Kindergeld in Germany – plus Elterngeld, pension, jobless pay and the new Grundsicherungsgeld
Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →
Germany's social insurance starts with your first payslip and follows you through parenthood, job loss and retirement. Here is what newcomers can claim in 2026 – Kindergeld, Elterngeld, unemployment benefit and a state pension – and what changed when Grundsicherungsgeld replaced Bürgergeld on 1 July 2026.
Kindergeld (child benefit) is €259 per child per month in 2026, the same for every child. On 1 July 2026 Grundsicherungsgeld, the new basic income for jobseekers, replaced Bürgergeld, after the Bundestag approved the reform on 5 March 2026. From the same day, each pension point is worth €42.52 a month.
Some plans are not law yet. The draft Income Tax Reform Act 2027, adopted by the cabinet on 2 September 2026, proposes Kindergeld of €267 in 2027 and €272 in 2028. A Frühstart-Rente bill, adopted on 12 August 2026, would have the state pay €10 a month into a retirement investment account for children aged 6 to 18, starting on 1 January 2027 with those born in 2020 and 2021. And the planned automatic payment of Kindergeld from 2027 requires an IBAN registered with the Federal Central Tax Office.
How much Kindergeld do you get in Germany – and who qualifies?
You receive €259 per child until the child turns 18; until 21 if the child is registered as unemployed and job-seeking; and until 25 during school, university or training, a gap of up to four months, a search for a training place or a recognised voluntary service. Apply to the Familienkasse (family benefits office) of the Federal Employment Agency with your own and your child's Steuer-ID (tax ID); its free line is 0800 4 555530. Kindergeld is paid back for at most six months.
| Your situation | Kindergeld? |
|---|---|
| EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living or working in Germany | Yes – but EU and EEA newcomers get none for three months unless they have German work or business income |
| Settlement permit, EU long-term residence, EU Blue Card or ICT card | Yes |
| Residence permit allowing work for at least six months | Yes |
| Recognised refugee, or a national of an agreement state such as Türkiye, Morocco, Kosovo or Serbia in insured work | Yes |
| Permit for study, training, au pair or seasonal work, or for job search unless you work | No |
| Aufenthaltsgestattung (asylum seeker) or Duldung (toleration) | No – except with a Beschäftigungsduldung (employment toleration) |
Source: Familienportal of the Federal Government and Income Tax Act, read 23 September 2026.
Working parents on a low income can add the Kinderzuschlag (child supplement): up to €297 per child per month since 1 January 2025, if you earn at least €900 gross as a couple or €600 as a single parent. It also brings free lunch at school or Kita (daycare) and a €195 school supplies package.
Elterngeld, parental leave and maternity pay
Elterngeld (parental allowance) replaces part of your income after a birth if you live in Germany with your child, care for it yourself and work no more than 32 hours a week. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens generally qualify if they live or work here; non-EU parents need, for example, a settlement permit, an EU Blue Card or a permit that allows work for at least six months.
| Basiselterngeld | ElterngeldPlus | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Normally 65 per cent of lost net income, counting up to €2,770; €300 to €1,800 a month | €150 to €900 a month, for twice as long |
| How long | 14 months shared by a couple, including 2 partner months; at most 12 for one parent | Up to the child's 32nd month, including up to 4 bonus months each if both work part-time at once |
| Both parents at once | As a rule one month only, within the first 12 (births from 1 April 2024) | – |
| Income cap | None if the parents' taxable income in the year before the birth exceeded €175,000 (births from 1 April 2025) | Same cap |
Source: Familienportal of the Federal Government, read 23 September 2026.
Apply to the Elterngeldstelle (parental allowance office) for your child's place of residence – online in every Land – within three months of the birth, the most it pays back.
Elternzeit (parental leave) is unpaid time off of up to three years per child and parent, with protection against dismissal and part-time work of up to 32 hours a week allowed (births from 1 September 2021); notify your employer in text form at least seven weeks ahead. Maternity protection runs six weeks before and normally eight weeks after the birth; the health fund pays at most €13 a day and your employer tops it up to your average net pay.
How does the German state pension work for newcomers?
Pension insurance costs 18.6 per cent of pay, unchanged since 1 January 2018 and shared equally with your employer, on pay up to €8,450 a month in 2026. Your employer registers you with the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (DRV, German pension insurance).
| Rule | What applies |
|---|---|
| Minimum insurance period | 5 years |
| Regular pension age | 67, for people born in 1964 or later |
| Early, with deductions | From 63 after 35 years of insurance; 0.3 per cent less per month early |
| Early, without deductions | From 65 after 45 years of compulsory contributions (born 1964 or later) |
| Value of one pension point | €42.52 a month from 1 July 2026 |
| Leaving for good | If you are no longer compulsorily insured and may not insure voluntarily, your own share can be refunded after 24 calendar months – ending all pension rights |
Source: Deutsche Rentenversicherung and Social Code Book VI (SGB VI), read 23 September 2026.
Insurance periods in other EU and EEA states, and separately in social security agreement countries, count towards German qualifying periods – but each country pays its own pension. The DRV's free line is 0800 1000 4800, Monday to Thursday 8.00–19.00 and Friday until 15.30.
What unemployment benefit do you get in Germany?
Arbeitslosengeld (unemployment benefit) requires at least 12 months of insurance in the 30 months before you register as unemployed, and availability for at least 15 hours a week. It pays 60 per cent of a notional net wage based on your last 12 months' pay, or 67 per cent with a child. Under 50, it lasts at most 12 months, rising in steps from age 50 to 24 months from 58.
Register as job-seeking with the Agentur für Arbeit (employment agency) at least three months before your job ends – or within three days of learning of it – and as unemployed on your first day without work at the latest. The free line is 0800 4 555500.
Grundsicherungsgeld: what replaced Bürgergeld on 1 July 2026?
Grundsicherungsgeld is the basic income for people aged 15 up to retirement age who live in Germany, can work at least three hours a day and are in need. Bürgergeld recipients did not have to reapply. The rules are stricter:
| Since 1 July 2026 | Rule |
|---|---|
| Breaches of duties | The jobcentre can cut the standard benefit by 30 per cent for three months |
| Missed appointments | Missing three in a row without good reason can end the entitlement |
| Savings | No more one-year grace period; protected assets of €5,000 up to 30, €10,000 from 31, €12,500 from 41 and €20,000 from 51 |
| Housing costs | Paid up to 1.5 times the local limit in the first year |
| Standard rate 2026 | €563 for a single adult, €506 each for adult partners |
Source: Federal Employment Agency and Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, read 23 September 2026.
Social Code Book II sets limits for newcomers. Foreigners who are neither employees nor self-employed are excluded for their first three months, as are Opportunity Card holders and others whose right to stay rests only on job-seeking. EU, EEA and Swiss workers can claim, as can non-EU nationals whose permit allows it; after five years of habitual residence, counted from your Anmeldung (address registration), foreigners are eligible. Claiming it generally blocks naturalisation by entitlement – see part 15.
What to do now
| Step | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apply for Kindergeld with both tax IDs | Straight away |
| 2 | Register your IBAN with the Federal Central Tax Office | Before the planned automatic payments from 2027 |
| 3 | Apply for Elterngeld at the Elterngeldstelle | Within three months of the birth |
| 4 | Notify your employer of Elternzeit in text form | At least seven weeks before it starts |
| 5 | Register as job-seeking with the Agentur für Arbeit | At least three months before a job ends |
Source: Familienportal, Federal Central Tax Office and Federal Employment Agency, read 23 September 2026.
Official sources
The official pages this guide is based on, read 23 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung – Werte der Rentenversicherung ( · deutsche-rentenversicherung.de
- SGB VI § 35 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung – Benefits (English) · deutsche-rentenversicherung.de
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung – International (English) · deutsche-rentenversicherung.de
- SGB VI § 210 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Deutsche Rentenversicherung – English home page · deutsche-rentenversicherung.de
- Bundesministerium der Finanzen – FAQ Frühstart-Rente · bundesfinanzministerium.de
- Familienportal des Bundes (BMBFSFJ) – Was ist Kindergeld? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Bis zu welchem Alter meines Kindes bekomme ich Kindergeld? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Wie wird Kindergeld beantragt und ausgezahlt? · familienportal.de
- Einkommensteuergesetz § 62 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Familienportal – Können auch ausländische Eltern Kindergeld bekommen? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Kinderzuschlag · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Wie viel Elterngeld kann ich bekommen? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Wie lange kann ich Elterngeld bekommen? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Was ist neu für Geburten ab 1. April 2024 beim Elterngeld? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Kann ich Elterngeld bekommen? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Wie kann ich Elterngeld beantragen? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Gibt es Elterngeld auch für ausländische Eltern? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Was ist Elternzeit? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Wann und wie muss ich Elternzeit beantragen? · familienportal.de
- Familienportal – Mutterschaftsleistungen · familienportal.de
- SGB III § 341 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Arbeitslosengeld: Anspruch, Höhe, Antrag · arbeitsagentur.de
- SGB III § 38 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales – Grundsicherung für Arbeitsuchende · bmas.de
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Grundsicherungsgeld löst Bürgergeld ab · arbeitsagentur.de
- Regelbedarfsstufen-Fortschreibungsverordnung 2026 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- SGB II § 7 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Bundesagentur für Arbeit – Grundsicherungsgeld: Voraussetzungen, Einkommen und Vermögen · arbeitsagentur.de
- SGB VIII § 24 · gesetze-im-internet.de
- Berlin Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie – Kostenbeteiligung Kindertagesbetreuung · berlin.de
- Service-Portal Berlin – Kita-Gutschein beantragen oder erweitern · service.berlin.de
- Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales – Sozialversicherungsrechengrößen-Verordnung 2027 (Referentenentwurf) · bmas.de
Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.