The Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz (JArbSchG, Youth Employment Protection Act) protects Kinder (children under 15) and Jugendliche (aged 15 to 17) at work. Child labor is generally banned, with narrow exceptions from age 13. For Jugendliche the law caps hours at 8 per day and 40 per week, requires a five-day week and night rest between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., staggers minimum leave by age, and requires a medical exam (Erstuntersuchung) before they start.
At a glance
- Two groups: Kinder (children under 15) and Jugendliche (aged 15 to 17). Anyone still in full-time compulsory schooling counts as a child regardless of age
- Child labour is generally prohibited. From age 13, light work is allowed within narrow limits, with a guardian's consent, at most two hours a day and not between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.
- For Jugendliche: at most eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, five-day week
- Work only between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., then at least twelve hours off. Breaks of 30 minutes from four and a half hours, 60 minutes from six hours
- Minimum leave staggered by age at the start of the year: 30 working days under 16, 27 under 17, 25 under 18
- A medical exam (Erstuntersuchung) is required before starting work; bans apply to hazardous tasks
What employers actually have to do
- Before the first working day: obtain the medical certificate from the Erstuntersuchung. Without it employment may not begin, and this is where something is most often missing in practice
- For under-18s without completed vocational training: document the guardian's consent
- Shift planning: no night work, no weekend work outside the sector exceptions, no piecework
- Vocational school: time off, counted towards working time
- After one year: arrange the follow-up exam (Nachuntersuchung)
- Posting: the Act and the working-time arrangements must be made known in the workplace once at least three Jugendliche are regularly employed
Sector exceptions exist for hospitality, agriculture, and bakeries among others. They shift the permitted hours but do not remove the limits.
FAQ
From what age can children work at all?
As a rule, children under 15 may not be employed. From age 13, light and suitable work is allowed within narrow limits and only with a guardian's consent, such as delivering newspapers. Children still in full-time compulsory schooling are treated under the child rules regardless of age.
Does the Arbeitszeitgesetz apply in parallel?
For Jugendliche, the JArbSchG takes precedence; the general Working Hours Act (Arbeitszeitgesetz) applies in full only from age 18. The JArbSchG is stricter on maximum hours, night rest and breaks.
How much leave do Jugendliche get?
Statutory minimum leave is staggered by age at the start of the calendar year: at least 30 working days for those under 16, 27 for under 17, and 25 for under 18. More generous collective or contractual terms remain possible.
Does the JArbSchG cover internships?
Yes. For internships and holiday jobs of minors the protective rules generally apply. A mandatory school or training placement may follow special rules, but the health and working-time protections still govern.
Last updated: August 2026
This article provides general information and is not a substitute for legal advice in individual cases.
