A resignation letter in Germany must generally be a paper document with your original handwritten signature; email, fax, or a scanned signature is not enough. Use the template below to state your resignation clearly, check your notice period, and leave time for the signed letter to reach your employer.
Why the Written Form Matters in Germany
For ending an employment relationship, German law requires written form under Section 623 of the German Civil Code (BGB). In practical terms, prepare a physical letter and sign it by hand. A typed name, an email, a message, or a photograph of a signed page does not meet this requirement. Electronic form is expressly excluded for this kind of termination.
The letter should make your intention unmistakable: you are ending your employment, rather than merely asking about the possibility of leaving. You do not generally have to explain your reasons when you resign from an ordinary open-ended job. A brief, neutral statement is usually enough. The employer does not have to accept the resignation for it to take effect, but you should be able to show that the valid signed original arrived.
This article covers general information. If your situation calls for an individual legal assessment, ask a qualified professional.
Check Your Notice Period Before Choosing an End Date
Do not assume that giving four weeks’ notice always means your final day is exactly four weeks after you write the letter. Under the statutory default in Section 622 BGB, an employee’s notice period is generally four weeks to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month. Your employment contract or an applicable collective agreement may set different terms, so read the relevant clauses before choosing a date.
A shorter statutory period applies during an agreed probationary period, which can last no more than six months: notice is generally two weeks, and it need not end on the 15th or the last day of a month. The contract or a collective agreement may affect the rules. After longer service, the statutory notice periods that increase with an employee’s length of service apply to employer dismissals. An employee’s own notice period does not automatically increase in the same way, but a contract may provide a longer period, subject to statutory limits, including the rule that an employee’s period cannot be longer than the employer’s.
Check these points before inserting a date:
- Whether your contract specifies a notice period or a required notice date.
- Whether you are still in a probationary period.
- Whether a collective agreement applies to your job.
- Whether the contract is fixed-term and permits ordinary termination.
- How many days are needed for the letter to reach the employer before the applicable deadline.
Where the exact date is uncertain, a letter can state an intended date and add that the resignation is, alternatively, effective on the next legally permissible date. That wording helps avoid a date error, but it does not replace checking the contract or relevant rules.
Resignation Letter Template
Your full name: ________________________________________
Your street and house number: ___________________________
Postal code and town: ___________________________________
Employer name: _________________________________________
Employer address: _______________________________________
Place and date: _________________________________________
Subject: Resignation of my employment
Dear Sir or Madam,
I hereby resign from my employment, observing the applicable notice period, with effect from ____________________. Alternatively, I resign at the next legally permissible date.
Please confirm receipt of this letter and the date on which my employment will end. Please also provide information about the return of any company property and the arrangements for my final working day.
Yours sincerely,
Handwritten signature: __________________________________
Printed name: __________________________________________
Sample — fictional details:
Lea Example, 12 Linden Street, 12345 Sampletown
Example Services GmbH, 8 Market Square, 12345 Sampletown
Sampletown, 3 March 2026
Subject: Resignation of my employment
Dear Sir or Madam,
I hereby resign from my employment, observing the applicable notice period, with effect from 30 April 2026. Alternatively, I resign at the next legally permissible date.
Please confirm receipt of this letter and the date on which my employment will end.
Yours sincerely,
Lea Example
The sample is fictional. A real letter must be printed and signed by hand; the typed sample name is not a signature.
What to Put in the Letter—and What to Leave Out
A useful resignation letter is brief, specific, and professional. Include your name and address, the employer’s name and address, the date and place, a clear subject line, an unambiguous resignation statement, and your handwritten signature. A date for the end of employment is helpful if you have checked it. If you are not certain, use a next-permissible-date fallback as in the template.
You do not need to include a long explanation, criticism, or account of a disagreement. Such details can distract from the key point and are not usually needed to make an ordinary resignation clear. Keep a polite tone even if you are leaving on difficult terms. You can separately ask about a reference, remaining holiday, or the return of equipment; the resignation itself should remain easy to identify.
Address the letter to your employer, using the name of the legal employer shown in your contract or payslip where possible. If you work at a branch or for a group, do not assume that the location’s trading name is the legal employer. When in doubt about the correct recipient or signing authority, check your employment documents or ask the employer’s HR contact.
How to Deliver the Signed Letter
The resignation must reach the employer to take effect. The date you write or post it is not necessarily the date it is received. This matters when a notice period runs to a particular day of the month: a letter that arrives after the relevant deadline may lead to a later end date.
For a straightforward delivery, hand the signed original to an appropriate recipient and keep a copy. You can ask the recipient to acknowledge receipt on your copy with the date. If you cannot deliver it personally, choose a delivery method that gives you reliable evidence of when it reached the correct address. Keep the postal receipt and a copy of the letter, but remember that a posting receipt alone may not establish the contents of the envelope or prove the date it arrived.
Do not rely on email as a substitute for the paper original, even if you also send a scan as a courtesy. If you send an advance email, make clear that the signed original is being delivered separately; the email itself does not satisfy the required form.
Fixed-Term Jobs, Probation, and Special Circumstances
For an open-ended employment contract, an employee will usually be considering an ordinary resignation with notice. A fixed-term contract is different: ordinary termination before its agreed end date is generally possible only if the contract or an applicable collective agreement allows it. Read the fixed-term clause rather than assuming the usual notice rules automatically let you leave early.
Probation does not mean that a resignation can be sent informally. The written-form requirement still applies, while the notice period may be shorter if the legal and contractual conditions for a probationary period are met. Check the start and end of the probation period and the wording of your contract before calculating the last day.
Other situations—such as a disputed termination date, a special contractual clause, or a planned immediate departure—may raise issues beyond a basic template. Do not treat an ordinary resignation letter as a substitute for checking whether a different procedure applies. Where the consequences or rules are unclear, seek qualified, situation-specific assistance.
After You Resign: Confirm the Practical Details
Once the letter has been delivered, keep your copy and any evidence of receipt. Ask the employer to confirm the effective end date in writing. That confirmation is useful for planning, but the resignation does not normally depend on the employer signing an acceptance. If the employer gives a different end date, compare its calculation with your contract and the date the letter arrived.
Agree how to handle handover, company keys or devices, and any other property. Ask the employer how remaining holiday and final payroll matters will be handled, rather than assuming they are settled simply because you resigned. If you need an employment reference, request it separately and keep the request professional. Make a personal note of agreed arrangements and return property in a way that can be documented.
Do not stop attending work merely because you have handed in your resignation. Unless a different arrangement has been agreed or a lawful basis applies, you remain employed until the employment relationship ends and are expected to follow your usual obligations. If you want to leave earlier, discuss a written mutual termination agreement with the employer rather than treating the resignation letter as permission to shorten the notice period.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Sending only an email: It does not meet the required written form for ending employment.
- Using a typed or pasted signature: Sign the paper original by hand.
- Choosing a date from guesswork: Check the contract, any collective agreement, and the time needed for delivery.
- Sending it to the wrong recipient: Use the legal employer’s correct address and allow enough time for receipt.
- Assuming a fixed-term job can always be ended early: Check whether ordinary termination is permitted by the agreement.
- Leaving without a clear record: Keep a copy and evidence of delivery, and ask for written confirmation of the end date.
These are practical safeguards, not guarantees about how a particular dispute will be decided. A clear letter and careful delivery reduce avoidable uncertainty, but they cannot correct a notice period that has been calculated incorrectly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I resign from a German job by email?
No. A resignation ending an employment relationship generally needs a paper document with an original handwritten signature. An email, fax, or scan is not a substitute, even if the employer replies to it.
Do I have to give a reason for resigning?
For an ordinary employee resignation, a reason is generally not required. A short, clear statement of resignation is enough for the letter. Special circumstances may involve different considerations, so do not assume every type of termination follows the same rules.
What is the notice period for an employee in Germany?
The statutory default is generally four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month. A two-week period generally applies during a qualifying probationary period. Your employment contract or an applicable collective agreement may change the calculation, so check those documents before setting your final date.
Does my employer have to accept my resignation?
Ordinarily, the employer does not need to accept the resignation for it to take effect. The signed letter must, however, reach the employer. Requesting confirmation is sensible because it creates a record of receipt and the employer’s view of the end date.
Can I resign before a fixed-term contract ends?
Ordinary early termination is generally available only if the fixed-term contract or an applicable collective agreement permits it. Check the written terms before relying on the usual notice period; if the situation is unclear, ask a qualified professional for an individual assessment.
Should I use a specific end date or the next permissible date?
Use a specific date only after checking the relevant notice period and delivery deadline. If you are unsure, stating an intended date together with a fallback to the next legally permissible date can make your intention clearer, but it is still important to verify the calculation.