Elterngeld beantragen

• §§ 1 bis 14 Gesetz zum Elterngeld und zur Elternzeit (BEEG)

Application for parental benefit in accordance with the Federal Parental Benefit and Parental Leave Act (BEEG)

Parental benefit is a support for parents after the birth of a child. Parental benefit replaces part of your lost income if you want to be there for your child after the birth and therefore interrupt or reduce your professional work. You can also receive parental benefit if you had no income before the birth of your child.

There are three different types of parental benefit:

• basic parental benfit,
• parental benefit plus and
• partnership bonus.

As parents, you can combine these types of benefit in different ways.

How long and how much parental benefit is paid?

You can receive parental benefit from the birth of your child. It is paid on a monthly basis, but not for calendar months, but for the months of your child's life.

As parents, you can decide for yourself who receives the benefit and for how long. In the application, you must specify the months of your child's life for which you would like to apply for parental benefit and which payment option you choose.

How long you receive the benefit depends on whether you opt for basic parental benefit or parental benefit plus or a combination of both and whether you want to take advantage of the partnership bonus.

• Basic parental benefit can only be claimed within the first 14 months of the child's life.
• Parental benefit plus and partnership bonus can also be drawn beyond the first 14 months of life.

From the 15th month of life, parental benefit must be claimed by at least one parent every month (uninterrupted receipt).

The amount of your parental benefit also depends on the type of benefit you receive.

• The basic parental benefit is at least EUR 300.00 and a maximum of 1,800.
• Parental benefit plus and the partnership bonus amount to at least EUR 150.00 and a maximum of EUR 900.00.

The following questions also play a role in the amount of parental benefit:

• How much income have you had so far?
• How much income will you have while you are receiving parental benefit?
• Do you receive any other state benefits?
• Do you have twins or other multiples?
• Do you already have other small children?

Forms

• Application form
• Certificates
• Declaration of income

Further documents

• Birth certificate or birth certificate of your child
• Proof of your previous income
• Certificate from your health insurance fund confirming receipt of maternity benefit after the birth
• Certificates from your employer regarding maternity benefit subsidies (employer subsidy)
• If you are gainfully employed while receiving parental benefit: Certificate from your employer about your working hours or declaration of your working hours if you are self-employed as well as proof of the income you receive

Your employer or employer is obliged to provide you with the required documents.

Please refer to the application form or the information sheet on applying for parental benefit to find out whether you need to submit further documents.

As a mother or father, you can receive parental benefit under the following conditions:

• You are resident or ordinarily resident in Germany.
• You look after and bring up your child yourself.
• You live with your child in the same household.
• You do not work or do not work more than 32 hours per week while receiving parental benefit.
• Your total taxable income in the last completed assessment period (usually the calendar year) did not exceed 250,000 euros. For couples, the limit is 300,000 euros.

You can receive parental benefit

• for your biological child,
• for the biological child of your spouse or partner,
• for your adopted child,
• in special cases also for your grandchild or great-grandchild, your niece or nephew, your sister or brother.

Each parent can only apply for parental benefit once per child. Even in the case of twins, triplets and other multiple births, only one application per parent is possible. You can also submit your application together with your partner.

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In order to receive parental benefit, you must submit a written application to your parental benefit office (responsible office).

Create an application online

Create your application using an electronic assistant in the federal government's online portal "Elterngeld Digital". To use the portal for the first time, you must first register on the portal.

• Follow the link to the online portal, log in with your user details and follow the electronic wizard step by step. You can save your details at any time and complete them at a later date.
• Once you have filled in all the data fields, generate your application as a PDF and print it out.

Submitting a paper application

Until full electronic processing is possible, please submit your application and the other documents in paper form to the Parents' Centre. As an alternative to online submission, you can use the forms provided in Amt24 (display according to location selection). You can also obtain the forms from your parental benefit office.

• Please enclose the documents and evidence requested in the application and sign the application. If the other parent is also entitled to parental benefit, they must also sign your application.
• Submit the application documents in person or by post to your parental benefit office.

Notify us of changes

If there are any changes during the months of entitlement (e.g. because you have increased or reduced your weekly working hours), you must inform the relevant office. They will decide whether you are still entitled to parental benefit or whether you have to pay back part of it.

• Application: after the birth of your child at the earliest
• retrospective payment: maximum for 3 months of life

You should therefore submit the application within the first three months of your child's life.

Objection (details in the official notification)