EOR · EUR (€)

Employer of Record in Germany

Germany has some of the strongest employee dismissal protections in Europe, and getting a termination wrong is expensive and slow to unwind in the labour courts. Add a works council, sector-specific collective agreements, and Blue Card sponsorship for non-EU hires, and "just hire someone in Germany" turns into a legal project. An Employer of Record absorbs that complexity instead of handing it to you unprepared.

Talk to us about Germany How our EOR works

xpath.global Employer of Record coverage — hire in Germany without a local entity

Now hiring

Germany · EUR (€)

Why hire in Germany through an EOR

Germany is Europe's largest economy and a deep market for engineering, manufacturing and enterprise software talent — but it's also one of the least forgiving markets to get employment law wrong in. The Kündigungsschutzgesetz (Dismissal Protection Act) applies once an employee passes six months' service in a business with more than ten employees, which means termination without cause becomes materially harder from month seven onward. Most companies expanding into Germany want the talent without personally owning that legal exposure.

Employment law essentials in Germany

Notice periods scale with tenure under the German Civil Code (BGB §622) — a basic four weeks to the 15th or end of a calendar month, extending toward several months for long-tenured employees. Probation is typically capped at six months. Statutory minimum annual leave is 20 days based on a five-day week, though most employers offer 25–30 contractually. Larger employers with an elected works council (Betriebsrat) must consult it on hiring, transfers and dismissals — a structural feature many first-time employers in Germany don't anticipate.

How it works

How hiring through an Employer of Record works

Five clean steps from candidate selection to compliant, ongoing employment — with xpath.global as the legal employer on record.

Diverse international team collaborating on cross-border hiring through an Employer of Record

The result

You operate as if the employee were on your internal team — without entity setup, cross-border compliance risk or payroll complexity.

01
Step 01
Select your candidate
Identify the person you want to hire — anywhere across Europe. We support hiring in 20+ European countries, whether it's a new recruit, a converted contractor or an internal transfer.
02
Step 02
Immigration & relocation readiness
Before the contract is signed, our in-house mobility team checks what's required for the move: work permits, visas, residence registration, posted-worker notifications, A1 certificates, home search, school support and settling-in. Because xpath.global combines EOR with global mobility, employment and relocation are orchestrated by one case owner — not bounced between vendors.
03
Step 03
Employment setup through xpath.global
Onboarding typically begins within a few business days of candidate confirmation. xpath.global drafts a locally compliant employment contract and hires the employee through our in-country entity — no need for you to open a legal presence.
04
Step 04
Payroll, taxes and benefits administration
We run payroll coordination, income tax, social security and statutory benefits in line with each country's labour law — plus supplementary benefits (private health, pension, equity) when your policy calls for them.
05
Step 05
Ongoing employment and HR support
xpath.global maintains continuous compliance, contract updates, leave, expenses and offboarding — while you manage the employee's day-to-day work exactly as you would with an internal hire.

Payroll, tax & immigration in Germany

German payroll runs monthly, with income tax, solidarity surcharge, church tax where applicable, and social security contributions (pension, health, unemployment, long-term care insurance) split between employer and employee. For non-EU hires, the EU Blue Card is the standard sponsorship route for skilled roles meeting the salary threshold; EU/EEA nationals have full freedom of movement. xpath.global's in-house tax and immigration teams handle both the payroll filings and the Blue Card process under one case owner.

How xpath.global's EOR works in Germany

Your case owner manages the German employment contract, statutory filings and — where the hire needs it — Blue Card sponsorship, without handing you off to a separate immigration lawyer or local payroll bureau. That single-owner model matters most in a market where an uncoordinated employment contract and visa condition can quietly contradict each other.

Always-on compliance

Stay compliant while you grow — everywhere.

Contracts, minimum wage, statutory benefits, terminations and local labour law across 20+ European countries. Our compliance team monitors changes so your team never gets caught out.

Full employee lifecycle — hire, adjust, terminate
Regulatory monitoring and proactive alerts
200+ legal experts specialised by country
Data protection: GDPR, SOC 2 aligned processes

Talk to a specialist

20+

European countries covered

UK, DE, ES, FR, NL, IT, PL, RO…

200+

In-house legal and tax experts

Country-specialised, on your case

24×7

Dedicated customer support

One case owner, no ticket queues

120+

Currencies to pay your employees

Multi-currency payroll & FX

Pricing

Pay, manage and grow your global team.

Transparent, per-employee pricing across the services that surround the EOR relationship — employment, immigration, contractors and full mobility. All plans include a dedicated case owner and platform access.

Employer of Record

Employ talent across Europe without setting up a local entity.

Starting at

Tailored

per employee / month

Legal employment in 20+ European countries
Locally compliant contracts & onboarding
Payroll, tax & social security handled
Statutory + supplementary benefits
Automated compliance & filings
24/7 HR & legal expertise

Book a demo

Immigration Compliance

Employer of Record bundled with work authorization and visas — one case owner end-to-end.

Custom

Tailored

priced by scope

Legal employment in 20+ European countries
Locally compliant contracts & onboarding
Payroll, tax & social security handled
Work permit & visa processing
In-house immigration specialists
Family & dependant support
Posted-worker & A1 filings
Same case owner across EOR & immigration

Talk to us

Contractor Management

Engage and pay global contractors compliantly.

Starting at

Tailored

per contractor / month

Compliant contractor agreements
Payments in 120+ currencies
Misclassification risk checks
Automated invoicing & tax forms
Centralized contractor dashboard

Book a demo

Indicative pricing. Final quotes depend on country, role and volume — we confirm the exact monthly and one-off fees before you sign.

FAQs — Employer of Record in Germany

How hard is it to terminate an employee in Germany?+

Harder than in most European markets after six months' tenure in companies above ten employees. xpath.global structures contracts and manages exits in line with German dismissal protection law from day one, so there are no surprises later.

Can xpath.global sponsor an EU Blue Card for our German hire?+

Yes, for roles and salaries that meet the threshold. Our immigration specialists run this alongside the employment contract.

Do we need to worry about a works council?+

Only if the employing entity has an elected Betriebsrat — xpath.global's in-house team will flag if and when that applies to your hire.

Forward look

Germany's labour market continues to tighten skilled-worker immigration rules while easing Blue Card thresholds for in-demand roles — a market where compliance detail keeps mattering more, not less.