Germany Business Day Calculator
Calculate Arbeitstage in Germany with the nine federal holidays preselected. The calculator excludes Karfreitag, Ostermontag, Christi Himmelfahrt, Pfingstmontag, Tag der Deutschen Einheit, and the two Weihnachtstage. Use it for BaFin reporting cycles, GoBD record-keeping windows, DATEV month-end close, §271 BGB payment terms, and any commercial obligation measured in deutsche Werktage.
How German business days are defined
German law splits non-working days into two registers. Werktage covers Monday through Saturday under §187 BGB, while Arbeitstage usually covers the Monday-to-Friday five-day week that most employers and banks actually run. Modern commercial contracts and the BaFin reporting templates rely on the Arbeitstage definition, which is what this calculator implements. Both definitions defer to §193 BGB: when a deadline falls on a Sonntag, a gesetzlicher Feiertag, or, in the Arbeitstage reading, a Samstag, the deadline rolls to the next Werktag.
Public holidays in Germany are set state by state under the Feiertagsgesetz of each Bundesland, with only nine days observed nationwide. This calculator uses the nationwide set. If you are pricing a contract that sits entirely inside Bavaria, Saxony, or another state with extra Feiertage, add the additional dates under Advanced options before calculating.
German federal public holidays
The nine bundesweite Feiertage:
- Neujahrstag (1 January)
- Karfreitag (Friday before Easter)
- Ostermontag (Monday after Easter)
- Tag der Arbeit (1 May)
- Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension, 39 days after Easter)
- Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday, 50 days after Easter)
- Tag der Deutschen Einheit (3 October)
- Erster Weihnachtstag (25 December)
- Zweiter Weihnachtstag (26 December)
Germany does not shift federal holidays to a substitute weekday when they land on a Saturday or Sunday. Tag der Deutschen Einheit on a Saturday is simply absorbed into the weekend, with no in-lieu Monday off, which is the behaviour reflected in the holiday data this calculator uses. How we determine holidays →
Common use cases in Germany
A Mittelstand company invoicing on netto 30 typically sets the Skonto window in calendar days but checks the fallback Werktag for the final payment date. BaFin uses Bankgeschäftstage in its MaRisk circulars and AnaCredit reporting deadlines, which align with this calculator's Arbeitstage definition. GoBD record-retention windows, ten years for Handelsbücher under §257 HGB, are measured in calendar years rather than business days, but month-end DATEV close cycles run on Arbeitstage.
Litigation timelines under the ZPO use both Tage and Werktage depending on the rule. A Klageerwiderung deadline counted in Wochen rolls under §222 ZPO when it lands on a Samstag, Sonntag, or holiday. SEPA Instant transfers settle around the clock, but classic SEPA Credit Transfer messages clear on Bankarbeitstage, so a transfer initiated on the afternoon of 23 December will not credit until 27 December once both Weihnachtstage are accounted for.
For informational purposes only
This calculator provides general estimates based on business day counting rules. It does not constitute legal advice. Deadlines in legal, regulatory, or contractual matters may be subject to jurisdiction-specific rules, court orders, or statutory exceptions. Always verify critical deadlines with a qualified professional.