Overview
- Federal agencies have issued very different policies that let some staff work abroad for weeks while others limit remote work to within Germany.
- The Kraftfahrt‑Bundesamt allows up to 40 days a year from anywhere, the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung permits 30 EU days, the Bundesagentur für Arbeit permits 10 EU days, and the BSI allows up to 60 percent remote work with only short, agreed EU stays.
- Agencies say the measures respond to a shortage of skilled staff and digitalization, using location flexibility as a recruiting and retention tool.
- Tax, social‑security, payroll, visa, insurance, data‑protection and permanent‑establishment risks mean employers must clear each foreign stay before approving it.
- Unions and staff groups are split over fairness and access, uptake so far appears limited, and the rules vary by mission and security needs which will shape how widely workations are used.