FAQ
Germany - Child Benefits

Child benefits (Kindergeld) are financial allowances for the parents of children and is intended for the upbringing and maintenance of the child / children.

We will be happy to help you with the processing of the child benefits. Read how it works or fill in the order form right away.

The basic condition for entitlement to benefits is mandatory social security in Germany, which you automatically get in connection with your employment. This means that if you are working in Germany, you are mandatorly insured and probably entitled to benefits.

You are also entitled to benefits if one parent works in Germany and the children live in their home country or in another EU country with the other parent.

For more information on child benefit entitlement in Germany, see this blog article.

Child benefits will increase to €250 per month per child from the January 2023. The same amount applies also in the year 2024.

For more information on the amount of child benefit in Germany, see the blog article.

You can apply for child benefit (Kindergeld) from Germany up to 6 months back.

Yes, you can receive child benefits in your home country and apply for it also in the Germany.

The entitlement to child benefits arise in the country where the child lives (if one parent is employed there). If the parent is on maternity or parental leave in the home country or is unemployed, you can only claim child benefit in your home country.

If child benefits are paid in the home country, it is possible to claim a compensatory allowance in Germany. On the basis of the application, the German Familienkasse will calculate the entitlement to the allowance and offset the resulting amount against the amount of the allowance paid in the home country.

The final sum of the benefits from both countries will be equal to the maximum amount in the Germany.

The parent who lives with the child in their home country applies for the German compensatory allowance.

The other parent working in Germany must submit a certificate of income from employment or payslips, freelancer must submit a trade certificate.

If one parent suspects that the other parent is receiving benefits illegally, the relevant German office called Familienkasse should be contacted for an investigation

When the child reaches 18 years, child benefits will be paid only in cases where:

• registration of an unemployed child at the Labour Office until the age of 21 (if the child is looking for a job),
• studying at university until the age of 25,
• preparation for a future profession up to the age of 25,
• volunteering in an approved organisation up to the age of 25,
• the child's disability of unlimited duration.

No. The parent applies for child benefits after the child turns 18. If the conditions for receiving child benefits are met from the age of 18, child benefits belongs and will be sent to the parent. An exception is the failure of the parent to fulfil the maintenance obligation. In these circumstances, the child may request that the allowance be paid directly to him or her.

The application must be accompanied by:

• E 411 form,
• the child's birth certificate - to prove the existence of the child,
• marriage certificate / divorce decree / death certificate - to prove marital status,
• payslips / annual statements / Steuer ID - to prove income.

It takes on average 1 ‑ 3 months to get child benefits.