German Workers’ Moving Leave: No Automatic Right, but Collective Bargains and Company Perks Fill the Gap
Published on 07/16/2026 at 19:44 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The common belief that German employees are entitled to a paid day off when they move house is largely a myth. The law does not grant a general statutory right to special leave for a private relocation. Instead, entitlements depend on the type of move, collective labour agreements, or individual employment contracts.
The key legal provision is §616 of the German Civil Code (BGB). It states that employees do not lose their pay if they are prevented from working for a relatively insignificant period due to a personal reason beyond their control. Legal experts, however, regard a private move as something that can be planned and is the employee’s own responsibility, meaning it usually falls outside this rule.
The situation is different for work-related moves. If an employer orders a transfer that requires a change of residence, employees generally have a right to one or two days of paid special leave. Many employment contracts explicitly exclude or limit the application of §616, further restricting any claim.
Collective agreements offer clearer rules. In the public sector under the TVöD (Tarifvertrag für den öffentlichen Dienst), workers get one day of special leave for an officially required move. If multiple transfers are ordered within a short period, the allowance can increase to up to three days.
In manufacturing, the IG Metall collective deal grants employees one paid day off for a move involving their own household. The nursing sector has its own rules since 1 July 2026: the Pflegearbeitsbedingungenverordnung (PflegeArbbV) provides additional leave days for care staff not covered by a collective agreement. This regulation is temporary, running until 30 September 2028.
Beyond statutory minimums, companies increasingly use special leave as a tool to retain staff. Recent job advertisements, for instance from TAG Immobilien AG, promote 30 regular vacation days plus explicit extra days for moving, weddings, or voluntary work.
Another often-overlooked area is educational leave. In most German states, employees have the right to up to five days per year for vocational or political training. Bavaria has no such law; Saxony plans to introduce one only in 2027.
The broader legal landscape is shifting. In mid-July 2026, the federal cabinet approved a draft law for “Job-to-Job-Erprobung” (job-to-job trial). Workers would be able to try out a new employer for up to four weeks—or six in exceptional cases—without terminating their existing contract. Separately, the coalition committee has concretised plans to reform fixed-term rules. From early 2027, fixed-term contracts without a specific reason (sachgrundlose Befristung) could be extended from the current two-year limit to up to four years.
These developments point to greater flexibility in employment relationships. Traditional leave entitlements for events like moving, however, continue to depend on individual contract terms, sector, and collective bargaining power.
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