German documents

How to cancel a German contract

German contracts aren't legally hard to cancel; the route is just buried. Here's the button most providers must show you by law, the notice you actually owe, and where each major company keeps its Kündigung page. Your flat and the Rundfunkbeitrag work differently, and we say how.

Start here: the button they must show you

Since 1 July 2022, § 312k BGB requires companies that let you sign up for a paid subscription online to show a clearly labelled cancellation button, normally „Verträge hier kündigen“. It has to be always available and easy to reach. Financial services, and contracts where the law requires a stricter form, are the exceptions.

This is the part worth remembering: scroll to the bottom of the page. Deep links into cancellation flows change constantly, but the footer button is required by law. Before you press it, know which contract you're cancelling and the date you want it to end, and save the confirmation.

If the button is missing: under § 312k(6) BGB you can cancel a covered contract at any time without notice. Screenshot the page as evidence, send your cancellation in text form anyway, and keep the screenshot.

Where each provider keeps it

These are the providers' own pages. The Rundfunkbeitrag is the odd one out: it's a public charge, so you deregister rather than cancel, and only in specific cases.

Mobile & internet

  • Telekom

    Official help hub with the online cancellation route and written alternatives.

    Notice:
    For covered telecom services, one month after automatic renewal beyond the initial term (§ 56 TKG).
    Watch out:
    Keep the cancellation receipt and check the confirmed end date. Number porting and rented equipment may need separate steps.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Public help page and statutory renewal rule checked; no cancellation was submitted.

    Cancellation instructions →

  • Vodafone

    Provider cancellation entry point. Its redirect could not be confirmed in this check; use Vodafone’s current help or footer if it does not open.

    Notice:
    For covered telecom services, one month after automatic renewal beyond the initial term (§ 56 TKG).
    Watch out:
    Mobile, cable and other subscriptions can be separate contracts. Identify every contract you intend to end.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Renewal rule checked; this deep link and the form flow remain unconfirmed.

    Cancellation instructions →

  • o2 / Telefónica

    Official cancellation guidance with routes for different contract types.

    Notice:
    One month after the minimum term for automatically renewed covered telecom services; check prepaid options separately.
    Watch out:
    A cancellation pre-registration is not necessarily the completed cancellation. Check the instructions, receipt and end date for the route you choose.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Public instructions reviewed; account-specific actions were not tested.

    Cancellation instructions →

  • 1&1

    Official cancellation help. Contract dates and individual components are shown in the Control-Center.

    Notice:
    For covered telecom services, one month after automatic renewal beyond the initial term (§ 56 TKG).
    Watch out:
    The optional Control-Center Kündigungsvormerkung needs telephone confirmation within seven days according to 1&1. Distinguish that reservation from a completed cancellation and keep the confirmation.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Provider instructions and renewal rule checked; no login or cancellation flow tested.

    Cancellation instructions →

Streaming & media

  • Netflix

    Official cancellation instructions; the membership-management link requires an account login.

    Notice:
    For a direct paid membership, access normally continues to the end of the current billing period.
    Watch out:
    If the account has no cancellation option, check the listed payment partner. Deleting the app does not cancel the membership.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Public cancellation and payment-partner guidance checked; no account accessed.

    Cancellation instructions →

  • Spotify

    Official Premium cancellation instructions, with a link to manage the plan.

    Notice:
    Paid Premium usually lasts until the next billing date; a zero-priced trial can end immediately when cancelled.
    Watch out:
    The free account keeps playlists. A partner-billed plan must be managed through that partner; Family/Duo members cannot cancel the whole manager’s plan.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Public Premium, trial and partner-billing instructions checked; no account accessed.

    Cancellation instructions →

  • Amazon Prime

    Account-management entry point. Sign in and select Prime-Mitgliedschaft verwalten, then Mitgliedschaft beenden.

    Notice:
    Check the membership-management screen for the offered end date and any refund.
    Watch out:
    Refund eligibility depends on the membership and benefits used. Do not assume an unused portion of an annual subscription will always be refunded.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Amazon’s public guidance checked; authenticated end-date and refund options were not tested.

    Cancellation instructions →

  • Sky

    Sky’s public cancellation-information entry point; some content loads dynamically.

    Notice:
    Check your Sky contract’s initial term, notice period and confirmed end date.
    Watch out:
    Sky and WOW are separate products. Use the instructions for the actual subscription and check any equipment-return obligation.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Public entry point opened; dynamically loaded tariff-specific instructions were not confirmed.

    Cancellation instructions →

  • WOW

    Official WOW instructions for Abos & Zahlungen; cancellation is on the website.

    Notice:
    Cancel before renewal; a minimum-term subscription ends at the end of that term.
    Watch out:
    Cancel each subscription separately. If billed through Telekom, o2 or Amazon, use that partner’s route. Keep the confirmation email.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Public minimum-term, individual-subscription and partner-billing instructions checked.

    Cancellation instructions →

Gym & subscriptions

  • Gyms (McFit, FitX, Clever Fit …)

    Consumer-advice guidance, rather than a gym’s own cancellation form. Use the form for your actual contracting gym.

    Notice:
    Check the initial term. Covered contracts signed from 1 March 2022 can be ended with at most one month’s notice after automatic renewal.
    Watch out:
    Moving does not generally create a right to end a gym contract early. Illness and other exceptional grounds need an individual assessment and suitable evidence.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Current consumer guidance and § 309 BGB reviewed; individual chain forms were not tested.

    Cancellation instructions →

Public & official

  • Rundfunkbeitrag (GEZ)

    Official Wohnung abmelden form; you need your contribution number and evidence for the reason.

    Notice:
    Deregistration is subject to the charge’s conditions, rather than a contract’s notice period.
    Watch out:
    This is a household levy, not a subscription. Use an eligible reason such as leaving Germany or moving into a dwelling already covered by another contributor; an ordinary change of address may need an update instead.

    Reviewed 2026-10-10. Public form entry point and evidence requirements reviewed; no personal details submitted.

    Cancellation instructions →

We earn nothing from the links in this table. Providers move their cancellation flows regularly; if a link has gone stale, look for the footer button or the provider's help page.

Anzeige / advertisement

Cancelling a Telekom contract

Our full Telekom cancellation guide covers the letter, the § 60 TKG right when you move, and keeping your number. You can also go straight to Telekom.

Open Telekom's cancellation page

Affiliate link (Werbung): we may earn a commission. The guide and the templates work without it and cost you nothing.

Letter templates, if you'd rather write

A letter works everywhere, and it's the safest option when the online flow refuses your case. Pick the one for your contract; each page explains the German wording and what to fill in. For your flat, send it on paper and sign it.

General Kündigung template →Telekom cancellation guide →Apartment notice (Wohnungskündigung) →

Frequently asked questions

Is there a legally required cancellation button in Germany?
For most subscriptions you can sign up for online, yes. Since 1 July 2022, § 312k BGB requires a clearly labelled cancellation button, usually „Verträge hier kündigen“, for paid, ongoing consumer contracts that can be concluded on a website. It has to be always available and easy to reach; look in the website footer first. Financial services, and contracts where the law requires a stricter form, are excluded.
What happens if a company hides its cancellation button?
If the contract is covered and the button or its confirmation page is missing or doesn't work, you can cancel at any time without notice (§ 312k(6) BGB). Take a screenshot as evidence, send your cancellation in text form anyway, and keep the screenshot. If the provider disputes it, a Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) can help.
How much notice do I have to give in Germany?
For most contracts on a company's standard terms signed since 1 March 2022, the first term can be at most two years, and after that the contract can only renew indefinitely, with at most one month's notice (§ 309 no. 9 BGB). Phone and internet contracts follow the same pattern under § 56 TKG. Insurance is one of the exceptions, and older contracts may still carry three months' notice and a one-year renewal, which is why old contracts are the expensive ones to forget.
Does an email count as a valid cancellation?
For most consumer contracts, yes. They only need text form (§ 126b BGB): an email, a web form or the cancellation button all count, as long as it says who you are. No signature, fax or registered letter is needed. The big exception is your flat: a residential lease has to be cancelled on paper with your signature (§ 568 BGB). Whatever you send, ask for confirmation of the exact end date and keep it.
Can I cancel because I am moving or leaving Germany?
Only in specific cases. For phone and internet, § 60 TKG lets you cancel with one month's notice if the provider can't offer the same service at your new home. Moving, including leaving Germany, isn't by itself a reason to cancel other contracts: most still need the ordinary notice, so cancel before you leave rather than after.
What is the difference between ordentliche and außerordentliche Kündigung?
Ordentliche Kündigung is ordinary notice: you end the contract at the next permitted date and don't need a reason. Außerordentliche Kündigung is termination for cause, and it only works with a qualifying reason (§ 314 BGB); often you first have to give the provider a deadline to fix the problem. Ordinary notice is what you want in almost every case, because it doesn't depend on anyone accepting your reason.

General information, not legal advice. Legal references checked on 10 October 2026; your own contract decides which terms apply to you.