Modifications set for June
Changes Ahead in June: Maternity Leave, Electricity Provider Switches, and More
Pivotal updates and adjustments are set to take effect in various sectors across Germany from June onwards. Here's a look at some of the key changes expected.
Expanded Maternity Leave Rights for Women Experiencing Miscarriage
Beginning in June 2025, women who suffer a miscarriage after the 13th week of pregnancy will be entitled to legally guaranteed recovery time, recognizing the profound physical and emotional toll of such an event. Specifically, recovery times will be assigned as follows: two weeks after the 13th week, six weeks after the 17th week, and eight weeks after the 20th week. During this leave, mothers will receive full salary supported jointly by employers and health insurance.
Digitized Parental Leave Application Process
The digitalization of parental leave and Elterngeld applications has been underway since May 2025, streamlining submission processes by allowing email submission and eliminating the need for physical mailing of birth certificates.
Barrier-Free Access
As of June 28, 2025, more services and products will need to comply with barrier-free regulations, encompassing online shops, banking and public transport apps, websites, as well as cash and ticket machines. This initiative falls under the Barrier-Free Strengthening Act.
Easier Access to Land Register for Renewable Energy Projects
Project developers seeking to build wind power, solar plants, or telecommunications networks will soon have simplified access to the land register to help clarify ownership relationships and ascertain possible usage rights at an early planning stage.
Summer Holidays
Children and young people in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia will be the first to commence their summer holidays on June 28, followed by other federal states throughout July and August.
Baden-Württemberg: July 31 - September 13Bavaria: August 1 - September 15Berlin: July 24 - September 6Brandenburg: July 24 - September 6Bremen: July 3 - August 13Hamburg: July 24 - September 3Hesse: July 7 - August 15Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: July 28 - September 6Lower Saxony: July 3 - August 13North Rhine-Westphalia: July 14 - August 26Rhineland-Palatinate: July 7 - August 15Saarland: July 7 - August 14Saxony: June 28 - August 8Saxony-Anhalt: June 28 - August 8Schleswig-Holstein: July 28 - September 6Thuringia: June 28 - August 8
Gas Safety Checks for Motorhomes and Caravans
Starting from June 19, 2025, gas systems in motorhomes and caravans will require regular expert inspections for safety purposes. This measure aims to mitigate potential accidents and ensure the secure operation of cooking, cooling, and heating systems.
Electronic Legal Proceedings with Switzerland for Traffic Offenses
To facilitate cross-border cooperation and streamline enforcement assistance, Germany and Switzerland have implemented new regulations for electronic transmission of requests. This move is part of the continuing digitization agenda for enhanced cooperation.
Tax Return Deadlines
Taxpayers are reminded of the following deadlines for tax returns:
- Submission by June 2, 2025, if a tax advisor or tax assistance association is involved.
- Submission by July 31, 2025, if filing independently and with an obligation to do so.
- Voluntary submission until December 31, 2025, retroactively up to the year 2021.
Insights
In June 2025, Germany is set to implement expanded maternity leave rights for women who experience miscarriage, supported by digitized parental leave application processes. Additional adjustments will be made to facilitate easier access to land registers for renewable energy projects and introduce gas safety checks for motorhomes and caravans. Electronic legal proceedings with Switzerland for traffic offenses are also being introduced.
- The community policy will extend maternity leave rights for women experiencing miscarriage from June 2025, offering recovery time and full salary.
- The employment policy will digitize parental leave and Elterngeld applications, simplifying submission processes.
- The policy-and-legislation will enforce barrier-free access, applicable to online shops, public transport apps, websites, banking, and cash machines from June 28, 2025.
- The policy-and-legislation will ease access to land registers for renewable energy projects, benefitting developers of wind power, solar plants, and telecommunications networks.
- All federal states will establish summer holidays for children and young people, with varying start dates ranging from June 28 to August 1.
- The gas safety policy will require regular expert inspections of gas systems in motorhomes and caravans from June 19, 2025, enhancing safety.
- The policy-and-legislation will enable electronic legal proceedings with Switzerland for traffic offenses, promoting cross-border cooperation.
- Changes in the financial policy include tax return deadlines on June 2, July 31, and voluntary submissions until December 31, 2025, for retroactive claims up to 2021.
- The lifestyle sector will witness digitized parental leave applications, potentially impacting health-and-wellness, mens-health, womens-health, and mental-health while streamlining processes.
- The technology sector will be affected as Germany continues to implement digitization regulations, including those for cross-border cooperation with Switzerland, data-and-cloud-computing, general-news, and sports-betting.
Furthermore, the policy-and-legislation may also influence the home-and-garden sector, personal-finance, food-and-drink, science, fashion-and-beauty, and politics, as various adjustments and updates are implemented across Germany from June onwards.
