The interactive Elterngeld checklist.
Check if you qualify, see how much you can claim (up to €25,200), and plan your months. Calculator and planner built in.
Can you get it?
Most expats qualify, even on a Blue Card. You are in if all four are true.
- You live in Germany with your child. Blue Card, EU, and most permits count.
- You care for your child yourself after birth.
- You work 32 hours a week or less while you claim.
- Your taxable income was under €175,000 the year before birth.
Which income counts
Elterngeld replaces part of the income you give up to care for your baby. So it is based on what you earned before birth, across a fixed 12-month window called the Bemessungszeitraum. Set your details to see yours.
Tap a month with Mutterschutz or Elterngeld for an older child to skip it. The window grows backward to keep 12 full months.
Your average net income across these 12 months is the basis for your Elterngeld.
How much could you get?
Now the amount: Elterngeld pays 65% to 67% of your net income from that window, between €300 and €1,800 a month. Drag your income to see your number.
Basis pays more for fewer months, Plus about half for twice as long.
How to split it
You share up to 14 months between two parents. The rules in plain English:
- ✓One parent takes at most 12 months. The last 2 need both of you to take part.
- ✓Basiselterngeld pays the full amount. ElterngeldPlus pays half, for twice as long, and is barely cut if you work part-time.
- ✓Each parent who claims takes at least 2 months.
- ✓Work part-time together (24 to 32 hours) for 2 to 4 bonus months: the Partnerschaftsbonus.
- ✓Single parents can take all 14 months alone.
Plan your months across both parents:
✓ All rules met.
How the application works
You apply to your state's Elterngeldstelle after the birth. Every state has its own office, many with an online portal.
- ✓The form is about 23 pages: your details, your income, your chosen months.
- ✓Both parents sign, even if only one of you claims.
- ✓Processing takes 4 to 8 weeks. Approved months are paid retroactively.
- ✓Foreign documents may need a certified German translation.
Rather not do it yourself? We prepare your full application in 48 hours →
What to prepare
Gather these before you start, so you finish in one sitting.
- Birth certificate (the copy marked for Elterngeld).
- Income proof: payslips, or your Steuerbescheid if self-employed.
- Health insurance confirmation.
- Mutterschaftsgeld confirmation, if you received it.
- ID and residence permit, both parents.
No time (or patience) for 23 German pages?
We take the whole application off your hands. Finished in 48 hours, guaranteed and risk-free.