ROUTE
Discrimination in Germany: claims under the AGG
How to classify disadvantage on a statutory ground, secure indicators, and meet the two months for the assertion and three for the claim.
β Checked: 11/08/2026
The General Equal Treatment Act, the AGG, protects against disadvantage on eight grounds: origin, sex, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual identity. It applies in employment and to part of civil law dealings: mass transactions, dealings where the individual matters little, and private insurance. Two features set this Act apart. First, an eased burden of proof: indicators are enough, and the other side has to disprove a breach. Second, a very short deadline: the claim must be asserted in writing within two months, after which three months remain for a court claim.
COSTS AND DEADLINES
Deadlines you cannot miss
- Written assertion of the claim within two monthsAssert the claim in writing within two monthshard deadline
- Compensation claim within three months of written assertionAssert the claim in writing within two monthshard deadline
- In civil law matters, two months to assert the claimAssert the claim in writing within two monthshard deadline
Amounts follow official fees as of each stepβs verification date. Your city may charge a different rate β check the step itself.
βΊ More about this route
This route covers the whole path: how to identify the ground and the form of disadvantage, what qualifies as an indicator and how to secure it, when the two-month period starts and why an internal complaint does not extend it, what the Act allows you to demand β money, but not a job β and how protection against retaliation works once you have spoken up. We do not assess your particular situation and promise no outcome; in this field the free tier is complete, from the internal complaint to advice from the federal agency, and the route shows where it ends.
WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME
- Letting the two months pass while gathering evidence. The period runs from receipt of the rejection or from knowledge of the disadvantage, and complete evidence does not extend it.
- Treating the internal complaint as the written assertion. The complaint must be examined but does not stop the clock β the two belong in parallel.
- Expecting a job as the outcome. The Act expressly rules out any right to be hired or promoted arising from the breach.
- Overlooking the second deadline. After the written assertion, three months remain for the claim, and negotiations with the employer do not extend it.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE
Who is this route addressed to?βΎ
Employees and applicants who have experienced disadvantage on a statutory ground, and customers in mass transactions and private insurance. Employers will find the mirror image here: which advert wordings and selection procedures create indicators against them.
How does this differ from a claim against dismissal?βΎ
A dismissal claim defends the job and has its own three-week deadline under the dismissal protection act. The AGG provides money for the disadvantage and no job; the deadlines and the subject matter differ, and neither route replaces the other.
Is a lawyer necessary?βΎ
No, the written assertion can be drafted yourself, and free advice is available from the federal agency and local centres. Representation matters where the court claim and the weighing of evidence begin.
What if the ground is clear but there is hardly any evidence?βΎ
That is exactly what the burden of proof rule is for: what must be proved is not the discrimination itself but indicators that make it presumable. After that the other side has the explaining to do.