🇩🇪 Western Europe

Debt Recovery in Germany

Germany combines one of Europe's most disciplined payment cultures with a rigorous legal framework. Most B2B debts settle in the amicable phase once a structured, German-language demand sequence is in place.

Limitation period

3 years

Typical amicable recovery

21–45 days

Legal procedure

3–9 months

Languages

German · English

Statute of limitations

Standard limitation period under §195 BGB, running from the end of the year the claim arose.

See: How long do I have to collect a debt in Germany?

Late payment & interest

Statutory default interest of base rate + 9% for B2B (§288 BGB) plus a €40 collection fee.

Enforcement

Court orders (Mahnbescheid) issue quickly through the centralised dunning procedure (automatisiertes Mahnverfahren). Enforcement is handled by Gerichtsvollzieher (bailiffs) with strong access to asset registers.

Local practice notes

All correspondence ideally in German to maximise response rates
Mahnbescheid available online with rapid turnaround
Insolvency filings searchable via Insolvenzbekanntmachungen

Active sectors

ManufacturingAutomotive supply chainLogisticsB2B SaaS