Probezeit in Germany: 9 questions workers ask most

At most 6 months. Three or six months are the most common. The Probezeit only exists if it is written in your contract or in a Tarifvertrag. If nothing is written, there is no Probezeit. For an Ausbildung the rule is different: the Probezeit must be between 1 and 4 months.

Two weeks, for you and for your employer. The notice can be given on any day, not only at the end of a month. Even on the last day of the Probezeit, a Kündigung with 2 weeks' notice is still possible. A Tarifvertrag can set a different period.

Usually no. The general protection against dismissal (Kündigungsschutzgesetz) only starts after you have worked 6 months without a break. But a Kündigung must never be discriminatory, for example because of your religion or origin. And a Kündigung of a pregnant woman is not allowed, also not in the Probezeit.

No. A Kündigung of a job must be on paper with a handwritten signature. A photo of the letter on WhatsApp is not enough — a German court decided this in 2022. This works both ways: if you want to quit, give your boss a signed letter and keep a copy or proof of delivery.

In the first 4 weeks of a new job, your employer does not have to pay you when you are sick. Your health insurance (Krankenkasse) then pays Krankengeld, which is less. After 4 weeks, your employer pays your normal wage for up to 6 weeks. Tell your boss on the first day you are sick, and follow the sick-note rules in your contract.

Yes, in the Probezeit this is possible, because no reason is needed. But if you were already entitled to sick pay, the employer must keep paying it for up to 6 weeks of that illness, even if the job ends.

You collect holiday from the first day: one twelfth of your yearly holiday for every full month. The full yearly holiday is yours after 6 months. Your employer may only say no for urgent work reasons or because colleagues are already on holiday — 'you are in Probezeit' alone is not a reason. If the job ends, unused holiday must be given or paid out.

In a fixed-term job, the Probezeit must fit the length of the contract and the kind of work. In October 2025 the Federal Labour Court (BAG) said there is no fixed percentage — it is decided case by case. In that case, 4 months of Probezeit in a 12-month contract was accepted.

Only if you have worked with insurance for at least 12 months within the last 30 months — jobs before the new one also count. Register with the Arbeitsagentur within 3 days after you get the Kündigung. If YOU quit the job yourself, there is usually a block (Sperrzeit) of 12 weeks without money, so talk to the Arbeitsagentur first.