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The Elterngeldstelle of your federal state (not a federal office)

The Elterngeld application, field by field

Elterngeld replaces part of the income you lose while caring for a newborn. Unlike Kindergeld it is state-administered, so the form differs by Bundesland — but the decisions inside it are the same everywhere: which months each parent claims, and whether those months are Basiselterngeld or ElterngeldPlus. Get the month planning right before you write anything, because changing it later is painful.

Official name: Antrag auf Elterngeld (Basiselterngeld, ElterngeldPlus, Partnerschaftsbonus)
Who needs it: Parents living in Germany who reduce their working hours after a birth.

Where to get the official form

We don't host government forms — they are revised without notice, and an outdated copy gets rejected. These links go to the issuing authority.

Have these ready before you start

  • The child's birth certificate — specifically the certified copy marked for Elterngeld purposes, which the registry office issues on request
  • Payslips covering the assessment period before the birth (employees), or your last tax assessment (self-employed)
  • The Krankenkasse's statement about Mutterschaftsgeld, if it was paid
  • Your employer's confirmation of Elternzeit (parental leave) and of any part-time hours during it
  • Both parents' IDs and, for non-EU parents, residence titles

Who is applying, and for which months

Antragsteller / weiterer Elternteil

Applicant / second parent

Both parents are entered even when only one claims — the office checks the total months across both.

Lebensmonate, für die Elterngeld beantragt wird

Months of the child's life you are claiming

Elterngeld is counted in the child's life months (birthday to birthday), not calendar months. Write the exact months each parent claims.

Lebensmonate 1–12 (Elternteil A), 13–14 (Elternteil B)

Watch out: This is the decision that matters most, and it is the one people rush. Model your combination in the official planner before writing it down.

Basiselterngeld / ElterngeldPlus / Partnerschaftsbonus

Basic, Plus, or partnership bonus

Basiselterngeld pays more per month over fewer months; ElterngeldPlus pays roughly half for up to twice as long and is designed for working part-time. The Partnerschaftsbonus is extra ElterngeldPlus months when both parents work part-time at the same time within the allowed hours.

Geplante Erwerbstätigkeit während des Bezugs

Planned work during the payment period

State the hours you intend to work. Part-time work during Elterngeld is allowed within a weekly limit, but it reduces the payment.

Watch out: Estimate honestly. Income earned during the period is checked afterwards, and too optimistic a figure results in a repayment demand.

Income and insurance

Einkommen vor der Geburt

Income before the birth

The office calculates from a fixed assessment period before the birth — for employees, the twelve months before the month of birth, with pregnancy-related months excluded on request.

Watch out: Attach every payslip in the period, even the ones with unusual amounts. Gaps force the office to write to you and add weeks.

Selbständige Tätigkeit

Self-employed activity

For self-employed parents the assessment usually runs on the last completed tax year instead — attach the tax assessment (Steuerbescheid).

Mutterschaftsgeld und Arbeitgeberzuschuss

Maternity pay and employer supplement

Both are offset against Elterngeld for the months they cover. State them; the Krankenkasse issues a statement for it.

Krankenversicherung

Health insurance

Which fund insures you, and whether you continue insured through employment or family insurance during the leave.

Signatures

Unterschrift beider Elternteile

Signature of both parents

Both parents sign the application even when only one receives payment — the second signature confirms the split of months.

Watch out: A missing second signature is one of the most common reasons an application is returned.

The mistakes that cost people

  • Applying before the birth. The application needs the birth certificate, so it can only go in afterwards — but do not leave it long: Elterngeld is only paid retroactively for a few months.
  • Planning the months as calendar months. Lebensmonate run from birthday to birthday.
  • Forgetting the special Elterngeld copy of the birth certificate — the standard copy is often refused.
  • Overstating planned part-time hours, then being asked to repay part of the benefit.
  • Only one parent signing.

How to submit it

  1. 1Work out the month split first, using the official planner on the Familienportal.
  2. 2Fill the application on ElterngeldDigital, which selects the right state form for you.
  3. 3Attach the birth certificate, income evidence, the Mutterschaftsgeld statement and the employer's Elternzeit confirmation.
  4. 4Submit online where your state supports it, otherwise print, have both parents sign, and post it to your Elterngeldstelle.

What happens next

Payment starts once the office has a complete file; several weeks is normal and a missing document restarts the clock, which is why the first payment often arrives after the first claimed month. You get a written Bescheid showing the monthly amount and the months granted.

Common questions

Can I get Elterngeld as a non-EU citizen?

It depends on your residence title in much the same way as Kindergeld: titles that permit work generally qualify, several study or short-stay permits do not. The application asks for the title, so attach a copy.

Basiselterngeld or ElterngeldPlus?

Basis pays a higher monthly amount over fewer months and suits a parent not working at all; Plus pays roughly half for up to twice as many months and is built for part-time work, so the money is not simply lost against your salary. Many families combine both.

Do I need to have worked in Germany before the birth?

No — there is a minimum payment for parents with no prior income. The assessment simply produces the floor amount instead of a percentage of earnings.

Does Elterngeld affect Kindergeld?

No, they are separate benefits with separate applications, and Kindergeld is not offset against Elterngeld.

Next

Last checked 2026-07-25. Practical guidance on filling in a form — not legal advice, and we do not submit applications on anyone's behalf. Forms and requirements change; the issuing authority's own page is always the authority.