Child care allowance

Guide to Elterngeld (Child care allowance)

What is Elterngeld?
Elterngeld is a monthly state payment that partially compensates for the loss of income when parents stay home with their child and cannot work full-time.
There are two main types:
Basiselterngeld – the classic version. It pays 65–67% of your net salary before birth, but no less than €300 and no more than €1,800 per month.
ElterngeldPlus – half the monthly amount, but paid for twice as long. Ideal if you want to return to part-time work (Teilzeit) early.

Important: Proposed Changes for 2026
As of July 2026, a reform is being debated that may change the rules. Please note that the following are proposals and have not yet been enacted into law.
According to a draft bill from Federal Family Minister Prien, the following changes are planned:

Maximum duration reduced: from 14 to 12 months
Minimum months per parent increased: from 2 to 3 months (to receive the full period, each parent must take at least 3 months; these are sometimes called "father months" or "partner months")
Minimum payment: from €300 to €330 per month
Maximum payment: from €1,800 to €1,900 per month

The income limit of €175,000 remains unchanged.
The bill is currently in the departmental review stage (Ressortabstimmung).

Who is eligible?
As of July 2026, the income limit is €175,000 of taxable income (zu versteuerndes Einkommen) per year – this applies to couples and single parents alike. For children born between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, the limit was €200,000.
The maximum working hours limit for receiving Elterngeld is:

Basiselterngeld: 30 hours/week (since April 1, 2025)
ElterngeldPlus and Partnerschaftsbonus: up to 32 hours/week (for the partnerschaftsbonus, it must be between 25–30 hours/week for both parents)

Other general requirements:

You live with the child in one household
You are a parent (biological, adoptive, or step-parent living with the child)
You have a residence or habitual abode in Germany

For migrants:

EU citizens and citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) are entitled
Non-EU citizens are also eligible if they hold a residence permit that allows them to work

How much do you receive?
Monthly amount: €300 – €1,800 (65–67% of net income)
Duration: 12–14 months
Key points:

This is 65% of your previous net salary
Designed so parents can split the months between them (2 of them are the so-called "partner months" – Partnermonate)
Work limit: up to 30 hours per week
Maximum of 1 month at a time

2. ElterngeldPlus
Monthly amount: €150 – €900
Duration: Up to 28 months
Key points:

Convenient if you want to return to work early (e.g., part-time)
Pays less, but for twice as long
Work possible: 25–32 hours per week

3. Partnerschaftsbonus (Partnership Bonus)
Monthly amount: €75 – €300
Duration: 2–4 months
Key points:

Special bonus for parents who both work part-time simultaneously
Both parents work 25–32 hours per week

Duration
The current rules (before the proposed reform):
With Basiselterngeld: a total of 14 months, of which each parent must take at least 2 months to receive the full period. If only one parent takes Elterngeld, they receive only 12 months.
Special cases:

Preterm birth (Frühgeburt): Additional months are added
Twins/multiple births (Mehrlinge): Additional months are added
Disability (Behinderung): The benefit can be received for longer than the standard period

Important deadlines

Entitlement begins from the day of birth
Retroactive payment is possible for up to 3 months before the date of application
If you disagree with a decision, you have 1 month to file an objection (Widerspruch)

Common mistakes

Not meeting the income limit (Einkommensgrenze) – €175,000 is a hard limit; exceeding it leads to automatic rejection
Forgetting the partner months (Partnermonate) – very common: two months of payments are lost simply because the parents didn't share the time
Incorrect income calculation – use the tax return (Steuerbescheid) from the year before birth, not just any year
Applying too late – retroactive payment is only for 3 months; after that, months are lost
Ignoring the 30-hour rule – since April 2025, working more than 30 hours per week during Basiselterngeld means the benefit is reduced
Not reporting changes – returning to work, changing hours, moving – all must be reported; otherwise you may receive a demand to repay (Rückforderung)
Assuming Elterngeld Plus doesn't require reporting – the Partnerschaftsbonus requires both parents to work between 25–30 hours/week, and any changes must be reported

Partner Months (Partnermonate) in Elterngeld

What Are They?
Partnermonate – often called "Vätermonate" (father months), although they are available to any second parent – are two additional months of parental allowance that a family receives only if both parents take turns caring for the child.
This is one of the most valuable and simultaneously most underutilised features of the Elterngeld system. Many families lose these months simply because they are unaware of them or do not plan ahead.
Important: The basic rules for Partnermonate have been in place since 2007 without major changes (aside from income limits and the 30-hour rule, which were updated in April 2025).
Core Rules for Partnermonate (§ 4 Abs. 2 BEEG)

Additional months available: 2 months (sometimes called Bonusmonate)
Total maximum Basiselterngeld with partner months: 14 months (12 basic + 2 partner months)
Main condition: Both parents must take turns caring for the child and receiving Elterngeld in different months

How it works in practice:

One parent receives Elterngeld for at least 2 consecutive months (or more)
The second parent receives Elterngeld for at least 2 consecutive months (or more)
These periods must not overlap. The only exception is one month where both parents can receive Basiselterngeld simultaneously – and that is only allowed within the first 12 months of the child's life

Who can take Partnermonate:
Any parent – mother, father, non-binary parents, adoptive parents. The key requirement is that the second parent also takes at least 2 months. It does not have to be the father, as many assume.
Simultaneous Receipt (Parallelbezug) – How It Works
Since April 1, 2024 (and continuing in 2026):

Before the 12th month: Both parents can receive Basiselterngeld simultaneously for only 1 month maximum. This means only one month of overlap is allowed; the other partner months must be taken consecutively, not in parallel.
After the 12th month: This restriction is lifted. After the first year, parents can receive Basiselterngeld simultaneously for as long as they want. However, the overall family limit of 14 months still applies.

For ElterngeldPlus: There are no such strict restrictions. Both parents can receive ElterngeldPlus simultaneously without any issues – for all 28 months if they wish.

Distribution Examples (Most Common Models)

Model	Mother receives	Father receives	Total Basis term	Benefit from Partnermonate	Note
Classic (maximum)	12 months	2 months	14 months	+2 months	Father takes 2 consecutive months
Equal split	7 months	7 months	14 months	+2 months	1 month overlap possible
Mother takes more	10 months	4 months	14 months	+2 months	—
Only 12 months (no bonus)	12 months	0 months	12 months	0	Most common mistake

What Counts as "Receiving Elterngeld" for the Second Parent?
There are clear rules to understand so you don't miss out:

Minimum 2 calendar months consecutively – not 1.5 months, not "around that time". Exactly two full months: from the 1st to the last day of the month.
During these months, the second parent must be caring for the child. Formally, this means either taking parental leave or working no more than 30 hours per week (if receiving Basiselterngeld).
Combinations are flexible – as long as both parents together accumulate their months. For example:
Mother takes 12 months Basis, father takes 2 months Basis
Mother takes 10 months Basis + 4 months Plus, father takes 2 months Basis
Mother takes 7 months Basis + 6 months Plus, father takes 2 months Plus + 2 months Partnerschaftsbonus – many variations are possible

Alleinerziehende (single parents): Can also claim the Partnermonate under certain conditions.
Typical Mistakes with Partnermonate

The second parent takes fewer than 2 months – if the father only takes 1 month, the bonus is lost. The family will not receive the two additional months.
Both parents try to receive Basis simultaneously for more than 1 month before the child's first birthday – this is the most common reason for repayment demands (Rückforderung) months later. The system considers this an overpayment and will ask for the money back.
Not indicating in the application that you want Partnermonate – the system is not clairvoyant. If you don't indicate in the application that the second parent will take their months, they simply won't be calculated.
The father takes 2 months but works more than 30 hours – even if officially on Elternzeit, if the working hour limit is violated, the benefit will not be paid for those months. Since April 2025, this is monitored more strictly.
Not formally arranging Elternzeit with the employer – formally, to receive Elterngeld, it's enough not to work more than 30 hours. But if you don't notify your employer, there could be issues with work. It's better to arrange it officially.
Confusing Partnermonate with Partnerschaftsbonus – the Partnermonate are linked to Basiselterngeld, while the Partnerschaftsbonus is linked to ElterngeldPlus and involves both parents working part-time simultaneously (24–32 hours/week).

How to Apply for Partnermonate in Your Application
In the online form at elterngeld-digital.de or on the paper form, there is a specific section usually called:
"Verteilung der Monate / Partnerschaftsmonate"
There you need to clearly specify:

Which months the first parent takes (e.g., months 1–12)
Which months the second parent takes (e.g., months 13–14)
Whether you also want the Partnerschaftsbonus (when both parents work 24–32 hours and receive an additional 2–4 months of payments)

Recommendation: Always specify the desired distribution in advance. Changing it later is more difficult – it requires additional applications and explanations.

Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for Elterngeld

Step 1: Check your eligibility
Visit familienportal.de or contact your local Elterngeldstelle (find contacts at bmfsfj.de). Immediately calculate your income and check it against the new income limits (Einkommensgrenze), and also keep in mind the working hour limits (Stundengrenze).

Step 2: Gather your documents
Here is the standard set of documents:

Child's birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde)
Tax return for the last year before birth (Steuerbescheid)
Proof of salary for the 12 months before birth (Lohnbescheinigungen)
Proof of registration at your place of residence (Meldebescheinigung)
If you are a couple – partnership declaration (Partnerschaftserklärung)
For foreign nationals: residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel)

Step 3: Choose your payment model
Decide what works best for you: the basic benefit (Basis-Elterngeld) or the extended version (ElterngeldPlus). And don't forget to agree on who is taking the partner months (Partnermonate) and when.

Step 4: Submit your application
You can apply online via elterngeld-digital.de (you will need a Bund-ID) or the old-fashioned way – submit it in person or by post to your local Elterngeldstelle. The form is called "Antrag auf Elterngeld". This service is free of charge.

Step 5: Wait for the decision
Processing usually takes 4–8 weeks. Once you receive the official decision letter (Bescheid), payments will begin.

Step 6: Receive payments – but stay alert
The money will be transferred to your account. However, if anything changes in your life (work, income, working hours), report it immediately to avoid surprises later.

Step 7: If your application is rejected or you received too little
Do not stay silent. You have exactly one month to file an objection (Widerspruch).

If the government agency requests additional documents

When you have submitted your application and the Jobcenter has already partially reviewed it, they may request additional documents. A serious mistake is to simply forward the requested documents without a cover letter.
In such cases, the officials at the Jobcenter do not understand which case the documents belong to, cannot link them to a specific file number, consider the deadline not met, and issue a rejection stating „Unterlagen nicht fristgerecht eingereicht“

How to Submit Additional Documents Correctly
When submitting additional documents, you must include a cover letter (Begleitschreiben).
Cover letter pdf word.doc
This ensures that your documents are correctly assigned to your case and that the deadline is met.

If your payment was rejected or too low, file an appeal.

Deadline: 1 month from receipt of the notification (1 year if no instructions were provided). Use our appeal template.

30–40% of appeals are successful.