Shop opening hours - exception due to a special occasion

In Berlin, sales outlets are allowed to open around the clock (6 days/ 24 hours) from Monday to Saturday.
On Sundays and public holidays, sales outlets must generally be closed.
Exceptions to this principle for sales outlets are regulated by the Berlin Shop Opening Act:

• Outlets catering to the needs of tourists

exclusively souvenirs, road maps, city maps, travel guides, tobacco products, consumables for film and photo purposes, necessities for immediate consumption as well as food and beverages for immediate consumption may be sold on Sundays and public holidays from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m open clock. This exception only applies if a point of sale also exclusively sells these tourist supplies on all other days of the week.

• Points of sale with a special assortment

such as flowers and plants, newspapers and magazines, baked goods and confectionery, milk and milk products may open on Sundays and public holidays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Special outlets such as

Petrol stations, pharmacies or sales outlets at passenger train stations, long-distance train stations, commercial airports and coach terminals may be open on Sundays and public holidays.

• Art and second-hand markets are allowed to open on Sundays and public holidays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.


• Open Sundays and public holidays

The state of Berlin can allow shops to be open throughout Berlin from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. for a maximum of eight Sundays or public holidays per year. These dates will be publicly announced in the Official Gazette.

On the occasion of special events (e.g. a company anniversary or a street festival), sales outlets may also open on two further Sundays or public holidays per year from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. The responsible public order office must be notified of this opening two weeks in advance in text form, stating the reason.

Exceptions are not possible for special Sundays and public holidays such as:
New Year, May 1st, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, National Day of Mourning, Sunday of the Dead, December 24th if it falls on an Advent Sunday and the public holidays in December and no more than a total of two Sundays and public holidays per month.

Online processing

Service provided online

Prerequisites

• Special event / occasion for opening on a Sunday / public holiday
  
  Relevant occasions include in particular company anniversaries, public festivals or similar events.

Documents required

• Notification of intended opening on a Sunday / public holiday
  • Informal notification, stating the reason two weeks in advance in text form
  • Please use the sample form for the advertisement (see forms)

Forms

• Template for notification of opening a shop on Sunday / a public holiday due to a special occasion

Fees

Legal basis

• Berlin Shop Opening Act § 6 section 2
• Law regarding Sundays and public holidays
• Ordinance for the Protection of Sundays and Public Holidays

Average time to process request

More information

• Information about workers’ protection - Senate Department for Work
• Shop opening hours in Berlin - information provided by the Senate Department for Economics
• Shop opening hours, information by CCI Berlin
• Information about privacy

Responsible authorities

Applications for exception from the Berlin Shop Opening Act must be submitted to the competent Public Order Office for the sales outlet.

Show other authorities offering these services on the main Service Portal.