Severance pay in Germany
Find when employment ends under the statutory notice periods and estimate the gross severance (Abfindung) and the payout of untaken leave in Germany.
These calculations follow German law (BGB, KSchG and BUrlG) for private-sector employees, in force on 10/19/2026.
Amounts are gross, in euros (€), before income tax and social security contributions.
This is an estimate. Collective agreements, the employment contract and individual circumstances can grant more than the statutory minimum; check with the employer, a lawyer or the labour authority before making decisions.
How the Germany severance calculator works
Notice under section 622 of the Civil Code (BGB): the basic period is 4 weeks, ending on the 15th or on the last day of a calendar month. When the employer gives notice, the period grows with service: 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 month. During an agreed probation period (Probezeit) it is 2 weeks. The page counts from the date the notice was received, shows the resulting end date and then uses it to measure your length of service.
Severance (Abfindung): German law gives no general right to it. Under section 1a of the Protection Against Dismissal Act (KSchG) the employer may offer 0.5 of a monthly salary per year of service in a dismissal for operational reasons, and a period of more than 6 months is rounded up to a full year. The Act applies after more than 6 months of service in a business with more than 10 employees, which this page assumes. In a termination agreement (Aufhebungsvertrag) the factor is negotiated; 0.5 is common, and you can enter your own.
Untaken leave (Urlaubsabgeltung): leave that cannot be taken before employment ends must be paid out. The daily rate is the pay of the last 3 months divided by 13 weeks and by your working days per week, so a monthly salary of 4,000 euros in a 5-day week gives about 184.62 euros per day. The statutory minimum is 24 working days (Werktage) in a 6-day week, which equals 20 days in a 5-day week; contracts often grant more. Enter the days that are still owed to you.
Limits: every amount is a gross estimate before income tax and social security contributions. The final month is paid pro rata, and the normal salary during the notice period is not added. A 13th salary and bonuses are contractual and are not included. Collective agreements can change the notice periods. A termination agreement may suspend unemployment benefit for up to 12 weeks (Sperrzeit). Court awards and settlements are out of scope. This is an estimate, not legal advice, so check the result with a lawyer or an accountant.