, for example for relocation or language course costs? |
| Muss ich eine Nebentätigkeit genehmigen lassen? | Do I need permission for a side job? |
| Kann ich mir den Vertrag ein paar Tage in Ruhe ansehen? | Can I take a few days to look at the contract? |
Say the questions out loud before the meeting. Reading them is easy; asking them calmly while an HR manager is waiting is harder. SipLingo gives you voice conversations with an AI partner in work situations and corrects grammar and word order in your own language. It helps with the language, not with the legal content of your contract.
Red flags before you sign
- No written contract, or the employer will not give you a copy. You are entitled to the essential terms in writing.
- Only a net salary is stated, or the hourly pay works out below the minimum wage.
- Probation longer than six months.
- Your notice period is longer than the employer’s. That is not allowed.
- “All overtime is included” with no limit and a salary that is not high.
- High repayment sums for relocation, visa or training that do not decrease over time, or that apply even if the employer ends the contract.
- Leave below 20 days on a five-day week.
- Pressure to sign today, especially when the contract is in a language you cannot read well.
Where to get help
- A trade union (Gewerkschaft): members usually get free labour-law advice. In health and care, ver.di is the large union.
- A labour lawyer (Fachanwalt / Fachanwältin für Arbeitsrecht): ask the fee for a first consultation.
- Faire Integration: a free counselling service on labour and social-insurance law for people from non-EU countries. Since 1 January 2026, employers who hire third-country nationals from abroad must tell them about it in text form by the first working day.
- The works council (Betriebsrat), if your workplace has one.
For the German level employers usually expect, see what German level you need to work in Germany.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Federal Ministry of Justice (gesetze-im-internet): § 2 Nachweisgesetz: what a work contract must state (German) – Legal list of essential employment terms the employer must document
- Federal Government: Minimum wage 2026: €13.90 per hour (German) – Minimum wage €13.90 (2026) and €14.60 (2027); minijob limit €603
Frequently asked questions
How many hours a week do Germans work?
Full-time workers usually worked 40.2 hours a week in 2025, according to the Federal Statistical Office; across all workers the average was 34.2 hours. The legal limit is 8 hours per working day, up to 10 if it averages out.
What is the Probezeit in Germany?
A probation period of up to six months that must be agreed in the contract. During it, either side can end the contract with two weeks’ notice.
How much vacation do you get in Germany?
At least 20 paid days a year on a five-day week (24 Werktage on a six-day basis). Many contracts give more, and public holidays come on top.
Is it illegal to work on a Sunday in Germany?
Sunday work is banned in principle, but there are many exceptions, for example in hospitals, care, emergency services, restaurants and hotels. If you work Sundays, you get a replacement day off and at least 15 free Sundays a year.
What is a befristeter Arbeitsvertrag?
A fixed-term contract that ends on a set date or when a task is done. Without an objective reason it can last at most two years with up to three extensions, and the time limit must be in writing.
Practise asking about pay, hours and leave in German before your next contract talk.
