About this tool
Under the German Federal Vacation Act (Bundesurlaubsgesetz, BUrlG), employees are entitled to at least 24 working days of vacation per year. The law assumes a 6-day week; for a 5-day week that is 20 days. Employment contracts often provide more, e.g. 30 days. Part-timers working fewer days get proportionally fewer vacation days, but the same number of weeks off.
It gets complicated when changing jobs: if you start or leave during the year, you get either the full entitlement or 1/12 for each full month, depending on the date. The calculator applies the rules of §§ 4 and 5 BUrlG, rounds according to § 5 (2) and includes the additional leave for severely disabled people under § 208 SGB IX.
How it works
- Enter the year and the vacation days from your contract, plus the working days per week they refer to (usually 5).
- Enter your actual working days per week, e.g. 3 when working part-time.
- If you started or are leaving this year, enter the date.
- The result shows your entitlement and explains which rule applies.
Frequently asked questions
How much vacation do I get part-time?
Vacation days are converted in proportion to your working days: 30 days at a 5-day week become 30 × 3 / 5 = 18 days at 3 working days. That is also 6 weeks off. The number of hours per day does not matter.
How much vacation do I get if I start during the year?
The full entitlement only arises after 6 months (waiting period, § 4 BUrlG). If you start in the second half of the year, i.e. after 1 July, the waiting period is not completed in that year and you get 1/12 per full month. If you start on or before 1 July, you are entitled to the full annual leave by law. Many contracts, however, reduce the extra days above the minimum pro rata; the calculator then shows both values.
What applies if I quit?
If you leave on or before 30 June, you get 1/12 per full month (§ 5 (1) c BUrlG). If you leave after 30 June and were employed for at least 6 months, you are entitled to at least the full statutory leave. Vacation you can no longer take is paid out.
How is it rounded?
Under § 5 (2) BUrlG, fractions of half a day or more are rounded up to a full day. Smaller fractions are not rounded down but remain as an entitlement in hours: 12.5 days become 13, 4.33 days stay 4.33.
How do I plan my vacation best?
Bridge days turn a few vacation days into many days off. Which ones those are in your German state is shown by Public Holidays & Bridge Days. The Date Calculator counts working days between two dates.