Does the notice have to go by registered mail?
No. The law does not ask for registered mail (Einschreiben) but for written form: an original on paper, signed by hand. Electronic form is expressly excluded. Notice by email, fax, as a scan, with a printed signature or in an HR portal is void.
This applies to both sides: to your own resignation and to a dismissal by the employer. The issue is the hand-signed original, not the registered letter. How you deliver the original only decides whether you can prove it arrived.
Why is registered mail not the safest route here?
Whoever gives notice must prove the original arrived, and when. In 2025 the Federal Labour Court held that the posting receipt and tracking status of an Einschreiben Einwurf do not, on their own, prove receipt. In 2026 it added that the delivery record from the scan procedure does not raise a presumption of receipt either.
Safer is handing it over against a signed receipt on a copy, or a messenger who knows the contents and records the drop into the letterbox with date and time.
Which notice periods apply?
| Case | Notice |
|---|---|
| Employee resigns | Four weeks to the 15th or to the end of a calendar month |
| Agreed probation, at most six months | Two weeks |
| Employer dismisses, after two years' service | One month to the end of a month, rising to seven months after 20 years |
| Start of the period | Receipt of the hand-signed original |
| Employee's unfair dismissal claim | Three weeks from receipt of the notice |
Unless the employment contract or a collective agreement says otherwise:
How do you deliver the original?
The signed original must reach the employer. A copy or a printed scan is not enough.
- Print and signIn ink, on the original the employer receives.
- Make a copyYou keep the copy.
- Hand it over against a receiptHave receipt confirmed on the copy with the date.
- Or use a messengerThey read the letter, drop it in and note the date and time.
Sample resignation letter in German
In German, the language your employer reads. Print it and sign it in ink: without a handwritten signature the notice is void.
[Vorname Nachname]
[Anschrift]
[Arbeitgeber]
[Anschrift]
[Ort], [Datum]
Kündigung meines Arbeitsverhältnisses
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
hiermit kündige ich mein Arbeitsverhältnis fristgerecht zum [Datum], hilfsweise zum nächstmöglichen Termin.
Bitte bestätigen Sie mir den Erhalt dieser Kündigung und das Ende des Arbeitsverhältnisses schriftlich. Außerdem bitte ich um ein qualifiziertes Arbeitszeugnis.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[eigenhändige Unterschrift]
[Vorname Nachname]
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to resign by registered mail in Germany?
No. What the law requires is a hand-signed original. Registered mail is only one way to show it arrived, and not the strongest.
Can I resign by email in Germany?
No. Electronic form is excluded for ending an employment relationship. Email, fax, a scan and an HR portal are void.
Is a printed or scanned signature enough?
No. Written form needs a handwritten signature on the original the recipient gets.
How long is the notice period for an employee?
Unless agreed otherwise, four weeks to the 15th or the end of a month, and two weeks during an agreed probation. Contracts or collective agreements can differ.
What is the safest way to prove receipt?
Hand it over against a signed receipt on a copy, or use a messenger who knows the contents and records the drop-off.
Does the same apply to a dismissal by the employer?
Yes. The employer also needs a hand-signed original and must prove receipt. The employee then has three weeks to bring an unfair dismissal claim.