150 days remaining ALG I entitlement,
what it really means.
The 150-day rule sets a clear limit for the Gründungszuschuss (German startup grant): at the latest start date (taking up self-employment) you must still have at least 150 days of remaining entitlement to unemployment benefit ALG I. Entitlement duration is counted in calendar days, so weekends and public holidays count too. If time is getting tight, there are still points you can check.
Where does the 150-day rule come from?
The statutory basis is § 93 (2) No. 1 SGB III. It requires that, when the self-employed activity is taken up, an entitlement to unemployment benefit of at least 150 days is still in place. The application for the Gründungszuschuss (German startup grant) must also be submitted in good time before the event that triggers the benefit. The actual start of self-employment is not necessarily the only decisive moment. According to the BA directive, preparatory activities with an external effect in business dealings that take up at least 15 hours per week can already count as the start of the self-employed activity.
§ 93 (2) No. 1 SGB III, BA technical directive Gründungszuschuss 2023
How is the deadline counted exactly?
What counts is the number of entitlement days actually left. If your ALG I entitlement runs without interruption up to a specific end date, you can count backwards from that last entitlement day. The latest start date (taking up self-employment) is the day on which exactly 150 days of remaining entitlement are still available. The application should already have been submitted before that. Weekends and public holidays are not deducted. The calculator and the examples on this page deliberately place the latest start date one day before the arithmetic limit. This safety day is intentional, so that you do not drop below 150 days even if the decision letter counts slightly differently.
Latest start date: 3 July 2026
With 7 days reserve: start by 26 June 2026 at the latest
Latest start date: 16 October 2026
With 7 days reserve: start by 9 October 2026 at the latest
Latest start date: 3 August 2026
With 7 days reserve: start by 27 July 2026 at the latest
By when do you need to start your business so 150 days remain?
Enter the last day of your ALG I entitlement from your notice. We subtract 150 days. The result is the latest start date (taking up self-employment) on which 150 days of entitlement still remain. You file the application before that. If you also want time for processing and follow-up questions, switch on the buffer option below the date field. The calculation runs entirely in your browser; no data is stored or transmitted.
Enter the last day of your ALG I entitlement to see the latest start date.
The calculator deliberately subtracts the full 150 days and therefore sets the latest start date one day earlier than the arithmetic limit. This safety day is intentional, so that you do not drop below 150 days even if your notice counts differently. This calculation is without warranty and does not constitute legal advice. It does not replace a review of your notice or coordination with the Employment Agency. Please confirm your start date and the deadlines with your responsible agency in any case. SK Strategies accepts no liability for the calculation or for any decisions derived from it.
Two important details about the 150-day rule
Deregistering can secure the 150 days, the activity may start later
Continuous receipt of unemployment benefit right up to the start of self-employment is not required in every case. According to the technical directives of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, a close temporal connection between the previous ALG I receipt and taking up the self-employed activity is sufficient. This connection exists when no more than one month lies between them. The BA expressly also takes account of cases in which someone deregisters from benefit receipt early purely to secure the remaining entitlement of 150 days. The example in the directive is concrete: at the end of 14 May the remaining entitlement still amounts to 150 days. Deregistration takes effect on 15 May, the self-employed activity begins on 1 June. Because less than one month lies between the end of benefit receipt and taking up the activity, this requirement is met.
Exception for people with disabilities
For people with disabilities within the meaning of § 19 SGB III there is a statutory special provision. Under § 116 (7) SGB III, a Gründungszuschuss can also be granted when the unemployment benefit entitlement is less than 150 days or when there is no entitlement to unemployment benefit at all. The BA directive applies this provision to rehabilitation participants of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Whether the exception applies in your case is therefore best clarified directly with your Agentur für Arbeit.
§ 93 (2) No. 1 and § 116 (7) SGB III, BA technical directive Gründungszuschuss (as of 13 September 2023), Federal Social Court ruling of 5 May 2010, B 11 AL 11/09 R
Why 5 months plus 7 days buffer?
For calculating the entitlement duration, § 339 SGB III counts one month as 30 days. Five months of entitlement duration are therefore 150 entitlement days. That says nothing about how many calendar days lie between two specific dates. This is why the calculator and the examples on this page work with the last entitlement day from your decision letter and count back from there to the exact day. With exactly 150 entitlement days you are right on the statutory limit and have no leeway left. The additional 7-day buffer is not a statutory requirement. It is purely a safety reserve. If the ALG I end date you assumed is not correct, if the calculation of the remaining entitlement shows a deviation, or if something still has to be corrected before the planned start date, this leaves you some time. Without a reserve, even a small deviation is enough to turn 150 days into just 149.
Three misjudgements that get expensive
Only working days are counted
So ist es: Entitlement duration is counted in calendar days. Weekends and public holidays are therefore not deducted. In the case of illness, blocking periods (Sperrzeiten) or other interruptions, however, the specific case matters: some periods use up your entitlement, during others it is suspended. In such constellations, work with the actual remaining entitlement stated in your decision letter and not just with a calendar date.
Quitting to reach the startup grant faster
So ist es: Voluntary resignation as a rule triggers a Sperrzeit (blocking period) for giving up employment. As long as the entitlement is suspended for that reason, there is no payment entitlement to unemployment benefit. If you take up self-employment during this time, the application for the Gründungszuschuss is rejected under the technical directives without further examination. In addition, a Sperrzeit for giving up employment shortens the entitlement duration by the days of the Sperrzeit, and by at least a quarter in the case of a twelve-week Sperrzeit (§ 148 (1) No. 4 SGB III). This can also mean that you fall below the 150-day limit sooner. It can look different when the suspension only occurs after unemployment benefit has already been running, for example because of a missed appointment (Meldeversäumnis). If the requirements of § 93 (2) No. 1 SGB III are still met, the Gründungszuschuss can be granted after the suspension period under § 93 (3) SGB III. The start of the funding then shifts, while the funding duration is not shortened by this. What matters is therefore the reason for and the timing of the Sperrzeit as well as your actual payment entitlement.
Submitting an application means handing in all documents
So ist es: The application itself is not tied to a specific form. According to the technical directives it can be made in person, by phone, in writing or electronically. What matters is that the application is submitted in good time before the event that triggers the benefit. Business plan, financial plan, Fachkundige Stellungnahme and further evidence can be handed in during the subsequent procedure. The timing, however, is important: preparatory activities with an external effect in business dealings that take up at least 15 hours per week can already count as the start of the self-employed activity.
Two realistic options when the deadline is missed
If you only look into the Gründungszuschuss late and already have less than 150 days of remaining entitlement, the regular route to the Gründungszuschuss is generally no longer open. The statutory exception for people with disabilities under § 116 (7) SGB III remains unaffected. Alongside that, there are other paths with which you can still prepare the founding or start as a sideline business first.
AVGS coaching
The 150-day rule of the Gründungszuschuss does not apply to an AVGS-funded startup coaching. Such a coaching can be geared towards leading you up to a self-employed activity. Whether you receive an Aktivierungs- und Vermittlungsgutschein is assessed by your placement officer. The AVGS is generally a discretionary benefit and does not arise simply because you are registered as job-seeking.
More on AVGS coaching →Start as a sideline business and have the decision letter reviewed
Even with less than 150 days you can build up a self-employed activity as a sideline business (Nebenerwerb) first. If you want to continue receiving unemployment benefit, the sideline activity must generally take up less than 15 hours per calendar week and has to be reported to the Agentur für Arbeit in advance. Income above the applicable allowance can be offset against your unemployment benefit. In addition, it can make sense to have your ALG I decision letter and the stated remaining entitlement reviewed, especially if there were interruptions, blocking periods or suspension periods before. In a strategy consultation we look together at which options fit your situation.
Request strategy consultation →Whether a Gründungszuschuss is approved is decided by the Agentur für Arbeit case by case. This page is general information, not legal advice. For an individual review of your decision letter, legal counsel may be sensible.
FAQ on the 150-day rule
More on the startup grant
Eligibility, process, payout and preparation tips: all on the startup-grant overview.
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