Short Answer
Your remaining annual vacation days automatically expire on December 31st unless specific workplace exceptions apply.
Failing to request a formal transfer of your balance will result in the immediate forfeiture of your earned rest time.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You saved ten days of your annual leave to take an extended trip in February, assuming the balance would carry over into the new year automatically. On January 1st, your corporate time-tracking account reset to zero because HR had sent a formal written warning in October stating your days would expire on December 31st, and you ignored it. You suffered a complete loss of two weeks of paid leave, which equated to roughly €2,000 in uncompensated labor.
What To Do
- Check your digital time-tracking dashboard in October to calculate your exact remaining holiday balance.
- Send a formal email to your HR department before December to request a carry-over due to operational workloads.
- "Ich beantrage die Übertragung meines Resturlaubs von zehn Tagen in das neue Kalenderjahr." (I request the transfer of my remaining ten days of vacation into the new calendar year.) — text this request to your supervisor to secure written approval.
The Truth
Germans believe vacation should be taken in the year it was earned to prevent "burnout." Carrying days over is seen as an administrative burden the company wants to avoid.