Germany: full country reference

Allergen groups the EU food-information rules name Requirement EU rule applying in Germany

Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 lists the substances that cause allergies or intolerances: cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk (including lactose), nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seeds, sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10 mg/kg, lupin and molluscs, each with products made from them. In an ingredient list the name of such a substance must be emphasised in a typeset that sets it apart. This is a labelling rule for food businesses; it is not a guarantee that any venue or product is free of an allergen, and it says nothing about cross-contact in a kitchen.

Source: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers: Annex II and Articles 21 and 44 (EUR-Lex) (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 25 October 2011; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Loose food: allergen particulars are still mandatory Requirement National (federal law)

For food that is not prepacked, Article 44(1)(a) of the same Regulation makes the particulars named in Article 9(1)(c), the allergen information, mandatory. How a business provides them (for example orally or on a menu) is left to national rules, and no German format is stated here. Ask the venue and check the label; do not treat the absence of a warning as proof of safety.

Applies to: Cafes, canteens, bakeries and restaurants

Source: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers: Annex II and Articles 21 and 44 (EUR-Lex) (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 25 October 2011; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Vegan and vegetarian labels Requirement National (federal law)

The Federal Ministry of Food states that vegan and vegetarian products are subject to the general food-labelling rules (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011), that the state food authorities apply published definitions of the two terms when they assess labels, and that the guidelines of the German Food Code Commission are an orientation aid. Private seals are not government rules.

Source: Federal Ministry of Food: labelling of vegan and vegetarian foods (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 15 December 2025; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Gross pay is not take-home pay Requirement National (federal law)

The federal portal states that gross salary is the pay before tax and social security are taken off, and net salary is what is paid into your account. If the job is subject to compulsory social insurance, the employer deducts income tax and statutory contributions automatically. Any salary threshold quoted for a visa route is therefore a gross figure.

Source: Make it in Germany: work, salary and social security (Federal Government portal) (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 5 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Branches of social insurance deducted Requirement National (federal law)

The portal lists five statutory branches: health insurance, long-term care insurance, pension insurance, accident insurance and unemployment insurance. Employees are in the pension, long-term care, accident and unemployment schemes automatically; for health insurance they choose between statutory funds. The employer also pays a share. The page gives no split and no percentages, and neither do we.

Source: Make it in Germany: work, salary and social security (Federal Government portal) (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 5 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Withheld income tax is an estimate Requirement National (federal law)

The portal says the tax bracket depends on factors such as marital status, partner income, children and a second job, and church tax may apply for church members. Tax withheld during the year is an estimate; the final tax is set through an income tax return, which is compulsory in some cases (for example more than one employer) and voluntary in others. We publish no take-home calculator.

Source: Make it in Germany: work, salary and social security (Federal Government portal) (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 5 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Licence from outside the EU or EEA after you settle Requirement National (federal law)

If you establish your ordinary residence in Germany, a licence issued outside the EU/EEA stays valid for six months. The licensing authority may extend this by up to six months if you credibly show you will not keep your ordinary residence in Germany for more than twelve months. A licence that is not in a form covered by the conventions needs a translation from a recognised automobile club or a body named by the transport ministry, unless the requirement is waived.

Applies to: Holders of a non-EU/EEA licence who live in Germany

Source: § 29 FeV: foreign driving licences (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Licences that do not carry the right to drive Requirement National (federal law)

The right does not apply to holders of a learner or provisional licence, people under the minimum age, people whose licence was issued by a non-EU/EEA state while they already had their ordinary residence in Germany, or people whose licence was withdrawn, refused or is subject to a ban or seizure. The authority may issue a formal decision confirming the missing entitlement.

Source: § 29 FeV: foreign driving licences (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Right to a basic payment account Requirement National (federal law)

Banks that offer payment accounts to consumers must offer a basic account contract to any consumer lawfully resident in the EU, expressly including people with no fixed address and asylum seekers. People without a residence title are also covered if they cannot be removed for legal or practical reasons. The bank must offer the contract without undue delay and within ten business days of receiving the application, and must confirm receipt with a copy of the application. The identity and address documents the bank may ask for are set in § 33 ZKG, which this page does not cover.

Source: § 31 ZKG: right to a basic payment account (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Tax residence and immigration residence are different tests Requirement National (federal law)

A person with a residence or habitual abode in Germany is subject to unlimited income tax liability; a person with neither is liable only on German-source income. For tax law, a continuous stay of more than six months counts as habitual abode from the first day, except a stay of up to one year solely for visiting, recreation, cure or similar private purposes. A residence permit is a different legal status: holding or lacking one does not by itself answer the tax question. Foreign-income questions need the tax authority or a tax adviser.

Applies to: Anyone staying in Germany

Source: § 1 EStG: unlimited and limited tax liability (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 9 AO: habitual abode (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Pension contribution refund: conditions, not a promise Requirement National (federal law)

Pension contributions are refunded only on application, only to people who are not compulsorily insured and have no right to voluntary insurance (or who are exempt and have not met the waiting period), and only after 24 calendar months since leaving compulsory insurance without it starting again. Contributions from self-employment or voluntary payment are refunded at 50 percent, a net-pay agreement returns the employer share to the employee, and a refund ends the insurance relationship so earlier qualifying periods lapse. The text does not mention EU/EEA or agreement countries, so we state nothing on them.

Applies to: Pension insurance contributors who leave compulsory insurance

Source: § 210 SGB VI: refund of pension contributions (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

A1 certificate: proof of which country's social-security law applies Requirement EU, EEA, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

The German Pension Insurance explains that an A1 certificate lets a person show which sending state's social-security law applies during temporary work abroad; a German A1 confirms the person stays under German law. The employer applies for it. It covers the EU states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and no A1 can be issued for work outside that area. An A1 is a certificate for a specific posting, not an automatic exemption for every worker.

Applies to: Employees sent temporarily from or to Germany

Source: German Pension Insurance: A1 certificate FAQ (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 1 January 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Outside the EU: bilateral agreements and who issues the certificate Requirement National (federal law)

For countries with which Germany has a social-security agreement, the pension insurance page says the issuing body depends on where the pension contribution is paid: the statutory health insurer or the GKV-Spitzenverband, DVKA in Bonn, if it goes to a health insurer, otherwise Deutsche Rentenversicherung Bund in Berlin where the country table does not assign DVKA. From 1 January 2026 applications on the health-insurance side go through the SV-Meldeportal. An agreement does not by itself exempt anyone; the certificate and its conditions decide.

Applies to: Posting between Germany and an agreement country

Source: German Pension Insurance: contacts for posting certificates under social security agreements (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Measles protection proof for children in school and care Requirement National (federal law)

People born after 31 December 1970 who are cared for in community facilities such as day care and schools, who have lived four weeks in certain communal accommodation, or who work in those facilities, need proof of measles vaccination or immunity. Adequate protection means at least one vaccination from age one and two from age two. A medical contraindication is an exception, and children under compulsory schooling may still attend school. This is a requirement for those facilities, not a general condition of entering Germany.

Applies to: Children and staff in the listed facilities

Source: § 20 IfSG: measles protection (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Occupational accident: employer reporting duty Requirement National (federal law)

The employer must report an accident to the accident insurer if an insured person is killed or is unable to work for more than three days, within three days of learning of it. The employer must also inform the safety specialist and company doctor, and the insured person may receive the content of the report. Emergency medical care is separate from the claim that follows; a compensation claim is never guaranteed by the report.

Applies to: Employees insured under statutory accident insurance

Source: § 193 SGB VII: employer report of an occupational accident (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Carrying prescribed narcotic medicines across borders: Schengen certificate Requirement National (Länder health authorities authenticate)

The Federal Opium Agency (BfArM) states that carrying prescribed narcotic drugs within the Schengen area for up to 30 days needs a certificate under Article 75 of the Schengen Implementing Convention. The treating physician completes it, the competent supreme health authority of the Land (or an authorised body) authenticates it before departure, it is valid for at most 30 days, and each drug needs its own certificate. Outside the Schengen area the agency recommends the travellers' guidelines of the International Narcotics Control Board; destination and transit countries set their own rules, and the destination country's embassy in Germany can give details. This is not advice on any particular medicine: ask the prescriber and the authority before travelling.

Applies to: People carrying prescribed controlled narcotic drugs

Source: BfArM: travelling with narcotic drugs (Federal Opium Agency) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified; excludes: Written for patients travelling from Germany; it does not set out the rules for people arriving in Germany from outside the Schengen area.)

Study work: 140 days, not a weekly limit Requirement National (federal law)

A student may work up to 140 working days a year, tracked as a working-day account. A day of up to four hours counts as a half day, or per calendar week up to 20 hours in lecture periods counts as 2.5 days; the more favourable method is chosen for each week. Student side jobs at the institution do not count against the 140 days. A compulsory internship is part of the purpose of study, and a company-backed study-preparation internship can have its own permit under the same limits. Temporary employment under § 19c is excluded during the study stay.

Applies to: Holders of a study residence permit

Source: § 16b AufenthG: study residence permit (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

After study: up to 18 months to look for work Requirement National (federal law)

A permit to seek work after study or research is issued for up to 18 months, requires that your living costs are secured, and is for finding a job of a kind the Act allows for foreigners (the qualified-worker, researcher and related sections). It cannot be extended beyond those periods. The page we read does not say whether you may work while holding it, so we do not state that: check the permit text and the Ausländerbehörde before starting work.

Applies to: Graduates and researchers

Source: § 20 AufenthG: permit to seek work after study or research (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Work permission is written in the residence title Requirement National (federal law)

A residence title may allow employment unless a law forbids or limits it, and every title must show whether and how employment is allowed. If a title is tied to a specific job, any other employment is forbidden until the authority allows it. Employers must check the right to work, keep a copy for the length of employment and tell the Ausländerbehörde within four weeks if a job ended early where the permit came from the skilled-work chapters. Permission to work for an employer does not by itself cover freelance or foreign-employer remote work, and entry as a visitor never carries the right to work.

Source: § 4a AufenthG: access to employment (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · Federal Foreign Office FAQ: residence permit of another Schengen state and a visit to Germany (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Leaving Germany: when a residence title lapses Requirement National (federal law)

A title expires if the holder leaves for a reason not temporary in nature, or leaves and does not return within six months or a longer period set by the authority. A visa valid for more than 90 days or for multiple entries is excepted. Blue Card holders and family permits under §§ 30, 32, 33 and 36 get twelve months; a settlement permit holder after 15 years of lawful residence is not subject to the six-month rule if livelihood is secured. Each status and the authority's own decision must be checked; there is no blanket employer-consent rule on this page.

Source: § 51 AufenthG: expiry of residence titles (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Short trips to other Schengen states on a German permit Requirement National (federal law)

The Federal Foreign Office states that non-EU nationals who live in a Schengen state and hold a valid residence permit generally need no visa for visits to Germany of up to 90 days in any 180-day period when not taking up work. The page covers visits to Germany from another Schengen state; the entry rules of each other state are set by that state. A residence permit is not a passport, not citizenship, and not a travel right beyond what the rules state.

Applies to: Holders of a residence permit of a Schengen state

Source: Federal Foreign Office FAQ: residence permit of another Schengen state and a visit to Germany (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Losing a job Requirement National (federal law)

The statutory notice period is four weeks to the 15th or the end of a calendar month; for employer dismissal it grows with years of service (one month after two years up to seven months after twenty), always to month end, and a notice period for the employee may not exceed the employer's. During a probation of at most six months either side may give two weeks. To contest a dismissal the employee must file at the labour court within three weeks of receiving the written notice. Holders of work-linked permits must tell the Ausländerbehörde within two weeks of learning that employment ended early. Notice does not by itself decide what happens to a residence permit.

Applies to: Employees under German law

Source: § 622 BGB: notice periods in employment (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 4 KSchG: time limit for a dismissal-protection claim (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 82 AufenthG: duty to cooperate and notify (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Pay disputes go to the labour courts Requirement National (federal law)

Civil disputes between employees and employers about the employment relationship, and claims closely tied to it, belong to the labour courts under the judgment procedure. This is a statute allocating jurisdiction: it says where a case is heard, not what a worker will recover, and it does not answer questions about immigration status. We do not guarantee recovery of unpaid wages.

Source: § 2 ArbGG: jurisdiction of the labour courts (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Children and dependants: ages and status changes Requirement National (federal law)

A permit for a minor unmarried child is granted where both parents, or the sole custodial parent, hold one of the listed titles. If the child is 16 or over and does not move its centre of life with the parents, the child needs German or a likely ability to integrate, except where the parent holds certain titles such as a Blue Card. A child's own settlement permit can follow after five years' holding of the permit by age 16, or at adult age with five years, sufficient German and secured living costs or training. There is no universal child age cutoff: the permit category decides.

Source: § 32 AufenthG: children joining a parent (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 35 AufenthG: independent settlement right of children (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Settlement permit is not citizenship Requirement National (federal law)

A settlement permit is an unlimited residence title; it does not by itself grant nationality. Naturalisation under § 10 StAG needs five years of lawful habitual residence, identity and nationality clarified, sufficient German (B1 under the common framework), and supporting yourself without social benefits, with exceptions. The page does not address renouncing a previous nationality, so we say nothing on it. Residence rights can lapse on leaving, and nationality is a separate decision.

Source: § 9 AufenthG: settlement permit (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 10 StAG: naturalisation (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 51 AufenthG: expiry of residence titles (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Registering a birth is not a citizenship entitlement Requirement National (federal law)

The birth register records the child's names, place, date and time of birth, sex and the parents' details; the parents' non-German nationality appears only as a note. A child born in Germany to foreign parents acquires German citizenship only if a parent has lawfully lived in Germany for five years and holds an unlimited right of residence (or a specified Swiss-agreement permit). Birth abroad is covered separately in § 4(4). Consular notification routes are not stated here.

Source: § 21 PStG: content of the birth register (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 4 StAG: acquisition of citizenship by birth (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Bringing a dog or cat from outside the EU Requirement Bavarian entry points; EU rules apply federally

The Bavarian authority states: a 15-digit ISO microchip implanted before a rabies vaccination; vaccination at 12 weeks or older, valid on the travel date, with a 21-day wait; a rabies antibody test with a 90-day wait for animals from non-listed countries; an EU veterinary certificate completed by an official veterinarian, valid 10 days; and an import examination at a border control point. More than five animals, unaccompanied animals or a transfer of ownership count as commercial import.

Source: KBLV Bavaria: travelling with pets (state food-safety and veterinary authority) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified; excludes: Describes entry control at Bavarian points (Munich); other Länder run their own border control points.)

Occupation codes: KldB 2010 to ISCO-08 is an approximate key Requirement National (federal law)

The Federal Employment Agency publishes a table that converts the five-digit German classification of occupations (KldB 2010, revised 2020 version) to the four-digit international ISCO-08 unit groups, and states that such conversion keys are often not unambiguous; ambiguous cases are marked with alternatives. A matching code is therefore not proof that two jobs are equivalent. Recognition of a foreign qualification is a separate question: the federal recognition portal says recognition is necessary to work in a regulated profession (those whose activities are legally protected) and is not required for non-regulated professions, though a third-country applicant for a visa may still need it.

Applies to: Anyone comparing a foreign job title with a German one

Source: Federal Employment Agency statistics: conversion tables from KldB 2010 to ISCO-08 (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 2021-08; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · Recognition in Germany: professional recognition (Federal Government portal) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Household goods moving from outside the EU: conditions for duty-free import Requirement National (federal law)

German Customs states that for duty-free removal goods your habitual residence must have been outside the EU customs territory for at least twelve months and you must take up residence in Germany, even if only temporarily. The goods must belong to you, non-consumable goods must have been used by you for at least six months in the third country, and clearance is possible within twelve months after the move. For twelve months the goods stay under customs supervision and may not be lent, sold or given away; if that is breached the duty is charged afterwards. The goods are declared in writing on form 0350. Import VAT is waived but excise duties are not. Goods for a business are a different matter and are not covered here.

Applies to: People moving their residence to Germany from a non-EU country

Source: German Customs: requirements for duty-free removal goods (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

After a death in Germany: report to the Standesamt by the third working day Requirement National (federal civil-status law); procedure runs through the local Standesamt

A death must be reported to the registry office (Standesamt) for the place of death no later than the third working day after it. The duty falls first on a person who lived in the same household as the deceased, then on the person in whose home the death occurred, then on anyone else who was present or knows of it; a later person is bound only if an earlier one is absent or prevented. Fees, required documents and the burial rules of each Land are not stated here.

Source: § 28 PStG: notification of a death (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · § 29 PStG: who must notify a death (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

A German who dies abroad: recording and consular help Requirement National (federal law)

A death of a German citizen abroad can be recorded in the German register on application by the deceased's parents, children or spouse or partner, any person with a legal interest, or the German mission in the country. The Federal Foreign Office says consular staff advise on repatriation to Germany or burial locally, can issue a coffin passport or urn certificate for repatriation, and name local funeral firms, but relatives choose the firm. It states that repatriation and burial costs cannot be advanced from public funds, and that help with an estate abroad carries charges and expenses. No fee or timeline is quoted here.

Applies to: Relatives of a German citizen who dies abroad

Source: § 36 PStG: births and deaths abroad (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · Federal Foreign Office: help for Germans in emergencies abroad, deaths (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 23 October 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified; excludes: Covers a German who dies abroad; a death in Germany is registered under the PStG provisions cited beside it.)

Visa refused: court action, not an automatic appeal Requirement National (federal law)

The Federal Foreign Office states that an applicant can bring an action at the Berlin Administrative Court against a refusal in the visa procedure. For a national visa the page gives one year unless the notice says otherwise; for a Schengen short-stay visa it gives one month. The notice of refusal carries the reasons and instructions on legal remedies, and information is given only to the applicant or someone authorised in writing. The Foreign Office also announced that the voluntary remonstration procedure ended on 1 July 2025 without shortening the legal route, and that a new application can be made at any time. Nothing here promises that an action or a new application will succeed; check the deadline in your own notice.

Applies to: Applicants refused a German visa

Source: Federal Foreign Office: national visa refused, what can I do (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified; covers first issue only) · Federal Foreign Office: Schengen visa refused, how to proceed (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified; excludes: Short-stay (Schengen) visas only; national visas are on the page beside it.) · Federal Foreign Office: abolition of the remonstration procedure (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Dual nationality and multiple passports: law is changing, check the current text Requirement National (federal nationality law)

A Federal Government page of 19 January 2024 described the reform as allowing multiple citizenship, with applicants no longer required to give up a former nationality, and a naturalisation period cut from eight to five years. Sections 12 and 25 of the Nationality Act now show as repealed. A Bundestag speech of 8 October 2025 describes a further proposal to drop the three-year fast-track naturalisation, so the rules on naturalisation periods are still moving. Nothing here says which passport is stronger, whether your other country allows dual nationality, or whether you would keep or gain German citizenship; that depends on both countries' law.

Applies to: People who hold or may acquire more than one nationality

Source: Federal Government: modernisation of citizenship law (19 January 2024) (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 19 January 2024; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · Federal Government bulletin 89-5: Bundestag speech on changing citizenship law (8 October 2025) (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 8 October 2025; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified; announced only: not an operative procedure, no application route is implied) · § 12 StAG (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · § 25 StAG (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Grounds covered by the General Equal Treatment Act Requirement National (federal law)

The Act aims to prevent or remove disadvantage on grounds of race, ethnic origin, sex, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual identity. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency offers confidential counselling free of charge and refers people to counselling centres. This is the legal protection against discrimination; it is not a statement that any place is safe, and it infers nothing about any person's identity.

Source: § 1 AGG: aim of the General Equal Treatment Act (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency: homepage (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Harassment, including sexual harassment, and the right to complain Requirement National (federal law)

Harassment is a form of disadvantage when unwanted conduct linked to a protected ground violates dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Sexual harassment covers unwanted sexual acts and requests, sexually determined contact, sexual remarks and displaying pornographic material. Employees may complain to the responsible body in the business about employer, supervisor, colleague or third party, and the complaint must be examined and the result communicated.

Source: § 3 AGG: definitions, including harassment (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 13 AGG: right to complain (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Maternity protection periods Requirement National (federal law)

An employer may not employ a pregnant woman in the last six weeks before the due date unless she expressly agrees, and she can withdraw that at any time. Employment is barred until eight weeks after birth, or twelve weeks for premature or multiple births or a disability confirmed within eight weeks. This is employment-protection law; payments are not covered here and cannot be assumed.

Applies to: Employees under the Maternity Protection Act

Source: § 3 MuSchG: protection periods before and after birth (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Disability: definition and workplace adjustment Requirement National (federal law)

Under the Social Code IX a disability is an impairment likely to last more than six months that can impede equal participation. Severe disability status needs a degree of disability of at least 50 and a lawful residence, habitual abode or workplace within the scope of the Code; 30 to 49 may be treated as equal in some cases. Severely disabled employees can claim disability-appropriate workplaces, equipment, work organisation and working time, and technical aids, limited where unreasonable or disproportionate. This is eligibility for support, which is different from the medical or admissibility assessment in a visa procedure.

Source: § 2 SGB IX: disability and severe disability (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified) · § 164 SGB IX: employer duties to severely disabled employees (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Integration courses and migration counselling Requirement National (access varies by status and location)

BAMF-funded integration courses combine language with an orientation course, with general, special and intensive formats, and are applied for through BAMF, which issues an entitlement certificate before registration with a provider; the page we read describes access for refugees from Ukraine, and entitlement for other residence titles is not stated there. Free migration counselling for adult immigrants helps with language courses, school, work, recognition, housing and health. Neither is immigration or legal representation.

Applies to: Check entitlement for your own residence title

Source: Federal Commissioner for Integration: language support and integration courses (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · BAMF: migration counselling for adult immigrants (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 28 November 2018; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Who has a right to an integration course Requirement National (federal law)

The Residence Act gives a foreign national who is permanently resident and first granted a qualifying residence permit a one-time right to an integration course. BAMF says this covers people who received a first permit after 1 January 2005 for employment, family reunification or humanitarian reasons, or long-term resident status. There is no right for children, young people and young adults in school education, where the integration need is clearly low, or where the person already has sufficient German. People receiving basic income support may be admitted by the support provider. Entitlement for a given residence title is decided by BAMF or the authority; this is not immigration advice.

Applies to: Holders of a residence title; check your own title with BAMF

Source: BAMF: integration course for foreign nationals with a residence title from 2005 (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · § 44 AufenthG: entitlement to an integration course (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Insulting beliefs and disturbing worship are criminal offences Requirement National (federal criminal law)

Two provisions of the Criminal Code protect religious practice. Section 166 punishes publicly insulting the content of others' beliefs, or a church or religious society in Germany, in a way capable of disturbing public peace. Section 167 punishes deliberately and grossly disturbing a religious service, or committing offensive mischief at a place of worship; both carry up to three years' imprisonment or a fine. These are legal obligations. Dress, quiet, shoe or photography rules at a particular religious building are set by that building's operator and are not stated here.

Source: § 166 StGB: insulting beliefs and religious societies (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · § 167 StGB: disturbing the practice of religion (Federal Office of Justice) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Workplace heat thresholds Requirement National (federal law)

BAuA states that the Workplaces Ordinance requires health-beneficial room temperatures but sets no figure, and that there is no general statutory maximum temperature. The technical rule ASR A3.5 (dated June 2010) says air temperature in work rooms should not exceed 26 degrees Celsius; from 26 to 30 degrees employers take measures from its table where sun protection is already in place; from 30 to 35 degrees they take efficient measures; above 35 degrees a room is not suitable as a workplace without measures. Employers must assess risk and consider vulnerable staff, including pregnant women and young workers. The page concerns work rooms.

Source: BAuA: high workplace room temperatures (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page read; fact not independently verified)

Compulsory schooling: from six, nine or ten years, set by each Land Requirement National framework; each Land sets its own rules

BAMF states that all children and young people who live in Germany must attend school, generally from the sixth birthday for at least nine years, depending on the Land. The Standing Conference of the Education Ministers says compulsory schooling is mostly nine full-time school years, with ten in Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen and Thuringia and nine or ten in North Rhine-Westphalia depending on the course. The federal portal adds that part-time compulsory schooling follows and can be met through dual vocational training. Rules differ by Land, so check the education ministry of the Land where you will live.

Applies to: Children and young people living in Germany

Source: BAMF: school exchange and school attendance (checked 8 November 2026; document dated 1 March 2024; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · Standing Conference of the Education Ministers: educational paths and qualifications (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · Make it in Germany: school system and compulsory schooling (Federal Government portal) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)

Enrolment and school types Requirement National (federal law)

The federal portal says parents normally receive an invitation from the responsible school office with dates and registration steps, and that for newly arrived children the head teacher decides on enrolment together with the school authority. Primary school (Grundschule) covers grades 1 to 4, or 1 to 6 in Berlin and Brandenburg; secondary options include the Gymnasium and comprehensive or community schools, and names vary by Land. Newly arrived pupils without enough German may be given trial lessons and German as a second language support. Which school a child is placed in is decided locally; it is not promised in advance.

Applies to: Families with school-age children

Source: Make it in Germany: school system and compulsory schooling (Federal Government portal) (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified) · Standing Conference of the Education Ministers: educational paths and qualifications (checked 8 November 2026; Government or public body; page partly read; fact not independently verified)