For employers outside Germany

Serving a termination letter in Germany

German law requires a signed original on paper, and you must be able to prove that it reached the employee. We deliver your letter by courier, document the delivery and provide a witness.

Courier as witness
The courier places the letter in the employee's letterbox and can testify to it in court.
Delivery report with photos
Address, date, time and photos of the delivery, sent to you as a PDF.
Fixed price from €179 net
You receive the price by email before you place the order.
Request a quote by email +49 (89) 77 00 77

Courier service since 1978 · Nationwide in Germany · Witness available if needed

What German law requires

  • Written form: a termination must be on paper with an original handwritten signature. Email, scan, fax and e-signature are not valid (Section 623 of the German Civil Code).
  • Receipt: the notice takes effect when it reaches the employee, for example when it is placed in the letterbox at their home (Section 130).
  • Burden of proof: if the employee denies receipt, the employer has to prove it.
  • Time limit: the employee has three weeks from receipt to file a claim (Section 4 of the Dismissal Protection Act).

Why registered mail is not enough

In May 2026 the Federal Labour Court held that the delivery records of registered mail (Einwurf-Einschreiben) do not create prima facie evidence of receipt (case 2 AZR 184/25). If the employee denies receipt, the postal records will not carry your case. A witness who delivered the letter and documented the delivery will.

How it works

1Send us the postcodes of the pickup and delivery address and your deadline. We reply with a fixed price by email.
2Get the signed original to us. Our courier collects it from your German office or law firm, or you send it to our office in Munich by express courier.
3The courier sees what kind of document it is, without reading the text, and places it in the employee's letterbox.
4You receive the delivery report with photos as a PDF, usually on the same day.

If you ship the original to us

Put the letter in an open envelope addressed to the employee and place that inside a second, sealed envelope addressed to us. The transport risk until the letter reaches us is yours. We deliver within your time frame as soon as the document has arrived.

A notice that arrives one day late can move the termination date by a month or more. Allow for shipping time and contact us early.

Good to know

  • The delivery report is issued in German. It is the document German labour courts work with.
  • We deliver nationwide with our own couriers and long-standing partners.
  • Our terms and our data processing agreement apply with your order: AGB and AVV, both in German.
  • Office hours: Monday to Thursday 8:00 to 16:30, Friday 8:00 to 15:30 (CET). In urgent cases you can reach us by phone around the clock.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Please check wording, notice periods and signing authority with your German counsel.

Request a quote by email
FAQ

Questions from international employers

Can we send the termination by email or e-signature?

No. German law requires a paper original with a handwritten signature. A termination sent electronically is void.

Does the employee have to be at home?

No. Delivery into the letterbox is sufficient. The notice is deemed received when the letterbox would normally be emptied, usually the same day if it is delivered in the morning.

Can you deliver on the same day?

That depends on where the original is, the route and the time of day. Contact us as early as you can.

Can we write to you in English?

Yes. You can contact us in English or German.