- Price
- €7.95incl. VAT, 2 pages included
- Delivery time
- Next business dayusually, after handover to the post
- Proof
- Delivery recordinto the letterbox, + tracking
- Handed to the post
- Upload by 12:00Central European Time on a business day, posted the same day
- Counts as
- Domestic registered mailprinted and posted in Germany
What form does a German cancellation need?
For a phone, internet, gym, streaming, magazine or insurance contract, text form is enough. Contract terms may not ask for a stricter form. A printed letter without a handwritten signature is valid.
Einschreiben Einwurf is your proof: Deutsche Post records when the letter was put in the provider's letterbox or PO box. From that day the cancellation counts as received.
What else should you check?
If you signed up on a website, the provider must offer a cancellation button there. You can use it as well. Save the confirmation it has to send you.
A residential lease or an employment contract ends only with an original carrying your handwritten signature. Sign it yourself in ink and hand over the original against a signed receipt.
Which notice periods apply?
| Contract | Notice |
|---|---|
| Fixed-term contract signed on or after 1 March 2022, during the minimum term | At least one month before the minimum term ends |
| The same contract after it renewed automatically | Any time, with at most one month's notice |
| Phone and internet after the minimum term | Any time, with one month's notice |
| Contract with no fixed term | The period in your contract, often one to three months |
| Car insurance | One month before the insurance year ends, usually by 30 November |
What counts is the day the cancellation reaches the provider, not the day you send it.
How do you cancel by Einschreiben from abroad?
- Write the cancellationUse the German sample below with your customer and contract number.
- Save it as a PDFPut the provider's address top left, where the envelope window is.
- Upload and payBy 12:00 Central European time on a business day, it is posted the same day.
- Keep your proofThe tracking number and proof PDF, until the provider confirms the end date.
Sample cancellation letter in German
In German, the language your provider reads. Replace the parts in brackets.
Kündigung meines Vertrags
Kundennummer: [Nummer]
Vertragsnummer: [Nummer]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
hiermit kündige ich den oben genannten Vertrag fristgerecht zum [Datum], hilfsweise zum nächstmöglichen Termin.
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir die Kündigung und das Datum, an dem der Vertrag endet, schriftlich. Das SEPA-Lastschriftmandat widerrufe ich zum Vertragsende.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[Vorname Nachname]
[Anschrift]
What to check before you send
- If you do not know the exact end date, keep "hilfsweise zum nächstmöglichen Termin" (or else at the next possible date). The cancellation then works even if your date is wrong.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to sign the cancellation by hand?
No. For consumer contracts such as phone, gym or insurance, text form is enough. Your name at the end of the letter will do.
Is there an online alternative?
Yes. For a contract signed on a website, the provider must offer a cancellation button. The Einschreiben helps when you want proof that does not sit with the provider.
What proof do I get?
The tracking number and the dated drop recorded by Deutsche Post, plus a proof PDF with your letter.
When is my cancellation in time?
When it is in the provider's letterbox before the deadline. Uploaded by 12:00 Central European time, it is posted the same business day and usually delivered the next.
What if the provider does not confirm?
The cancellation still takes effect on receipt. Ask for written confirmation and show the delivery record if they dispute it.
Can I end an employment contract this way?
That needs an original with your handwritten signature. Sign it yourself and hand it over against a signed receipt.