Calculating Deadlines under Sections 187 to 193 BGB

When does a deadline start, when does it end, and what applies at weekends? The rules of the German Civil Code with examples.

Date & Age3 linked calculatorsReading time: 8 min.

Withdrawal, notice of termination, objection: many German statutes only say "14 days" or "one month". How that becomes a specific last day is governed by sections 187 to 193 of the German Civil Code (BGB). They also apply to courts and authorities, with a few differences.

Key takeaways

  • If an event triggers the deadline (such as receiving a letter), that day is not counted (section 187(1) BGB).
  • A deadline in days ends when its last day expires, i.e. at midnight (section 188(1) BGB).
  • Deadlines in weeks and months end on the day with the same name or number as the day of the event (section 188(2) BGB).
  • If that day does not exist in the last month, the deadline ends on the last day of the month – the 31st becomes 28 February, for example (section 188(3) BGB).
  • If the deadline ends on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday, the next working day takes its place (section 193 BGB).

When a deadline starts

The normal case: an event starts the deadline, for example receipt of a notice or delivery of goods. The day on which the event occurs is then not counted (section 187(1) BGB). The deadline starts at midnight on the following day.

It is different if the start of a day is decisive, for example with a contract "from 1 April". That day is then counted (section 187(2) sentence 1 BGB). The same applies to the day of birth when calculating a person's age (section 187(2) sentence 2 BGB).

Age: one day earlier

Because the birthday counts, a person completes a year of life at the end of the day before their birthday. Someone born on 10 May 2009 is of legal age at the end of 9 May 2027.

When a deadline ends

  • Deadline in days: it ends when the last day expires (section 188(1) BGB).
  • Deadline in weeks: it ends when the day of the last week with the same name as the day of the event expires – an event on a Tuesday leads to a deadline ending on a Tuesday (section 188(2) BGB).
  • Deadline in months or years: it ends when the day of the last month with the same number as the day of the event expires (section 188(2) BGB).
  • Shorter month: if that day does not exist, the deadline ends when the last day of that month expires (section 188(3) BGB).
  • Deadline from the start of a day: it ends at the end of the day before the corresponding day – one year from 1 April 2027 ends at the end of 31 March 2028 (section 188(2) BGB).

The statute defines some terms: half a year is six months, a quarter is three months, half a month is 15 days (section 189 BGB). "Beginning of the month" is the 1st, "middle" the 15th and "end" the last day of the month (section 192 BGB). If a period need not run continuously, a month counts as 30 days and a year as 365 days (section 191 BGB). An extended deadline runs on from the end of the old one (section 190 BGB).

Date plus days

Add days to a date or find the number of days between two dates.

Calculate now

Deadlines ending on a weekend or public holiday

If a declaration of intent is to be made or a performance rendered and the last day of the deadline falls on a Sunday, Saturday or a general public holiday recognised at the place of declaration or performance, the next working day takes its place (section 193 BGB). Which holidays apply therefore depends on the place – Reformation Day moves a deadline in Hamburg, but not in Bavaria.

The same applies to deadlines in civil proceedings: if a deadline ends on a Sunday, general public holiday or Saturday, it ends when the next working day expires (section 222(2) Code of Civil Procedure, ZPO). Deadlines measured in hours do not count Sundays, general public holidays and Saturdays there (section 222(3) ZPO).

Only the end moves

Section 193 BGB only moves the end. A weekend in the middle of the deadline counts in full. And it is not clear for every deadline whether section 193 BGB applies. To be safe, act before the weekend.

Public holidays at the place of declaration

Every statutory public holiday of a year for each German state.

Calculate now

Worked examples

All examples use real weekdays in 2027. They illustrate the calculation rules and are not legal advice for an individual case.

CaseTriggerDeadline endsRule
Withdrawal from an online purchase (14 days, section 355(2) BGB)Goods received on Wednesday 3 March 2027 (section 356(2) no. 1(a) BGB)Wednesday 17 March 2027, midnightThe day of receipt does not count; the 14th day is 17 March (sections 187(1), 188(1) BGB).
Two-week deadlineLetter received on Tuesday 9 March 2027Tuesday 23 March 2027, midnightSame weekday two weeks later (section 188(2) BGB).
One-month deadline starting on the 31stEvent on Sunday 31 January 2027Monday 1 March 2027, midnightFebruary has no 31st, so Sunday 28 February (section 188(3) BGB); a Sunday, so the next working day (section 193 BGB).
Notice terminating employment as of 31 May 2027 (four weeks, section 622(1) BGB)Received no later than Monday 3 May 2027Monday 31 May 2027Four weeks from the day after receipt end on the same weekday (sections 187(1), 188(2) BGB).
Objection to a tax assessment (one month, section 355(1) Fiscal Code, AO)Posted on Monday 5 July 2027; deemed notified on the fourth day, Friday 9 July 2027 (section 122(2) no. 1 AO)Monday 9 August 2027, midnightSame day number in the following month (section 108(1) AO with section 188(2) BGB).
Coming of ageBorn on 10 May 2009at the end of 9 May 2027Legal age on completing the 18th year of life (section 2 BGB); the birthday counts (section 187(2) sentence 2 BGB), so the end is the day before (section 188(2) BGB).

Exact age to the day

Age in years, months and days on any reference date.

Calculate now

Deadlines with authorities and courts

  • Administrative procedure: sections 187 to 193 BGB apply accordingly to deadlines and dates (section 31(1) Administrative Procedure Act, VwVfG). If a deadline ends on a Sunday, public holiday or Saturday, it ends when the next working day expires (section 31(3) VwVfG).
  • A date set by an authority, however, applies even on a weekend or public holiday (section 31(5) VwVfG).
  • Decisions sent by post: a written administrative act is deemed notified on the fourth day after posting, unless it arrives later or not at all (section 41(2) VwVfG; for tax assessments section 122(2) AO).
  • Objection to an administrative act: within one month of notification (section 70(1) Code of Administrative Court Procedure, VwGO). Objection to a tax assessment: also one month (section 355(1) AO).
  • Civil proceedings: the BGB rules apply (section 222(1) ZPO).

The decision states the deadline

The instructions on legal remedies at the end of an official decision state the deadline and where to file. Keep the envelope: the date of posting can matter for when the deadline starts.

Frequently asked questions

Does the day of receipt count towards a deadline?
No, if an event such as receiving a letter triggers the deadline. The deadline then starts on the following day (section 187(1) BGB). The first day only counts if the start of a day is decisive, for example "from 1 April".
Until what time does a deadline run on its last day?
Until the day expires, i.e. midnight (section 188 BGB). A declaration to an absent person only takes effect when it reaches them (section 130(1) BGB), so allow time for delivery. For a withdrawal, sending it in time is sufficient (section 355(1) BGB).
What happens if a deadline ends on a Saturday?
For declarations and performances, the next working day takes its place (section 193 BGB); the same applies in civil proceedings (section 222(2) ZPO) and in administrative procedure under section 31(3) VwVfG. Usually that is the Monday, or the Tuesday after a public holiday.
How does a one-month deadline starting on the 31st end?
If the last month has no 31st, the deadline ends on the last day of that month (section 188(3) BGB). One month from 31 January therefore ends on 28 February, or 29 February in leap years.

Sources

Every figure in this article comes from these primary sources or from the linked calculators, which are based on the same sources.

  1. German Civil Code (BGB), section 2 (age of majority) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  2. BGB, section 130 (receipt of declarations) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  3. BGB, section 187 (start of a deadline) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  4. BGB, section 188 (end of a deadline) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  5. BGB, section 189 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  6. BGB, section 190 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  7. BGB, section 191 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  8. BGB, section 192 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  9. BGB, section 193 (Sundays, public holidays, Saturdays) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  10. BGB, section 355 (right of withdrawal) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  11. BGB, section 356 (start of the withdrawal period) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  12. BGB, section 622 (notice periods) (accessed September 30, 2026)
  13. Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO), section 222 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  14. Administrative Procedure Act (VwVfG), section 31 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  15. Administrative Procedure Act (VwVfG), section 41 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  16. Fiscal Code (AO), section 108 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  17. Fiscal Code (AO), section 122 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  18. Fiscal Code (AO), section 355 (accessed September 30, 2026)
  19. Code of Administrative Court Procedure (VwGO), section 70 (accessed September 30, 2026)
Onur Cirakoglu — Full-Stack Developer & Founder of HEADON.pro
Onur CirakogluSources verified

Full-Stack Developer & Founder of HEADON.pro

Full-stack developer and founder of HEADON.pro. Developer of Rechnerzentrale.