You've finally clocked off, started your long-awaited summer holiday, only to end up in bed with a fever instead of soaking up the sun.
The good news is that under German employment law, illness does not have to eat into your holiday entitlement. If you fall sick while on vacation, those days can be credited back to your annual leave balance—allowing you to take the time off later.
However, this doesn't happen automatically, and missing a single administrative step can mean forfeiting those days entirely.
Here are the essential rules you need to know so you can get your vacation days 'back' if you get sick on your holiday.
Get a medical note from day one
Germany's Bundesurlaubsgesetz (Federal Leave Act) has become increasingly strict on documentation this year.
READ ALSO: Germany plans stricter rules for sick leave
To reclaim any vacation day lost to illness, you must get an official doctor’s certificate of incapacity for work, known as an Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung (AU), starting from your very first day of illness.
Crucially, the certificate must explicitly state that you are unfit for work (Arbeitsunfähig), not merely that you visited a clinic or are feeling unwell. Only days covered by an official AU will be restored to your leave balance.
If you wait a few days before seeing a doctor, you may lose the holiday days for the uncertified period.
Notify your employer immediately
Under German law, you are required to inform your employer immediately if you are off sick. This obligation applies even when you are officially on vacation.
During your first day of illness, you must contact your employer and inform them that you are sick and unfit for work, the exact date your illness started and how long you expect to be off work.
You can notify them by phone, email or through your company’s internal HR portal, depending on your workplace rules. Keeping a written record is always the safest option to prove you reported it on time.
What changes if you get sick abroad?
If you fall ill while travelling outside Germany, the rules are slightly more complex. You’ll need to inform your employer of your location when you report your illness initially, including the address or location where you are staying abroad.
You’ll also need to let your health insurance provider know, and include your expected recovery time.
Within Germany, doctors issue electronic sick notes (eAU) directly to insurance providers and employers. However, if you see a doctor abroad, you should request a physical certificate and send copies to both your employer and your health insurance provider yourself as soon as possible.
Then, if you travel back to Germany before fully recovering, you must notify both your employer and your insurance company upon your return.
Does your vacation automatically get extended?
Sadly not. Getting sick while on holiday does not officially permit you to extend your current trip, and your scheduled vacation ends on the exact date originally agreed upon with your employer.
Then, once your approved vacation period ends, one of two things happens. If you’ve (hopefully) recovered, you’ll need to return to work on your scheduled start date. The days you were certified sick will be credited back to your annual leave balance, which you can schedule for a later date.
If you’re still sick, you’ll remain on official sick leave and should continue to follow standard sick-pay and reporting procedures.
Can you reclaim days if your child gets sick?
Actually, no. This is a very common misconception among working parents in Germany.
While parents in Germany are entitled to paid child sick days (Kinderkrankengeld) during normal working periods, this rule doesn’t apply during annual leave, as the Federal Leave Act only protects the employee’s own health.
If your child falls ill while you’re on holiday, your annual leave remains unchanged, and those days won’t be added back to your holiday balance. The same applies to parents on parental leave (Elternzeit).
Top tip: If a family illness becomes severe enough to delay your return journey, contact your employer anyway to discuss options.
Can you travel or stay on holiday while on sick leave?
In short, yes— as long as it doesn’t hinder your recovery.
Under German law, while signed off sick, you need to refrain from anything that could delay getting better. If you’re already at a holiday destination (or plan to travel while signed off), you can do so as long as it doesn't negatively impact your health condition. For example, resting at a beach resort with a mild illness might be fine, but going skiing with a knee injury, probably not.
To protect yourself against workplace disputes, it is best to get written confirmation from your doctor stating that travelling or remaining at your holiday location will not impair your recovery. You should also inform your health insurance company if you plan to travel abroad while signed off sick.
Key vocabulary
der Urlaub – annual leave or holiday
der Krankenstand – sick leave
die Krankenstandsbestätigung – medical certificate confirming incapacity for work
der Urlaubstag – day of annual leave
der Kalendertag – calendar day
die Europäische Krankenversicherungskarte – European Health Insurance Card
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