The Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG, the German Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act) regulates how long universities and research institutions may employ academic staff on fixed-term contracts. For doctoral candidates, the maximum duration in section 2, subsection 1 is the key provision. This guide explains the current rule, works through an example and places the 2026 draft amendment in context.
Short answer: Under section 2, subsection 1, sentence 1 WissZeitVG, a fixed-term contract for staff who have not yet completed their doctorate may last up to six years if it serves their own qualification. After the doctorate, the limit is also six years, and nine years in medicine. A draft amendment dated 26 May 2026 proposes changes. Last updated: October 2026.
The Most Important Points in Brief
- The WissZeitVG covers fixed-term employment contracts for academic and artistic staff at universities and research institutions.
- Before the doctorate, a fixed term under section 2, subsection 1, sentence 1 may last up to six years if it serves your own qualification.
- After the doctorate, sentence 2 also sets a limit of six years, or nine years in medicine.
- Childcare can extend the term where the conditions of the German parental benefit and leave act are met.
- A draft amendment dated 26 May 2026 proposes changes. Until any amendment takes effect, the text in force applies.
What Does the WissZeitVG Mean for Doctoral Candidates?
The act limits fixed-term employment contracts in academia. It applies to academic and artistic staff who work at universities and research institutions. A doctoral position in which you contribute to a research project or advance your own dissertation can fall under these rules. What matters is that the fixed term serves your own qualification, so check how your contract describes this purpose. A scholarship, by contrast, is not an employment contract and is not governed by the WissZeitVG.
The wording of the maximum duration is in section 2, subsection 1. The table below summarises the core rules in the version currently published on gesetze-im-internet.de (WissZeitVG section 2, gesetze-im-internet.de in German, retrieved October 2026).
How Long May a Doctoral Position Be Fixed-Term?
| Situation | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate not yet completed | Fixed term of up to six years if it serves your own academic or artistic qualification | Sec. 2 (1) sentence 1 |
| After completing the doctorate | Fixed term of up to six years, or nine years in medicine | Sec. 2 (1) sentence 2 |
| Periods without employment | The permitted duration is extended where fixed-term employment periods and doctoral periods without employment together amount to less than six years | Sec. 2 (1) sentence 2 |
| Childcare | The extension rule also applies where the conditions of section 15 (1) sentence 1 of the Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act are met | Sec. 2 (1) sentences 4 and 5 |
The table paraphrases the wording. The exact calculation in individual cases, especially for earlier periods and interruptions, is for the university to determine. Read your contract and ask the personnel office how it calculates the duration.
A Worked Example of the Maximum Duration
Assumption: your contract starts on 1 October 2026, and you have not yet completed your doctorate. The maximum duration under section 2, subsection 1, sentence 1 is six years and therefore ends on 30 September 2032. Assumption: there are no earlier periods and no grounds for extension. If childcare under sentence 4 applies, the period is extended in line with the statutory conditions. The university calculates the actual end date.
What Does the Legislature Plan for 2026?
The Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) presented a draft amendment to the WissZeitVG on 26 May 2026 (BMFTR draft amendment to the WissZeitVG, 26 May 2026, in German). A draft is not current law. Whether and in what form it becomes law, you should follow through the responsible office and the official gazette.
For your planning, what matters is which statutory text applies when your contract is signed. Ask the personnel office to confirm which version the fixed term relies on, and keep the contract with all amendments safe.
How to Check Your Fixed Term, Step by Step
- Read your employment contract and note the start, the end and the stated reason for the fixed term.
- Add up all fixed-term periods at universities and research institutions that may count towards the maximum.
- Check whether periods without employment during your doctorate count, and have the answer confirmed in writing.
- Clarify grounds for extension such as childcare, submit the evidence and have the new end date recorded in writing.
How Does the Fixed Term Affect Funding and Insurance?
When a fixed-term contract ends, the employment relationship usually ends too, and with it the social insurance linked to it. How you fund the doctorate afterwards is covered in Promotion finanzieren (in German). Which health insurance applies after the contract ends is explained in Krankenversicherung als Doktorand (in German).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the maximum duration also apply to a doctoral scholarship?
No. The WissZeitVG covers fixed-term employment contracts. A scholarship is not an employment contract, so the maximum duration does not apply. A scholarship has different consequences for insurance and tax, which you should check separately.
Do earlier periods count towards the limit?
Under section 2, subsection 1, sentence 1, the six-year rule applies to staff who have not yet completed a doctorate. Which earlier periods the university counts follows from the act and from your contracts. Have the calculation confirmed in writing before you make decisions.
What happens once the maximum duration is reached?
Once the permitted duration is used up, the university may not simply renew the fixed term. Whether a follow-on position is possible depends on the subject, funding and available posts. Raise this early with your supervisors and the personnel office.
Is there a different rule in medicine?
Yes. After the doctorate, the permitted fixed-term duration in medicine is nine years rather than six (section 2, subsection 1, sentence 2). Before the doctorate, the general rule of six years applies.
What to Do Next
- Check whether your contract rests on the WissZeitVG and which reason for the fixed term it gives.
- Get an overview of the doctoral rules at your university through the guide PhD in Germany: routes, titles and requirements.
- Agree a timetable with your supervisors that takes the maximum duration into account.
- If you are unsure, seek advice from the staff council or a qualified adviser before you decide.
Related Topics
- PhD funding: position, scholarship or own savings.
- Health insurance during a PhD: what applies in Germany.
- Promotion in Deutschland (in German): Wege, Dauer, Finanzierung und Doktortitel.
- Promotionen in Deutschland in Zahlen (in German): Zahlen nach Fach und Geschlecht.
Sources: Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG), section 2, gesetze-im-internet.de, retrieved October 2026 (in German); BMFTR draft amendment to the WissZeitVG, 26 May 2026 (in German).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
