Elterngeld explained

What is Elterngeld?

Elterngeld (parental allowance) replaces part of your income when you work less or not at all after the birth. It is paid by the Elterngeld office (Elterngeldstelle) of your federal state, not by your employer.

Who gets it?

You get it if you live in Germany, live with your child, care for it yourself and work at most 32 hours a week. Your nationality does not matter, but some residence permits do not qualify – the Elterngeldstelle can tell you. Above €175,000 taxable income in the year before the birth there is no Elterngeld.

How much?

Usually 67 percent of your Elterngeld net income before the birth; with a low income up to 100 percent, with a higher one 65 percent. Basic Elterngeld (Basiselterngeld) is at least €300 and at most €1,800 per month.

The Elterngeld net income is not the net pay on your payslip. It is worked out with flat rates.

Basic, Plus, bonus

Basic Elterngeld runs up to month of life 14. ElterngeldPlus is at most half as much but runs twice as long, up to month of life 32. The partnership bonus (Partnerschaftsbonus) is 2 to 4 extra Plus months if you both work 24 to 32 hours a week at the same time.

How long?

Together 12 monthly amounts of Basic, 14 with the partner months (Partnermonate). A Plus month counts as half. Each parent who takes Elterngeld takes at least 2 months, one parent alone at most 12.

Months of life

Elterngeld runs in months of life (Lebensmonate) from the birthday. If your baby is born on 15 March, the first month of life runs from 15 March to 14 April.

The application

You apply at the Elterngeldstelle, on paper or online. The form is the application (Antrag). Elterngeld is paid back only for 3 months of life, so apply in the first weeks after the birth.

Then you get a written decision (Bescheid). It says how much you get. The Bescheid is what counts, not our estimate.

Maternity protection and parental leave

Maternity protection (Mutterschutz) starts 6 weeks before the due date and ends 8 weeks after the birth. During this time there is maternity pay (Mutterschaftsgeld), which is deducted from Elterngeld.

Parental leave (Elternzeit) is time off work. You register it with your employer at the latest 7 weeks before, in text form (an email is enough). Parental leave and Elterngeld are separate.

German words from the form

Elterngeldstelle

The office that decides on your Elterngeld. It gives advice for free.

Antrag

The application form for Elterngeld.

Bescheid

The written decision on your Elterngeld.

Basiselterngeld

Basic Elterngeld, up to month of life 14.

ElterngeldPlus

Half as much, twice as long.

Partnerschaftsbonus

2 to 4 extra Plus months for both of you, with 24 to 32 hours a week.

Lebensmonat

Month of life, counted from your baby’s birthday.

Bemessungszeitraum

The 12 months used to work out your income before the birth.

Mutterschutz

Maternity protection before and after the birth.

Elternzeit

Parental leave from work, registered with your employer.