Changes arriving in June:
Upcoming Changes in June 2025:
Expect a host of significant alterations in various sectors across Germany starting June 2025. This includes revisions to electricity provider regulations, smartphone durability, maternity protection, barrier-free services, care allowances, school holidays, motorhome regulations, renewable energy projects, cross-border legal proceedings, and tax declarations.
Maternity ProtectionFrom June 2025, women who suffer a miscarriage post the 13th week of pregnancy will be eligible for maternity protection. The duration varies, with two weeks granted after the 13th week, six weeks after the 17th week, and eight weeks after the 20th week. Employers will receive full reimbursement for maternity leave if employment is prohibited during this period.
Barrier-Free ServicesStarting June 28, 2025, a wider range of services, products, and online platforms—including banks, public transport, and apps—will be required to follow accessibility regulations. This legislation aims to make digital services more accessible for individuals with disabilities.
Care AllowancePeople with care needs at level 1 receive a care relief amount every month. Since January 2025, this amount has been €131 per month. Unused amounts from 2024 can still be utilized for relief until June 30, 2025. This can be either the remaining amount or the full €1,500 from 2024. Examples of acceptable support include dementia support groups, shopping assistance, or help with household chores or administrative tasks.
Faster Electricity Provider SwitchFrom June 6, 2025, electricity providers will be required to complete the switch within one working day. Cancellation periods remain unchanged, and backdated registrations, such as those during moves, will no longer be accepted.
Smartphones to Become More DurableWhile no specific updates regarding smartphone durability have been announced for June 2025, EU and German regulations are leaning towards increased product durability and the right to repair, which may influence future smartphone standards.
Easier Land Registry Access for Renewable Energy ProjectsOperators and planners of renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar power plants, and telecommunications networks will enjoy easier access to land registries to clarify ownership and potential usage rights, enhancing expansion efforts.
School Holidays for Federal StatesThe first federal states to commence their summer holidays in 2025 are Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia on June 28. Other federal states will follow suit throughout July and August.
Gas Inspections for Motorhomes and CaravansA new regulation requires regular expert inspections for gas installations in motorhomes and caravans starting from June 19, 2025. This measure aims to increase safety and prevent accidents in camper gas systems.
Electronic Legal Proceedings with Switzerland for Traffic OffensesGermany and Switzerland have been collaborating on cross-border enforcement of traffic offenses. A new regulation is being introduced to facilitate electronic transmission of enforcement assistance requests, simplifying and expediting cooperation between the two countries.
Tax DeclarationsTax declarations for the year 2023 must be submitted by June 2, 2025, if a tax advisor or tax aid association is providing assistance. Tax declarations for 2024 are due by July 31, 2025, if there is an obligation to file and self-preparation is employed. The deadline is extended to April 30, 2026, if a tax advisor or tax aid association is providing assistance. Those not obliged to submit a tax declaration can still do so voluntarily up until December 31, 2025, retroactively up to the year 2021. The average refund in recent years has been around €1,000, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
National Veterans' Day on June 15June 15 is designated as National Veterans' Day, honoring the service and duty of current and former soldiers of the German Armed Forces.
Sources: ntv.de, Bundesnetzagentur, Federal Statistical Office
Enrichment Data:- The German energy regulator (Bundesnetzagentur) published a discussion paper in May 2025 aiming to revise the electricity network tariff system ("AgNeS"). This revision is due for feedback by the end of June 2025 and is intended to make the network tariff regulation suitable for future energy transition challenges.- Key proposed changes to the electricity network tariff system include broadening the financing base for grid costs by requiring electricity producers, including renewables, to contribute to grid fees, instead of having these costs borne exclusively by end consumers.- Further reforms aim to reduce current consumption-dependent grid fees, encouraging more flexible demand behavior.- The government plans to allocate about 23 billion euros over 2025-29 to halve grid fees, which have recently doubled to over 60 euros per MWh, potentially impacting electricity provider switching conditions.
- The community policy of June 2025 will address the revised electricity provider regulations and their implications for the energy transition in Germany.
- The health-and-wellness sector in 2025 will witness changes in maternity protection policies, providing assistance to women who experience miscarriages post the 13th week of pregnancy.
- The employment policy in June 2025 will mandate employers to provide reimbursement for maternity leave in cases where employment is prohibited during the designated leave period.
- The health-and-wellness and women's health sectors will also focus on accessible services for individuals with disabilities, as per the new regulations for barrier-free services set to take effect on June 28, 2025.
- The personal-finance policy will allow people with care needs at level 1 to utilize unused care relief amounts from 2024, with the remaining amount or the full €1,500, until June 30, 2025.
- The technology sector is expected to see shifts in smartphone durability, influenced by EU and German regulations advocating increased product durability and the right to repair.
- The home-and-garden sector will benefit from easier access to land registries for renewable energy project operators and planners, enhancing expansion efforts in wind and solar power plants and telecommunications networks.
- The travel sector will see simplified cross-border legal proceedings between Germany and Switzerland for traffic offenses with the introduction of electronic transmission of enforcement assistance requests.
- The policy-and-legislation sector will witness revisions to the tax declaration policies, including extended deadlines, changes to the filing requirements for certain taxpayers, and potential refunds averaging around €1,000, as per the Federal Statistical Office. Other policy areas may also be impacted by changes in finance, sustainable living, data-and-cloud-computing, lifestyle, technology, personal-growth, and education-and-self-development. The public will also celebrate National Veterans' Day on June 15 to honor current and former soldiers of the German Armed Forces.
