📚 Educational leave for orientation
In brief
In 14 of the 16 federal states there is a state law giving employees a right to paid leave for recognised further education – usually 5 working days per calendar year, in some states accumulable to 10 days over 2 years. The laws have different names depending on the federal state (e.g. Bildungsurlaubsgesetz, Bildungszeitgesetz, Bildungsfreistellungsgesetz) and differ in details such as waiting periods, application deadline and scope.
Bavaria and Saxony currently have no educational leave law of their own – there, an entitlement exists only if it is expressly provided for in the employment or collective agreement or a works agreement. For Saxony, the Sächsisches Qualifizierungszeitgesetz (SächsQZG) was passed by the state parliament on 4 February 2026 and promulgated in the Sächsisches Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt on 27 February 2026; however, it does not enter into force until 1 January 2027 and, at 3 paid days per year, provides less than the usual 5 days; it also requires at least six months of employment and an application 12 weeks in advance.
Step by step
- Check the state lawFirst clarify whether an educational leave law applies in your federal state at all (except in Bavaria and Saxony: yes).
- Choose a recognised courseThe course must be recognised as educational leave by the responsible state authority; not every self-discovery or coaching offer automatically meets the criteria.
- Apply on timeSubmit your application to your employer in good time, with the registration confirmation and proof of recognition – the deadline is usually between 4 and 9 weeks before the course starts, depending on the federal state.
- Get written approvalThe employer's reply (approval or refusal on operational grounds) should be in writing.
Deadlines
- In Bavaria and Saxony there is no statutory entitlement – only an express contractual arrangement counts here.
- If the application deadline is missed, the entitlement for the course in question is usually lost without replacement.
- Not every course advertised as "self-discovery" or "coaching" is recognised as educational leave – check recognition by the responsible state authority beforehand.
- The employer can refuse leave for urgent operational reasons; the exact conditions for refusal differ depending on the state law.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
A patchwork by federal state
Educational leave is state law: 14 federal states have their own law, each with its own name, its own scope (mostly 5 days/year, partly accumulable), its own waiting periods before first use and its own application or response deadlines. Example: in Baden-Württemberg an application deadline of 9 weeks before the course starts applies; in several other states it is 4 to 6 weeks. For the deadline that applies in an individual case, the specific state law or a reliable state-by-state compilation is always decisive, not a nationwide rule of thumb.
Recognition of the event
Whether a course counts as educational leave is decided by the responsible recognition body of the federal state on the basis of state-law criteria (including minimum number of hours, topic link to vocational or – in most states also permitted – general/political further education). Seminars on life planning, communication or personal development can qualify if the provider has obtained recognition – this must be asked of the provider in each individual case, not assumed across the board.
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