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Withdrawing from a loan: 14 days — but from when exactly?

A loan's withdrawal period runs 14 days, but the clock only starts once you hold the contract document – and, if mandatory information is missing, only starts once it has been supplied in full.

Updated: 27 September 2026 Tim Jungeblut Editorial methodology

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Period, form and sending
When the period starts is the real point
What withdrawal means in practice

Withdrawal (Widerruf) needs no reason, and sending it in time is enough. What matters is not the length of the period but when it starts: without the contract document and complete mandatory information, it does not begin to run.

Period, form and sending

Under § 355 (2) of the German Civil Code (BGB), the withdrawal period is 14 days. You withdraw by making a declaration to the lender from which your decision must be clear; a reason is expressly not required. To meet the deadline, sending it in time is enough — it does not have to arrive in time. So keep a record of when you sent it, not just of what you wrote.

14 days under § 355 (2) BGB
Your decision must be clear
No reason required
Sending it in time is enough

When the period starts is the real point

Under § 356b (1) BGB, the period does not begin before the lender has provided you with a contract document, your written application or a copy of it. The date of signing alone therefore does not set it running. If, for a general consumer loan, the mandatory information under § 492 (2) BGB is missing, the period only begins under § 356b (2) BGB once it has been supplied — and is then one month instead of 14 days. The absolute limit of twelve months and 14 days set out in the same subsection expressly concerns, under current law, the consumer property loan, not the instalment loan. This may change: the new EU Consumer Credit Directive (EU) 2023/2225 applies from 20 November 2026 and, as a rule, also provides for a maximum period of twelve months and 14 days for consumer credit. The details depend on how Germany implements it.

What withdrawal means in practice

After an effective withdrawal, neither side is bound by its contractual declaration any longer, and whatever has been received must be returned without undue delay. The money paid out therefore goes back to the lender. Whether, and how much, interest is payable for the time until repayment depends on the provisions on legal consequences for consumer loans and on the information in the contract. If this matters in your case, that is the point at which advice is worthwhile.

Frequently asked questions

How long can I withdraw from a loan agreement?

Under § 355 (2) of the German Civil Code (BGB), the period is 14 days. For a consumer loan, however, it does not begin before you have been provided with the contract document or a copy of it (§ 356b (1) BGB). If the mandatory information under § 492 (2) BGB is missing, the period only begins once it has been supplied and is then one month.

Do I have to give a reason for withdrawing?

No. § 355 (1) sentence 4 BGB expressly states that the withdrawal does not need to include a reason. However, your declaration must make it clear that you want to withdraw from the contract. To meet the deadline, it is enough to send it in time.

What happens to the money paid out after withdrawal?

Under § 355 (3) BGB, whatever has been received must be returned without undue delay — so the loan amount goes back to the lender. Whether interest is payable for the time in between depends on the provisions on legal consequences for consumer loans and on the information in the contract.

Selected sources

Note: This article is general information and not legal advice. It does not replace an assessment of your individual case by a lawyer or a consumer advice centre. No guarantee of accuracy; the law and case law may change.