Limits on fixed-term contracts, by country
Every country here treats a permanent contract as the norm and limits fixed-term work, but they draw the line in different places. France caps a single contract at 18 months including renewals, Spain at six months for production peaks, while the Netherlands, Japan, Norway and Sweden count the total time or the number of chained contracts (36 months or more than three contracts, five years, three years, and twelve months in five years) before the worker becomes permanent. Germany is the only one here that allows two years without any stated reason.
| Country | When a fixed-term contract is allowed | Duration or chaining limit | Renewals | Becomes permanent when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | With an objective reason, or without a reason for up to 2 years | 2 years without an objective reason | Up to 3 renewals within the 2 years | Work continues after expiry with the employer’s knowledge and the employer does not promptly object |
| Spain | Only for production circumstances or to replace a worker | 6 months for production circumstances (up to 1 year by sectoral collective agreement) | One extension by agreement | The contract breaches art. 15, or more than 18 months in 24 months under two or more production contracts |
| France | Only in the cases listed in the Code (not to fill a lasting job) | 18 months including renewals, 9 or 24 months in listed cases | Twice | Work continues after the end date |
| Japan | Total of more than 5 years across fixed-term contracts with the same employer | The worker applies for a permanent contract before the current term ends; the employer is deemed to accept | ||
| Netherlands | 36 months in total, or more than 3 successive contracts, where gaps are at most 6 months | More than 3 successive contracts makes the last one permanent | From the day the 36 months are exceeded, or the last contract after more than 3 successive contracts | |
| Norway | Only for the grounds listed, such as temporary work or covering for another employee | More than 3 years of continuous temporary employment on the temporary-work or cover grounds | More than 3 years of continuous temporary employment | |
| Sweden | Special fixed-term employment, cover for an absent employee, or seasonal work | More than 12 months of special fixed-term employment in 5 years; cover work more than 2 years in 5 years | When those totals are exceeded |
Country by country
Germany
- Rule
- TzBfG §§ 14 and 15
- The no-reason route is not available if the worker previously worked for the same employer under any contract. A collective agreement may set a different number of renewals or maximum duration.
- Section 14 also lists objective reasons (temporary need, replacement of another worker, probation and others) and allows longer periods for new companies and for workers aged 52 or over; those cases are not summarised in the table.
Die Befristung eines Arbeitsvertrages ist zulässig, wenn sie durch einen sachlichen Grund gerechtfertigt ist.Die kalendermäßige Befristung eines Arbeitsvertrages ohne Vorliegen eines sachlichen Grundes ist bis zur Dauer von zwei Jahren zulässig; bis zu dieser Gesamtdauer von zwei Jahren ist auch die höchstens dreimalige Verlängerung eines kalendermäßig befristeten Arbeitsvertrages zulässig.Eine Befristung nach Satz 1 ist nicht zulässig, wenn mit demselben Arbeitgeber bereits zuvor ein befristetes oder unbefristetes Arbeitsverhältnis bestanden hat.Durch Tarifvertrag kann die Anzahl der Verlängerungen oder die Höchstdauer der Befristung abweichend von Satz 1 festgelegt werden. so gilt es als auf unbestimmte Zeit verlängert, wenn der Arbeitgeber nicht unverzüglich widerspricht Spain
- Rule
- Estatuto de los Trabajadores art. 15
- The 6-month limit and the single extension apply to contracts for production circumstances. Replacement contracts and short, foreseeable production needs follow separate rules in the same article.
El contrato de trabajo se presume concertado por tiempo indefinido.El contrato de trabajo de duración determinada solo podrá celebrarse por circunstancias de la producción o por sustitución de persona trabajadora.su duración no podrá ser superior a seis meses. Por convenio colectivo de ámbito sectorial se podrá ampliar la duración máxima del contrato hasta un año.podrá prorrogarse, mediante acuerdo de las partes, por una única vezLas personas contratadas incumpliendo lo establecido en este artículo adquirirán la condición de fijas.las personas trabajadoras que en un periodo de veinticuatro meses hubieran estado contratadas durante un plazo superior a dieciocho meses France
- Rule
- Code du travail L1242-8, L1242-8-1, L1243-11, L1243-13-1
- The 18-month cap and the two renewals apply where an extended branch agreement says nothing; such an agreement may set a different total duration or number of renewals, but not to fill a lasting job linked to the normal activity of the company.
- The 9-month limit covers contracts awaiting a permanent hire or urgent safety work; 24 months covers work abroad, a departure before a post is removed, and exceptional export orders.
Une convention ou un accord de branche étendu peut fixer la durée totale du contrat de travail à durée déterminée. la durée totale du contrat de travail à durée déterminée ne peut excéder dix-huit mois compte tenu, le cas échéant, du ou des renouvellementsCette durée est réduite à neuf mois lorsque le contrat est conclu dans l'attente de l'entrée en service effective d'un salarié recruté par contrat à durée indéterminéeElle est également de vingt-quatre mois le contrat de travail à durée déterminée est renouvelable deux fois pour une durée déterminée celui-ci devient un contrat à durée indéterminée Japan
- Rule
- 労働契約法 第18条
- The statute quoted sets no maximum length for one contract. It lets the worker convert after more than five years in total. A gap of six months or more between contracts (shorter where the earlier contract was under a year) excludes the earlier period from the count.
の契約期間を通算した期間（次項において「通算契約期間」という。）が五年を超える労働者が使用者は当該申込みを承諾したものとみなすあり、当該空白期間が六月（当該空白期間の直前に満了した Netherlands
- Rule
- BW 7 art. 668a
- A collective agreement or a regulation by a competent public body may extend the period to 48 months and raise the number of contracts to six. Further exceptions in the article cover education, young workers with short hours and workers past state pension age.
arbeidsovereenkomsten voor bepaalde tijd elkaar met tussenpozen van ten hoogste zes maanden hebben opgevolgd en een periode van 36 maanden, deze tussenpozen inbegrepenhebben overschreden, geldt met ingang van die dag de laatste arbeidsovereenkomst als aangegaan voor onbepaalde tijdb. meer dan drie voor bepaalde tijd aangegane arbeidsovereenkomsten elkaar hebben opgevolgd met tussenpozen van ten hoogste zes maanden, geldt de laatste arbeidsovereenkomst als aangegaan voor onbepaalde tijdkan de periode van 36 maanden, bedoeld in lid 1, onderdeel a, worden verlengd tot ten hoogste 48 maanden Norway
- Rule
- Arbeidsmiljøloven § 14-9
- The statute says employees shall be employed permanently and lists the exceptions. The three-year rule applies to the temporary-work and cover grounds, alone or in combination; absence is not deducted from the time.
Arbeidstaker skal ansettes fast.Arbeidstaker som har vært sammenhengende midlertidig ansatt i mer enn tre år etter andre ledd bokstav a, b, tidligere f eller noen av disse i kombinasjon, skal anses som fast ansatt Sweden
- Rule
- LAS 5 § and 5 a §
- The 12-month total also counts consecutive fixed-term jobs with the same employer if each started within six months of the previous one ending.
Avtal om tidsbegränsad anställning får träffas En särskild visstidsanställning övergår till en tillsvidareanställning när arbetstagaren har varit anställd hos arbetsgivaren i särskild visstidsanställning i sammanlagt mer än tolv månaderEtt vikariat övergår till en tillsvidareanställning när en arbetstagare har varit anställd hos arbetsgivaren i vikariat i sammanlagt mer än två år under en femårsperiod Countries not in this table yet
Austria, Australia and Canada are left out: the searches of their ingested texts found no duration or chaining limit for fixed-term contracts. The United States (federal law) and the United Kingdom are not covered by the ingested acts.
How this table was built
Every row is taken from the official, consolidated text of the statute, which LawAsked loads from each government’s legislation service.
Each figure is tied to a passage quoted word for word from that text. When the page is served, it checks that every quoted passage is still in the current text of a law that is in force; if a law is amended and its wording changes, that row is hidden until a person reviews it again.
The table shows the statutory minimum only. Collective agreements, awards and individual contracts often give more than the statute, and some countries let a collective agreement set different terms.
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LawAsked, “Limits on fixed-term contracts, by country”, https://lawasked.com/guides/fixed-term-contract-limits (reviewed October 25, 2026).
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