LANGUAGEPEPS · PEP PRICE · EDUCATIONAL LEAVE APPROVED
Educational Leave for travel professionals — your legal right, optimally used
Educational leave (“Bildungsurlaub”) for travel professionals is not a privilege — it’s a statutory right. In 15 of Germany’s 16 federal states, employees are entitled to five or six paid days per year to use for recognised training. And language courses count, provided the school has official approval under the respective state law.
LanguagePeps combines exclusive PEP prices for industry professionals with schools whose courses are fully recognised as educational leave. Plus: all the documents you need for the application with your employer come with the booking.
How educational leave works in 3 steps
- 1. Choose a recognised course — Pick a language course that is approved as educational leave in your federal state. You’ll find the filter on every school page on LanguagePeps.
- 2. Apply to your employer — Submit the application at least 6 weeks before the course starts (9 weeks in some states). You’ll get the recognition certificate automatically with your booking.
- 3. Travel and learn — The course counts as paid leave. Your regular holiday stays untouched. Your employer continues to pay your salary.
Entitlement per federal state
Every German federal state regulates educational leave differently. Below is an overview of the most important rules — for the exact legal basis, always consult the law of your state.
- Berlin — 10 days / 2 years
- Brandenburg — 10 days / 2 years
- Bremen — 10 days / 2 years
- Hamburg — 10 days / 2 years
- Hessen — 5 days / year
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern — 5 days / year
- Lower Saxony — 5 days / year
- North Rhine-Westphalia — 5 days / year
- Rhineland-Palatinate — 10 days / 2 years
- Saarland — 6 days / year
- Saxony-Anhalt — 5 days / year
- Schleswig-Holstein — 5 days / year
- Thuringia — 5 days / year
- Baden-Württemberg — 5 days / year
- Saxony — no state-wide entitlement yet
- Bavaria — no state-wide entitlement
Frequently asked questions about educational leave
Who is entitled to educational leave?
All employees whose employer is based in one of the 14 federal states that offer educational leave. In most states, entitlement begins 6 months after you start the job. Temporary workers and trainees are usually eligible as well.
How many days per year am I entitled to?
Depending on the state, 5 to 6 days per year — or 10 days across two years. The days can often be combined across a two-year period, giving you 10 to 12 days in one block.
Which language courses qualify?
All intensive courses (minimum 25–30 lessons per week) at a language school officially recognised under the relevant state law. On LanguagePeps you’ll find a filter that shows recognised courses per federal state.
How early do I need to apply?
At least 6 weeks before the course starts — in some states 9 weeks. Your employer has 2 to 3 weeks to respond. If your application is rejected without proper legal grounds, you can cancel the booking free of charge with LanguagePeps.
What happens if my employer rejects the application?
Employers may only reject the application in exceptional cases (urgent operational reasons). Should your request be rejected, you can cancel your booking with LanguagePeps free of charge or rebook to a later date — we cover that.
Do I receive my salary during educational leave?
Yes. Educational leave is paid leave — your employer continues to pay your full salary. You only cover the course and the trip itself, which is where your PEP price gives you the discount.
Book now — with PEP price guarantee
Eligible to book? Then secure your exclusive PEP price.