You can be qualified for parental allowance if you or your spouse recently become parents. Parents who are unemployed before having a child or are unable to work at all after the birth may be eligible for this allowance. Applying for this allowance will allow eligible individuals to receive up to 1,800 euros per month.
Germany Parental Allowance 2024
Parental allowance is financial recompense for parents and legal guardians who care for their child(ren). Eligible candidates can start receiving parental allowance on the day the baby is born. However, parental payment is only available after childbirth.
Individuals can do this retroactively during the first three months after the child’s birth. It is preferable to apply for parental allowance according to the exact day of childbirth (your child’s exact age) instead of calendar months because calculating based on calendar months results in less parental allowance.
You can only receive parental allowance till the child is 2 years and 8 months old. Eligible parents can receive between €300 and €1,800 per month, depending on their income.
Who is eligible for the Germany Parental Allowance?
To be eligible for parental allowance, you must meet the following requirements:
- You and your child live in Germany.
- You currently have guardianship of your child.
- You can only work 32 hours per week while getting the allowance (even if you did not work before having a child).
- You and your child reside in a similar house.
- You are a German, EU, or EEA citizen, or you have a permanent residency permit or a residence permit that allows you to work in Germany.
- The total annual income that you and your spouse make together does not exceed a cap of 200.000 euros (150.000 euros for single parents); starting on April 1, 2025, the cap will drop to 175.000 euros (150.000 euros for single parents).
How can I apply for Parental Allowance in Germany?
To apply for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Germany, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the https://www.elterngeld-digital.de/ams/Elterngeld website.
- Locate and then hit the Apply for Parental Allowance Now button.
- Login or register your BundID or an ElterngeldDigital account with the required details.
- Enter the necessary details to fill out the application form. Make sure that all the entered details are accurate and complete.
- Submit several required documents along with your application form.
- Both parents must sign the application form. If only one parent is applying, they must provide proof of sole custody.
- After verifying all details, submit your parental allowance application.
When will you expect to get your amount after applying?
After submitting your application for parental allowance (Elterngeld) in Germany, the processing time can vary depending on the workload of your local parental allowance office (Elterngeldstelle). Generally, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks for the application to be processed.
Once your application is approved, you will receive the parental allowance payments retroactively from the date of your child’s birth, provided you applied within the first three months. The payments are usually made on the first day of each month during the reference period.
What is the duration of German parental Allowance?
The length of time you receive parental allowance is determined by the type of parental allowance you choose. Parental allowance is available in three forms: Basic Parental Allowance, Partnership Bonus, and “ElterngeldPlus”.
You can choose to stop receiving your parental allowance now and resume it later, or you can choose to receive it continuously or take turns getting parental allowance with the other parent or legal guardian.
If you combine the different parental allowance options, you can get parental allowance for 14 months and parental allowance plus for two years and eight months, or until your child turns 32 months old.
If your child is delivered ahead of the anticipated due date, you will be eligible for additional months of parental allowance; if your child is born between 6 and 16 weeks (or longer), you may get an additional 1 to 4 months.
How much do you get from German parental Allowance?
The type of parental allowance you have selected and your living situation determine how much you receive. The amount of each applicant’s monthly net income for the previous 12 months determines how much parental allowance they will receive, per the law.
Your parental allowance is equivalent to between 65% and 100% of your pre-childhood income. In other words, if you are deemed low-income, you receive 100% of your past net income; the greater your prior salary, the lesser your parental allowance.
A parental allowance of 65% of their prior net income will be given to parents who make more money. The below table shows you some possible allowance amounts.
| Previous monthly income | Expected Allowance |
| Less than 1.000 euros | 67 – 100% |
| 1.000 euros to 1.200 euros | 67% |
| 1.200 euros to 1.240 euros | 67 – 65% |
| More than 1.240 euros | 65% (up to a maximum of 2.770 euros) |
Parental allowance has a monthly maximum of 1.800 euros and a minimum of 300 euros. Families with two or more small children are eligible for a bonus of 75 euros per month, or 10% of the total.