Treat yourself to training leave!

If you want to learn Spanish in Valencia, discover more about finances in Brandenburg or learn how to work with artificial intelligence, you can. Employees are allowed to take time off for personal develop-ment once a year. In many German states, they even have a legal right to take educational leave (Bild-ungsurlaub), usually for up to five days a year with full pay. However, each state has their own rules, as educational leave is a matter for the individual federal states.

A wide range of options, from languages to politics

First and foremost: the educational course does not have to have anything to do with your profession. You could choose to learn about politics, learn a foreign language, take a yoga course or focus on something relevant to your job. But there are requirements: the course must be recognised in your state as educational leave, also known as Bildungszeit (educational time). You can find a list of the ap-proved courses online.

Every German state has their own rules

Educational leave is governed by state law, so there may be differences between some states. As a rule, you are entitled to five days of educational leave per year and a maximum of ten days over a two-year period. Bavaria and Saxony are the exceptions: in these states, you are not legally entitled to any edu-cational leave at all.

In some federal states, you can even carry the five days over to the next year, provided you submit an application in good time. In other federal states, it is possible to bundle ten days of educational leave over a two-year period without applying. But then that’s it. You are not allowed to save up your entitle-ment or carry it over into the next two-year period.

Different rules may apply if you are an apprentice or civil servant. In addition, you can only apply for educational leave after six or twelve months of working at your company.

Who pays for what? Financing and tax write-offs

Another important question is: who is responsible for the costs? In short, you have to pay for the cost of the course. However, your employer must give you the time off and will continue to pay your salary for the duration. You can generally offset at least a portion of the money you pay for educational leave against tax as income-related expenses. And if you want to go on a course that has health benefits, it might be worth contacting your health insurer, as some of them will pay for part of the cost.

How to apply for educational leave

You need to submit an application for educational leave to your employer. As soon as it’s approved, you can register with the relevant provider. Educational leave is a legal entitlement, so you don’t have to justify your reasons for taking the course to your employer, or convince them that it will help you professionally. If the course is recognised as an educational leave course in your state, that is all the justification you need.

You should generally apply to take the course four to eight weeks before it begins. But do check the deadlines that apply in your particular federal state, as they may vary.