65–67% of previous net income, 300–1,800€/month, up to 14 months for couples. Apply within 3 months of birth. Elternzeit: notify your employer 7 weeks ahead.
Elterngeld replaces part of your income while you look after your baby. It is paid by the Elterngeldstelle of your federal state. You can get it whether you were employed, self-employed, studying or without income.
How much?
- Basiselterngeld: usually 65–67% of your net income before the birth, at least 300 € and at most 1,800 € a month. Lower incomes get a higher percentage, up to 100%.
- ElterngeldPlus: half the monthly amount (150–900 €), but for twice as long. It is useful if you work part-time.
- Siblings bonus: +10%, at least 75 € a month, if there are other young children at home.
- Twins or more: +300 € a month for each additional baby.
- Income limit: Elterngeld is excluded if the parents together had a taxable income of more than 175,000 € in the year before the birth. The same limit applies to single parents. (Familienportal)
How long?
- Both parents: Together, parents get up to 14 months of Basiselterngeld if both take at least 2 months. One parent alone can take at most 12 months.
- Single parents: can take all 14 months.
- At the same time: Both parents may take Basiselterngeld at the same time for one month at most, and only within the baby’s first 12 months (births from April 2024).
- Swap: One month of Basiselterngeld can be swapped for two months of ElterngeldPlus.
- Partnerschaftsbonus: 2 to 4 extra ElterngeldPlus months for each parent if both work 24–32 hours a week at the same time.
Mutterschaftsgeld counts
Mutterschaftsgeld and the employer top-up after the birth are deducted from the mother’s Elterngeld, so these weeks count as Elterngeld months.
Income from abroad and tax class
- Income from abroad: only income taxed in Germany counts for Elterngeld. If you worked abroad in the 12 months before the birth, that pay does not raise your Elterngeld. With no German income, you still get the minimum of 300 € a month (§ 2 BEEG).
- Tax class (Steuerklasse): your tax class changes your net pay, and so your Elterngeld. A switch, for example to class III, counts only if the new class applied in most months of the 12-month assessment period, so at least 7 of them (§ 2c Abs. 3 BEEG).
- When to decide: for the mother, the assessment period usually ends before maternity leave starts. So a switch has to happen early in pregnancy. The other partner then pays more tax during the year, so get advice from the Elterngeldstelle or a tax adviser first.
How to apply
Birth → Birth certificate → Apply within 3 months → Elterngeld
- When: apply after the birth; you need the birth certificate.
- Deadline: apply within 3 months: Elterngeld is only paid back for up to 3 months before the month you applied.
- Online: in most federal states you can apply online with ElterngeldDigital. Otherwise use your state’s form.
- Documents: birth certificate, payslips for the last 12 months (or tax assessment if self-employed), confirmation of Mutterschaftsgeld, and your bank details.
- Calculator: try the official Elterngeld calculator first.
Elternzeit: parental leave from work
Elternzeit is unpaid leave from your job to look after your child. Elterngeld is the money. You plan both together, but arrange Elternzeit with your employer and Elterngeld with the Elterngeldstelle.
How long
- Up to 3 years: Each parent can take up to 3 years per child, until the third birthday. Up to 24 months of it can be moved to the time between the 3rd and 8th birthday (§ 15 BEEG).
- Both parents: Parents can take it one after the other or at the same time (§ 15 BEEG).
- Start: for mothers, Elternzeit starts after the 8 weeks of Mutterschutz, and those weeks count towards the 3 years. Fathers and the other parent can start on the day of the birth (Familienportal).
- Blocks: Each parent can split it into up to 3 blocks; more only if the employer agrees (§ 16 BEEG).
Telling your employer
Write to employer → 7 weeks → Elternzeit starts
- How: You do not apply for it: you notify your employer in text form. An email or a letter without signature is enough (Familienportal).
- Deadline: at least 7 weeks before it starts; 13 weeks for time after the third birthday (§ 16 BEEG).
- Mother, right after Mutterschutz: at the latest 7 weeks before Mutterschutz ends, usually about one week after the birth.
- Father from the birth: at the latest 7 weeks before the due date. Write “from the birth” and give the due date (Familienportal).
- Plan 2 years: In the same notice, state which periods you will take within the next 2 years (§ 16 BEEG). Ending early or extending later needs your employer’s agreement.
- Confirmation: Your employer must confirm your Elternzeit (§ 16 BEEG). Ask for written confirmation of the date you notified them. Template: notice of Elternzeit (Familienportal, PDF, German).
Protection from dismissal
- From when: You are protected from the moment you notify your employer, but at the earliest 8 weeks before Elternzeit starts (14 weeks for time after the third birthday), until it ends (§ 18 BEEG). Notifying earlier does not start the protection earlier.
- Probation and part-time: It also applies during probation (Familienportal) and if you work part-time for the same employer during Elternzeit (§ 18 BEEG).
- Pregnant: you are protected from the start of pregnancy anyway (Mutterschutz).
Working part-time during Elternzeit
- Up to 32 hours: You may work up to 32 hours a week on monthly average (§ 15 BEEG).
- Right to reduce: You have a legal right to reduce your hours if your employer has more than 15 employees (trainees not counted), you have worked there for more than 6 months, and you reduce to 15–32 hours for at least 2 months. Ask in text form 7 weeks before (13 weeks after the third birthday). You can claim this twice during Elternzeit (§ 15 BEEG).
- Refusal: Your employer can refuse only for urgent business reasons, in text form with reasons, within 4 weeks (8 weeks after the third birthday). If they miss the deadline, your request counts as accepted (§ 15 BEEG).
- Afterwards: After Elternzeit you can return to your previous hours (§ 15 BEEG). Part-time work fits ElterngeldPlus and the Partnerschaftsbonus (see above).
Holidays
- Shorter leave: your employer may cut your annual leave by one twelfth for each full month of Elternzeit.
- Part-time: no cut if you work part-time for them.
- Unused leave: leave you did not take before Elternzeit is granted afterwards, in that year or the next (§ 17 BEEG).
Ending early
- Rule: only if your employer agrees.
- New baby: to take Mutterschutz for another baby, you can end it without agreement; tell your employer in good time.
- Hardship: after the birth of another child or in hardship cases, your employer can refuse only within 4 weeks, in writing, for urgent business reasons (§ 16 BEEG).
Sources
- Elterngeld, Familienportal of the Federal Family Ministry
- Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz (BEEG), full text
- ElterngeldDigital, online application
- § 15, § 16, § 17, § 18 BEEG, Elternzeit rules
- Elternzeit FAQ, Familienportal
- § 2, § 2c BEEG, income and tax class