Notice & Demand: templates and forms
34 forms available to fill out or download. · Showing 1–24
Notice closing a current account (Germany)
A letter to a German bank or savings bank (Sparkasse) closing your current account (Girokonto), whether you are leaving altogether or switching to a new bank. It gives the IBAN, the account holder and date of birth, the closing date you want and the account for the remaining balance, ends the linked cards, overdraft and online banking, and asks for written confirmation. Under § 675h of the German Civil Code (BGB) you may close the account at any time without notice, unless a notice period of at most one month was agreed, and closing is free. A choice covers switching through the statutory switching service (§§ 20 ff. ZKG). In German.
Child sick: notice to the employer and leave to care (Germany)
When your child is ill and you have to stay at home in Germany: the letter telling the employer and asking to be released from work under § 45(3) of Book V of the Social Code (SGB V). It asks for paid leave where § 616 of the German Civil Code (BGB) or the employment contract gives it, and otherwise announces the claim for child sickness benefit (Kinderkrankengeld) from the health insurer. For parents with statutory insurance and children under twelve; in German, with no diagnosis.
Note excusing a pupil's absence from school (Germany)
The written note by which parents — or pupils who are of age — excuse an absence from lessons to the class teacher in Germany: with name and class, the days missed, the reason without a diagnosis and the day the school was told. For absences through illness, a medical appointment that could not be moved or an urgent family matter. When and how an absence must be excused is set by each Land's school law: in North Rhine-Westphalia at once and in writing; in Baden-Württemberg the school must be told by the second day and, if that was not in writing, the written note follows within three days. In German, ready to print and sign.
Asking your bank to refund a direct debit or cancel a standing order (Germany)
A letter to your German bank or Sparkasse to refund a direct debit, stop a debit that has been announced, refuse a payee's future debits, or cancel a standing order. A SEPA core direct debit can be reclaimed within eight weeks of the debit with no reason given (§ 675x of the German Civil Code, BGB), and a debit taken without a valid mandate up to 13 months later (§§ 675u, 676b BGB). A standing order or an announced debit can be revoked until the end of the business day before it is carried out (§ 675p BGB). With the payee, mandate reference, amount and date. In German.
Revoking a SEPA direct debit mandate (Germany)
A letter to the payee — a gym, insurer, club, mail-order shop or debt collector in Germany — revoking your SEPA direct debit mandate (formerly Einzugsermächtigung). It gives the mandate reference, the creditor identifier and your IBAN, forbids further debits from receipt, and says how payment continues: you will pay by transfer, the contract has ended, or you will pay from another account. Revoking the mandate ends neither the contract nor what you owe. If a debit still arrives, your bank refunds a SEPA core direct debit within eight weeks, no reason needed (§ 675x of the German Civil Code, BGB). In German.
Notice of defects on a package holiday, given on the spot (Germany)
The written notice of defects you hand to the tour rep or the tour organiser while still on holiday, under the German Civil Code (BGB). It lists the defects with dates, demands a remedy by a deadline and says you will otherwise arrange one yourself and claim the cost (§ 651k BGB). Without timely notice you lose the price reduction and damages to the extent a remedy was possible (§ 651o BGB). With a space for the rep to confirm receipt. The claim after you return is a separate document. In German.
Cancelling an insurance policy — home contents, liability, legal expenses and others (Germany)
A letter cancelling your home-contents, personal liability, legal expenses, buildings, accident or pet liability insurance in Germany: with ordinary notice at the end of the insurance period, within one month of a premium increase (§ 40 of the German Insurance Contract Act, VVG), after a claim, or, for contracts of more than three years, at the end of the third year (§ 11 VVG) — each time, failing that, for the earliest possible date. It revokes the direct-debit mandate and asks for confirmation of the end date. Motor insurance has a document of its own. In German.
Withdrawal from an online purchase or distance contract (Germany)
A letter withdrawing from a purchase made online, by phone or by catalogue, or from a contract signed at your door, in Germany. Under §§ 312g and 355 of the German Civil Code (BGB) a consumer may withdraw within 14 days without giving reasons. The letter carries everything the statutory model withdrawal form asks for — order date, date the goods arrived, order number, the goods, your name and address — in its own words, and asks for the refund within 14 days and a confirmation of receipt. In German, ready to send by e-mail or post.
Final demand for payment before a court payment order (Germany)
The last reminder to a debtor who has not paid, before you start the German court payment-order procedure (Mahnverfahren): the sum outstanding, the due date, default, default interest under § 288 of the German Civil Code (BGB) — five or nine points above the base rate, with the €40 flat fee only from business debtors — a final deadline, your account and notice of the payment order. Laid out as a German business letter (DIN 5008), in German, for private and business creditors. No set form; the answers below explain proof of receipt and the application that follows.
Call to creditors after a GmbH is dissolved — text for the Federal Gazette (Germany)
The text with which the liquidators of a dissolved German GmbH or UG (haftungsbeschränkt) announce the dissolution and call on creditors to come forward (§ 65(2) of the German Limited Companies Act, GmbHG): the company name with 'in Liquidation', its seat, register court and number, business address and the date of dissolution. Publication in the Federal Gazette (Bundesanzeiger) starts the blocking year, before which nothing may be distributed to the shareholders (§ 73 GmbHG). In German.
Request to present an extended certificate of good conduct (Germany)
The written request a club, nursery, school, youth-welfare provider or other organisation in Germany gives an employee or volunteer so that they can apply for an extended certificate of good conduct (erweitertes Führungszeugnis): under § 30a(2) of the Federal Central Criminal Register Act (BZRG), it is issued only to someone who presents such a request, in which the organisation confirms that the conditions of § 30a(1) are met. It names the organisation, the person and the activity, gives the statutory ground as a choice and says whether the work is voluntary, for a fee waiver. In German.
Withdrawal from a sale or price reduction after a failed repair (Germany)
The second step of a complaint about faulty goods in Germany. If the seller did not repair or replace the goods in time after being told of the defect, the defect returned after a repair, or the seller refused, you declare withdrawal from the sale or a reduction of the price (§§ 437 and 441 of the German Civil Code, BGB) — when buying from a trader, without a further deadline (§ 475d BGB). With purchase date, defect, ground, amount to refund, deadline for payment and IBAN. In German.
Notice ending a mobile phone or internet contract (Germany)
A notice ending a mobile, DSL, cable or fibre contract in Germany under the Telecommunications Act (TKG): ordinary notice at the earliest date, one month's notice once the minimum term has ended (§ 56 TKG), notice because you are moving (§ 60 TKG), because the internet is too slow and a deadline to fix it has passed, with the regulator's measurement record (§ 57(4) TKG), or after a one-sided change to the contract. With customer and contract numbers, phone number and a request to confirm the end date. In German.
Cancelling a gym contract or subscription (Germany)
A letter cancelling a gym contract or another running subscription in Germany — a membership, a magazine, a streaming or delivery plan. You give ordinary notice for the earliest possible date, or terminate for good cause under § 314 of the German Civil Code (BGB), such as a lasting illness with a doctor's certificate; you revoke the SEPA direct-debit mandate from the end date and ask for confirmation of it in writing. For contracts since 1 March 2022, at most one month's notice applies after the first term (§ 309 No. 9 BGB). In German.
Payment reminder and dunning letter to a business customer (Germany)
A letter to another business that has not paid an invoice — as a friendly payment reminder or as the final demand before a court payment order. It names the invoice, the due date and the day default began (at the latest 30 days after the due date and receipt, § 286(3) of the German Civil Code, BGB), calculates default interest at nine points above the base rate, claims the €40 flat fee (§ 288(2) and (5) BGB) and sets a deadline. Laid out as a German business letter (DIN 5008), in German. Consumers as debtors have a separate demand letter.
Objection to data transfers from the population register (Germany)
The informal letter to the German registration office (Meldebehörde) that has transfer blocks entered in the population register: you object, point by point, to your data being passed to political parties before elections, to office-holders and the press for birthday and wedding anniversaries, to address-book publishers (§ 50(5) of the Federal Registration Act, BMG) and to a family member's religious community (§ 42(3) BMG). It leaves out the objection to transfers to the Bundeswehr, abolished on 1 January 2026. Many offices also offer their own free form. In German.
Special termination of an electricity or gas contract after a price rise (Germany)
Notice ending your electricity or gas contract in Germany after an announced price increase, without a notice period, on the day the new price is due to apply. Outside basic supply this rests on § 41(5) of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG), in basic supply (Grundversorgung) on § 5(3) of the StromGVV or GasGVV; basic supply can also be ended at any time on two weeks' notice. With customer and meter numbers, supply address, date of the price notice, a fallback notice for the next possible date and a request to confirm the end date in text form. In German.
Notifying the employer of sickness (Germany)
The written notice of sickness an employee in Germany gives the employer under § 5 of the Continued Remuneration Act (EntgFG): that they are unfit for work and for how long, with no diagnosis. For people with statutory health insurance it reflects the electronic sick note (eAU) — the employer fetches the certificate from the health insurer, but the employee must still report the absence at once. Those insured privately announce a paper certificate. In German, with a box for an address abroad.
Resignation letter (Germany)
A German resignation letter (Eigenkündigung): ordinary notice ending your employment on the date you choose, or else on the next possible date, asking for confirmation of receipt, a full employment reference (qualifiziertes Arbeitszeugnis) and for remaining leave to be granted or paid out. Under § 623 of the German Civil Code (BGB), notice ending employment is valid only on paper signed by hand — e-mail, fax, scans and every other electronic form are void. In German, to print, sign and hand over with proof of delivery.
Notice of a car sale to the motor insurer (Germany)
A letter telling your motor insurer in Germany that you have sold the car, as § 97 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG) requires without delay: the vehicle, plate, policy number, date and hour of handover, and the buyer's name and address. The policy passes to the buyer with the car (§ 95 VVG); without the notice the insurer may be free from liability for later losses. It asks for a final account, the refund of any credit and confirmation of receipt. In German, to send by post or as a PDF by e-mail.
Cancelling motor insurance (Germany)
A letter cancelling your German motor insurance with your current insurer: at the end of the insurance year, early after a premium increase or a claim, or after buying a used vehicle whose policy passed to you (§ 96 of the German Insurance Contract Act, VVG). For all cover or for the comprehensive cover only, asking the insurer to confirm the end date and refund any unused premium. For most policies, a cancellation for 31 December must reach the insurer by 30 November. In German, ready to send.
Claim to an employer for unpaid wages and overtime (Germany)
A letter claiming unpaid wages, salary or overtime pay from an employer in Germany, sent in time to beat the exclusion period (Ausschlussfrist) in the employment contract or collective agreement, which is often only three months from the due date. It lists month, type of claim and gross amount, sets a payment deadline, claims default interest under § 288(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB), backs overtime with the employee's own records and can announce that work will be withheld. In German, to print, sign by hand and deliver with proof of receipt, and to e-mail as well.
Accident claim to the other driver's motor liability insurer (Germany)
The first claim after a road accident someone else caused, sent straight to their German motor liability insurer: the date, time and place, the other vehicle's plate, your vehicle, what happened, the damage, the police and witnesses, the amount quantified so far and your IBAN, with a request to confirm liability in principle. Under § 115 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG) you have a direct claim against the insurer, and you must notify it in text form within two weeks (§ 119 VVG) — a letter or an e-mail will do. In German.
Revocation of the waiver of the small-business VAT scheme (Germany)
The letter to the German tax office (Finanzamt) that returns a business to the small-business scheme of § 19 of the German VAT Act (UStG) after it had waived the scheme and charged VAT. The waiver binds for at least five calendar years and can then be revoked only from the start of a later calendar year. The letter names the year of the waiver and the year from which the scheme should apply again, and states that turnover stays within the €25,000 and €100,000 limits. Germany has no ‘VAT deregistration’: this is the route. In German.