October 2025 brings several important changes across Germany that will impact daily life, banking, healthcare, travel, and traditions. From public holidays to digital transitions and new regulations, here’s a roundup of what people in Germany should expect this month.
The month includes important cultural markers, starting with the German national holiday, Unity Day, on October 03. This holiday commemorates the official reunification of East and West Germany in 1990 when the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) formally joined the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany). Prior to this event, Germany was divided, with the Berlin Wall separating the two sides. The fall of the wall in November 1989 paved the way for this official reunification, forming a single democratic German state. In 2025, this holiday falls conveniently on a Friday.
The way payments are processed will be instantly transformed across the Eurozone beginning on October 9. Thanks to a new EU regulation, real-time bank transfers will become the new standard, completing transactions within seconds at any time of day, 24/7. Crucially, these instant transactions must be provided by banks without extra charges. While banks were already required to accept incoming instant transfers in January, October mandates that they also provide outgoing transactions, significantly enhancing the efficiency and convenience of banking services.
Hand-in-hand with faster transactions comes enhanced security. Starting October 5, a new verification step, the Verification of Payee (VoP), will commence for all SEPA transfers and instant payments. This measure mandates that the payee's service provider checks whether the specified recipient name matches the IBAN-associated name. The VoP system returns a result of "MATCH," "CLOSE MATCH," or "NO MATCH," empowering the payer to decide whether to proceed, thereby aiming to reduce fraud and errors in digital transfers.
A major shift in German healthcare will take effect on October 1, 2025, with the implementation of the electronic health record (ePA). On this date, mandatory use of the ePA will begin for physicians and other service providers. While use of the ePA remains voluntary for insured persons, the mandate for service providers ensures that the system will begin its nationwide operation.
October 14, 2025, marks a critical deadline in personal technology: Windows 10 support ends. At this point, technical assistance, feature updates, and security updates will cease. Users must upgrade devices to Windows 11 for a more modern experience. For devices that do not meet Windows 11 requirements, users must either enroll in the Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) program or replace their hardware.
Travelers should note the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES), which starts operations on October 12. This automated IT system will register third-country travelers (both visa holders and visa-exempt visitors) each time they cross an EU external border. The EES will register biometric data and replace the manual stamping of passports, contributing to security and identifying over-stayers more efficiently. The system promises quicker and more comfortable automated border control checks.
In celebration of the return of autumn, the seasonal ban protecting nesting birds ends in September, allowing garden owners to resume hedge trimming and cutting bushes again starting October 1. The ban is a measure designed to protect native wildlife, specifically birds during their nesting season, preventing heavy damage to their habitats. Anyone who trims greenery during the closed season risks heavy fines.
Later in the month, the Berlin Festival of Lights illuminates the capital from October 8 to 15. The light art installations will run from 7 pm to 11 pm under the motto "Let´s shine together," focusing on unity, community, and connection through the diversity of light art. As the 21st annual celebration, the event uses the capital's historic landmarks as projection screens, transforming the city center into a massive, free, open-air gallery of light installations and videomapping.
On October 26, Daylight Saving Time ends. Clocks are turned backward one hour, from 03:00 to 02:00 local standard time. This time shift means sunrise and sunset will be about one hour earlier than the day before, which effectively brings more light in the morning for daily activities but results in less light in the evening.
The month concludes with Reformation Day on October 31, a public holiday in Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, and Bremen. This day commemorates German monk and theologian Martin Luther's proposals, which were famously nailed on a church door in 1517. This pivotal act is widely considered the start of the religious and social Reformation in Europe, marking the separation of Protestantism from the Catholic Church.
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