How do you get Bildungsurlaub (educational leave) to attend a Weiterbildung course?

What is Bildungsurlaub?

It is a legal right for employees in Germany that allows them to take 5 working days per year (or 10 days every two years) of paid leave to attend recognized Weiterbildung courses.
It is not deducted from the regular annual vacation.
It applies only in some federal states (see below).

Federal states that apply Bildungsurlaub:

Basic requirements to obtain Bildungsurlaub:

• You must be employed with a permanent or part-time contract.

• You must have worked at least 6 months in the company.

• The training course must be:

  • recognized by the state as Bildungsurlaub,

  • educational, not recreational (such as languages, programming, economics, health, etc.).

• The application must be submitted at least 6 weeks before the course date.

Application steps, step by step:

1. Choose a recognized Weiterbildung course
Use websites such as:

• bildungsurlaub.de

• weiterbildung-hamburg.net

Make sure the course:

• is classified as anerkannt als Bildungsurlaub,

• is valid for your state (e.g., a course may be recognized in Berlin but not in NRW).

2. Request the recognition letter from the institute (Anerkennungsbescheid)
This is an important document to submit to the employer.

3. Inform the employer in writing
Use an official request form or an email including:

• course dates

• location

• course content

• recognition certificate
  Submit the request at least 6 weeks before the course starts.

4. Follow up on the response
The employer can only refuse for strong organizational reasons (e.g., staff shortage).
If refused without legal justification, an appeal can be filed with the labor office.

Examples of common courses covered by Bildungsurlaub:

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ـ* The writers and editors of the website strive to provide accurate information through extensive research and reviewing several sources when writing articles; however, some errors may appear or some information may be uncertain. Therefore, please consider the information in the articles as an initial reference and always refer to the competent authorities to obtain confirmed information.