Elterngeld explained in English

Elterngeld is Germany's parental allowance: monthly money from the state that replaces part of your income while you care for your baby. It is generous, and confusing if German is not your first language. This guide covers what you get, who qualifies, the deadlines, and how to apply.

First, the distinction that confuses everyone: Elterngeld is money, Elternzeit is time. Elternzeit is your right to job-protected leave from your employer. Elterngeld is the payment. Different offices, different deadlines, both covered below.

How much you get

Basic Elterngeld (Basiselterngeld) replaces roughly 65 to 67 percent of your average net income from the 12 months before the birth:

• Minimum: 300 EUR per month, even with no prior income
• Maximum: 1,800 EUR per month
• Low earners get a higher replacement rate, up to 100 percent

One parent alone can receive it for up to 12 months. When two parents share and each takes at least two months, the family gets 14 months in total. Single parents can claim the full 14 months alone.

Two variants:

• ElterngeldPlus: half the amount for twice as long. Built for parents returning to part-time work, because part-time income reduces it less harshly.
• Partnerschaftsbonus: extra ElterngeldPlus months when two parents work 24 to 32 hours per week at the same time.

You can mix variants month by month. The official calculator at familienportal.de handles the math.

Who qualifies

You qualify if you live in Germany, live with and care for your child, and work no more than 32 hours per week during the months you claim. Employees, self-employed people, students, and unemployed parents all qualify.

Three situations that need a closer look:

• Who counts as a parent: legal parents qualify, and so does the spouse or registered partner of a parent, if they live with and care for the child. This matters most for two-mother families, because under current German law the non-birthing mother is not automatically a legal parent, even when married; legal parenthood requires a step-child adoption. Until that is complete, marriage or a registered partnership still qualifies her for Elterngeld through the spouse route. An unmarried partner who is not a legal parent generally cannot claim until parenthood or adoption is in place. If your family does not match the form's assumptions, confirm your constellation with your Elterngeldstelle (the parental allowance office; how to find yours is below) before planning your months.
• Citizenship: EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens are covered. Other nationalities depend on the residence permit; a Niederlassungserlaubnis qualifies, and most permits that allow work do too. Check with your Elterngeldstelle if unsure.
• High earners: joint taxable income above 175,000 EUR in the year before the birth means no Elterngeld. Same cap for single parents.

The deadlines

Families come in different shapes, and not every deadline applies to every family. Take the ones that fit yours; they are listed in the order they come up.

First trimester, for married couples and registered partners: switching tax classes so the higher earner holds class III can raise your Elterngeld significantly, because it is calculated from net income. This applies to every marriage and registered partnership, whatever the gender combination, and to no one else, since tax classes only exist within marriage. The catch: the new tax class must apply at least seven months before Mutterschutz begins, so this window closes early in pregnancy. Not married? Skip this one entirely; nothing else in the process changes for you.

Seven weeks before Elternzeit starts: the deadline for requesting Elternzeit from your employer.

Within three months after the birth: Elterngeld is paid retroactively for at most three months. Apply later and you lose money permanently. You cannot apply before the birth, so prepare everything during pregnancy and submit in the first weeks after.

How to apply

Elterngeld is paid out by your federal state, through an office called the Elterngeldstelle (parental allowance office). You never need to guess which one is yours:

1. Find your office in 30 seconds. Enter your postcode in the Elterngeldstelle finder on familienportal.de, the family ministry's official site. It returns the responsible office with address and contact details. For orientation: in Berlin it is the Jugendamt of your district, in Bavaria the ZBFS, in North Rhine-Westphalia the Bezirksregierung.
2. Apply online. Ten states, including Berlin, Hamburg, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony, use the federal portal elterngeld-digital.de. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Saarland run their own state portals, which your office's page links to. The assistants explain every field and catch errors as you type. To submit fully digitally you need a BundID account (Germany's single login for government services, free to create); in some states you still print, sign and post the finished form. Everything is in German, but browser translation handles it well.
3. Gather documents during pregnancy, so the newborn weeks are only submission: the birth certificate copies issued for Elterngeld purposes (the Standesamt, the registry office where you register the birth, hands you several purpose-marked copies), 12 months of salary statements or your tax assessment if self-employed, the Mutterschaftsgeld statement from your health insurer if you receive it, your employer's Elternzeit confirmation, and ID or residence documents.
4. Submit within the three-month window. Processing takes four to eight weeks; payments arrive retroactively, so a slow office delays but never reduces your money.

Requesting Elternzeit from your employer

For children born from May 2025 onward, a normal email counts (the law now accepts Textform, no printed letter or signature). Send it from your work email and ask for a confirmation reply; the thread is your proof of meeting the seven-week deadline.

If your HR works in German:

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

hiermit beantrage ich Elternzeit für den Zeitraum vom [start date] bis zum [end date]. Die Geburt unseres Kindes ist für den [due date] errechnet.

Bitte bestätigen Sie mir den Erhalt dieser Nachricht und die Inanspruchnahme der Elternzeit.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen [Your name]

And if you work for an English-speaking company, you can send this:

Dear HR team,

I have some happy news: we are expecting a baby, due on [due date].

With this message I am formally requesting parental leave (Elternzeit) from [start date] to [end date].

Please confirm receipt and the requested leave. Happy to discuss the handover planning whenever it suits.

Best regards [Your name]

One etiquette note: this email is the formal record, not the announcement. Most people tell their manager personally first, then send this to HR.

Common mistakes

• Missing the three-month window because newborn weeks swallowed the calendar. Prepare before the birth.
• Forgetting Mutterschaftsgeld is offset. Maternity benefit counts against Elterngeld for the parent who gave birth, which is why that parent's first two months usually add little extra money, while a second parent's months add real money. Single parent? This just means your first two months are partly covered by Mutterschaftsgeld anyway.
• Expecting Elterngeld to be taxed. It is tax-free but raises the rate on your other income (Progressionsvorbehalt); expect the correction in your tax return.
• Skipping the partner months. Two of the fourteen exist only if a second parent takes them; if there are two of you, skipping them is giving money back.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get Elterngeld if I do not speak German? Yes. Language plays no role. The official application is in German, but the online assistants plus browser translation cover it, and the Elterngeld offices work with international parents every day.

Can two parents receive Elterngeld at the same time? Yes, up to one month simultaneously in the basic scheme, longer with ElterngeldPlus. Simultaneous months shorten the family's total, so most couples alternate.

I am not the birthing parent. Can I get Elterngeld? Yes, if you are a legal parent of the child, or the spouse or registered partner of a parent and you live with and care for the child. If you are an unmarried partner without legal parenthood, you generally cannot claim until parenthood or adoption is established. Ask your Elterngeld office about your specific constellation; the rules were written around a narrower idea of family than many families have.

Do I get Elterngeld without prior employment? Yes. The 300 EUR minimum requires no income. Students and unemployed parents receive it too.

How long does processing take? Usually four to eight weeks. Payments are retroactive, so a slow office delays but never reduces your money if you applied within the window.

Is Elterngeld the same as Kindergeld? No. Kindergeld is the ongoing monthly child benefit paid for years. Elterngeld replaces income in the first months. Apply separately; receive both.