Saxony paid training leave starts in 2027: what workers should check now

Employees in Saxony will gain a right to paid time off for approved training from 1 January 2027. But the state’s official guidance, updated on 28 October, says implementation regulations are still being prepared. For people planning courses around work, the distinction matters: the law is passed, but the new leave entitlement has not started.

Three days, with conditions

Under the Saxon Qualifizierungszeit law, employees working in the state qualify after more than six months with the same employer. The allowance is three working days per calendar year, reduced proportionately for people who regularly work fewer than five days a week.

The law covers recognised continuing education and preparation for voluntary roles. It is not an unrestricted allowance for any course you choose.

Plan well ahead

Employees must request leave as early as possible and at least 12 weeks before an approved course begins, supplying evidence of recognition, its content and dates. Employers can refuse where urgent operational reasons apply; a refusal must be made in writing with reasons within four weeks. Different protections apply to trainees and dual-study students.

After the course, participants must provide an attendance certificate. Failing to provide that certificate within 12 weeks after the course ends can mean losing entitlement to the training-leave payment, unless the delay was not their fault.

Paid leave does not mean a free course

The ministry says participants generally pay the training costs themselves. Its guidance gives 1 November 2026 as the date from which course-recognition applications can be submitted. That is a process for training providers, not the start of employees’ paid leave.

Before paying a deposit, ask the provider how the course meets the recognition requirements and check the ministry’s latest guidance. Do not assume an advertised training course automatically qualifies.

For international residents starting a job in Dresden, Leipzig or elsewhere in Saxony, the six-month service requirement is particularly worth checking. Discuss the timetable with your employer or staff representative before committing to dates. This is a state-specific entitlement, not a new Germany-wide allowance.

Information checked on 28 October 2026.

Illustrative archive photograph: Dylan Gillis / Unsplash, published in January 2018, under the Unsplash License. Photographed in Portland, United States, not at a Saxony training course. Cropped and resized.