Elterngeld is a great opportunity to secure financial support after the birth of a child! This German parental benefit allows you to focus on caring for your little one without worrying about your income.
The amount of the benefit depends on your previous earnings and ranges from €300 up to €1,800 per month. You can choose Elterngeld Basis (for up to 12 months) or Elterngeld Plus, which allows payments over a longer period. If both parents take parental leave, the benefit period can be extended to 14 months.
Don’t wait! You have 3 months from the date of your child’s birth to submit the application. Get in touch with us and we will help you complete all formalities quickly and efficiently. With Elterngeld, you can give yourself and your child a stable and peaceful start in this new stage of life!
What is Elterngeld in Germany?
Elterngeld is a parental benefit offered by the German social system, designed to provide financial support to parents after the birth of a child. Its main purpose is to compensate for lost income during the period when a parent decides to take a break from work in order to spend time caring for a newborn. This solution is intended to help families balance professional life with parental responsibilities and to encourage fathers to take an active role in childcare.
The standard payment period is 12 months for one parent. However, if the second parent also decides to take parental leave and receive the benefit, the payment period can be extended to 14 months. Parents can split this period flexibly according to their needs. Alternatively, there is the ElterngeldPlus option, under which the benefit is paid for a longer time, but in a lower monthly amount.
The amount of Elterngeld in Germany depends on the parent’s income earned before the child’s birth and equals 65% to 100% of net earnings. The minimum amount is €300 per month, while the maximum can be up to €1,800. The system was created to support families during the first months of a child’s life and provide financial stability, allowing parents to become more fully involved in raising their child.
Elterngeld Plus
Parents can choose whether, instead of one month of the standard parental benefit, they would like to receive two months of Elterngeld Plus. In practice, this means that the full 14 months of the basic parental benefit can be converted into up to 28 months of Elterngeld Plus. The decision remains flexible — parents may use only the basic Elterngeld, choose Elterngeld Plus, or combine both options depending on their needs.
When choosing Elterngeld Plus, it should be remembered that the monthly amount will be no more than half of the standard parental benefit (Basiselterngeld). This means that instead of receiving the full amount for 12 or 14 months, parents can receive half of that amount for up to 24 or 28 months, depending on the selected variant.
It is worth noting that Elterngeld does not affect the amount of Kindergeld or the child supplement (Kinderzuschlag), as these are separate benefits.
Elterngeld parental benefit in Germany – eligibility conditions
Elterngeld can be received by people who meet specific conditions. First of all, the parent must personally care for and raise the child, live with the child in the same household in Germany, and either not work at all or not exceed the limit of 32 working hours per week. People who are not German citizens may be required to meet additional criteria. The benefit can be granted not only for a biological child, but also for a spouse’s or partner’s child, an adopted child (including during an ongoing adoption process), and in exceptional cases also for a grandchild, niece, nephew, sister, or brother — for example if the child’s parents are seriously ill, have a disability, or have passed away.
Elterngeld is available to a broad group of people, regardless of their employment status. The benefit may be claimed by employees, self-employed individuals, unemployed persons, students, vocational school pupils, homemakers, and part-time workers, including those working part-time or under a so-called Minijob. Importantly, Elterngeld is also available to parents who did not work before the child was born. The benefit can be received even if other forms of financial support are paid, such as unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld I), Bürgergeld, Bafög, housing benefit (Wohngeld), or sickness benefit. This support is available both to parents raising a child together and to single parents.
Elterngeld in Germany – how much is it?
The amount of Elterngeld depends on the level of income earned during the 12 months before the child’s birth. If the parent did not work during that period, for example due to caring for an older child, the period taken into account may be extended accordingly.
The benefit equals 65% to 100% of net earnings from before the child’s birth, with a maximum of €1,800 per month and a minimum of €300. The standard payment period covers 12 months; however, if both parents decide to share childcare and limit their professional work, it can be extended to 14 months.
What documents are needed for Elterngeld?
To submit an application for Elterngeld, you must provide:
✔ the child’s birth certificate,
✔ proof of income from the last 12 months before the child’s birth,
✔ confirmation from the health insurance provider stating the amount of maternity benefit and the period for which it was paid,
✔ copies of both parents’ ID documents.
It is worth remembering that the Elterngeld office (Elterngeldstelle) may also need additional information, so further documents may be required depending on the family’s individual situation. In some cases, it may be necessary to provide, for example, confirmation of employment and parental leave, a decision granting unemployment benefits (Arbeitslosengeld), or documents related to work abroad. Therefore, it is best to contact the relevant office and make sure exactly which documents will be required in your case.
Download the documents to receive Elterngeld
Elterngeld for a mother in Poland – is the benefit available in such a situation?
Elterngeld is a German parental benefit that parents can receive even if the child was born in Poland. The key condition is that at least one parent works legally in Germany and pays social insurance contributions there. In such a situation, even if the mother stays in Poland, she may apply for Elterngeld if the child’s father is employed in Germany.
However, it should be remembered that benefits granted in Poland, such as maternity benefit or parental benefit, will be deducted from the Elterngeld amount. This means the German benefit will be reduced by the total of benefits received in Poland. To apply for Elterngeld, it is necessary to submit an appropriate application to the German family benefits office (Elterngeldstelle) and provide the required documents, such as the child’s birth certificate, proof of income, or confirmation of registration of residence.
Therefore, if we have moved to Germany, we should be able to obtain Elterngeld for children born in Poland without major difficulty, because the benefit is also available to parents of children born abroad. The child’s citizenship does not matter — what matters is that the applicant works in Germany and has their place of residence there.
Elterngeld and tax settlement
Elterngeld is not directly taxed; however, it is subject to the so-called tax progression rule (Progressionsvorbehalt). This means that although the benefit itself is tax-free, receiving it may affect the amount of tax due on other income. Elterngeld is added to the total income to determine the applicable tax rate, which in practice may lead to higher taxation of the remaining earnings. It is worth taking this into account when planning family finances and when preparing a tax return.
It should be remembered that anyone who, in a calendar year, received progressive benefits in an amount exceeding €410 generally must file a tax return so that the tax office can verify whether a sufficient amount of income tax has been paid.