Deadline calculator for letters from German authorities
Objection, appeal, court claim: choose your letter and the date – the calculator shows the last day of the deadline, every step and the German law behind it.
How it is calculated
- Start. For decisions sent by post, the fourth day after the date of the letter counts as the day of notification (§ 41 Abs. 2 VwVfG, § 122 Abs. 2 Nr. 1 AO, § 37 Abs. 2 SGB X). With formal service, the date on the yellow envelope counts; for dismissals and statements, the day the letter arrived.
- The first day does not count. The deadline starts the day after (§ 187 Abs. 1 BGB).
- End. A deadline in weeks or months ends on the day that matches the starting day by name or number; if the month has no such day, on its last day (§ 188 Abs. 2 BGB, § 188 Abs. 3 BGB).
- Weekends and holidays. If the end falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the deadline ends on the next working day (§ 193 BGB). Which holidays apply depends on the federal state.
Deadlines at a glance
- Tax assessment (Tax office (Finanzamt)): one month after notification
- Child benefit (Family benefits office (Familienkasse)): one month after notification
- Fine notice (Fines office (Bußgeldstelle)): two weeks after service
- Jobcenter (Jobcenter): one month after notification
- Pension (German Pension Insurance): one month after notification
- Health insurance (Health insurance fund (Krankenkasse)): one month after notification
- Immigration office (Immigration office (Ausländerbehörde)): one month after notification
- Other authority (City, broadcasting fee office, public order office): one month after notification
- Service charges (Landlord or property manager): twelve months after receipt
- Rent increase (Landlord or property manager): until the end of calendar month 2 after receipt
- Dismissal (job) (Employer): three weeks after receipt
- Court payment order (Local court (Mahngericht)): two weeks after service
- Enforcement order (Local court (Mahngericht)): two weeks after service
- Penalty order (Local court (Amtsgericht)): two weeks after service
- Care level (Long-term care fund (Pflegekasse)): one month after notification
- Unemployment benefit (Employment agency (Agentur für Arbeit)): one month after notification
- Accident insurance (Employers' liability insurance (Berufsgenossenschaft)): one month after notification
- Social welfare office (Social welfare office (Sozialamt)): one month after notification
- Degree of disability (Pension office (Versorgungsamt)): one month after notification
- Parental allowance (Parental allowance office (Elterngeldstelle)): one month after notification
- Housing benefit (Housing benefit office (Wohngeldstelle)): one month after notification
- BAföG (Student finance office): one month after notification
- Broadcasting fee (Beitragsservice / broadcaster): one month after notification
- Vehicle tax (Main customs office (Hauptzollamt)): one month after notification
- Administrative fine (Ordnungsgeld) (Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz)): 6 weeks after receipt
The safe side
If the fourth day after posting falls on a weekend, courts move the notification to the next working day – for the four-day rule in force since 2025, the highest courts have not yet decided this. So we show the earlier end and say so. Holidays that apply only in parts of a state do not move any deadline here.
General information, not legal advice. What the letter says applies – especially its instructions on legal remedies (Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung).