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Familienkasse (part of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit)

The Kindergeld form (KG 1), field by field

Kindergeld is monthly child benefit, paid per child, and it is not automatic: you apply once and it then runs for years. The application is two documents — the KG 1 main form about you, and one Anlage Kind for each child. The single most common reason for a rejection letter is a missing tax ID.

Official name: KG 1 — Antrag auf Kindergeld, plus Anlage Kind
Who needs it: Parents living in Germany with children in their household — including non-EU parents holding a residence permit that qualifies.

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We don't host government forms — they are revised without notice, and an outdated copy gets rejected.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

  • Your German tax ID (Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer) — the 11-digit number posted to you after your Anmeldung
  • Each child's tax ID (issued automatically after birth in Germany, or on request after registration)
  • Each child's birth certificate
  • Your IBAN — the account must be in the applicant's name
  • Non-EU parents: your residence permit; EU parents working in another country: proof of that employment

KG 1 — about the applicant

Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer des Antragstellers

Applicant's tax identification number

Your 11-digit tax ID. Not the Steuernummer your Finanzamt uses for tax returns — a different number.

12 345 678 901

Watch out: This field is mandatory. Applications sent without it come back unprocessed, and the Familienkasse will not look it up for you.

Name, Vorname, Geburtsdatum, Geburtsort

Surname, given name, date and place of birth

Exactly as in your passport.

Anschrift

Address

Your registered German address. Kindergeld requires a residence or habitual abode in Germany.

Staatsangehörigkeit

Nationality

Your citizenship. Non-EU nationals additionally state which residence title they hold — entitlement depends on it.

Watch out: Not every residence permit qualifies. Permits issued for study or for a short stay often do not; a work-based permit generally does. Attach a copy and let the Familienkasse decide rather than guessing.

IBAN und Kontoinhaber

IBAN and account holder

A bank account in your own name. Payments to a third party's account are refused.

DE02 1203 0000 0000 2020 51

Angaben zum anderen Elternteil

Details of the other parent

Name, date of birth, address and tax ID where known — even if you are separated. Kindergeld is paid to one parent only, so the Familienkasse needs to see who else could claim.

Beschäftigung / Einkünfte im Ausland

Employment or income abroad

Answer honestly if you, the other parent, or the child live or work outside Germany. This decides whether an EU coordination annex (Anlage EU) or the Anlage Ausland is needed.

Anlage Kind — one per child

This annex is filed once for every child. Copy it for each additional child.

Steuerliche Identifikationsnummer des Kindes

The child's tax identification number

Each child has their own 11-digit tax ID, issued automatically for children born in Germany and after registration for children who moved here.

Watch out: Mandatory, exactly like yours. If the letter has not arrived, you can request the number from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern rather than leaving the field blank.

Name, Geburtsdatum, Geburtsort des Kindes

Child's name, date and place of birth

As in the birth certificate you attach.

Verhältnis zum Kind

Relationship to the child

leibliches Kind (biological), Adoptivkind, Stiefkind, Pflegekind or Enkelkind — the annex covers all of them.

Wohnt das Kind in Ihrem Haushalt?

Does the child live in your household?

Kindergeld follows the household. If the child lives mainly with the other parent, that parent is normally the one entitled.

Angaben ab 18 Jahren: Ausbildung, Studium, Wartezeit

For children over 18: training, studies, waiting period

Kindergeld can continue past 18 while the child is in education or training. This needs the separate over-18 annexes and proof of enrolment.

The mistakes that cost people

  • Leaving a tax ID blank. Both yours and the child's are legally required — the application stalls without them.
  • Confusing the Steuer-Identifikationsnummer (11 digits, permanent) with the Steuernummer (issued by your local Finanzamt).
  • Applying long after the birth. Kindergeld is only paid retroactively for a limited number of months, so a late application permanently loses the earlier ones — file as soon as the birth certificate exists.
  • Sending an unsigned form. Both the KG 1 and the annexes need the applicant's handwritten signature unless you submit online with a BundID.
  • Not reporting a change later: moving abroad, a child moving out, or the other parent starting work in another EU country all have to be reported, and overpayments are reclaimed.

How to submit it

  1. 1Download the current KG 1 and one Anlage Kind per child from the Familienkasse page — or use the online application if you have a BundID.
  2. 2Attach a birth certificate for each child, and a copy of your residence title if you are not an EU citizen.
  3. 3Send it to the Familienkasse responsible for your area (the address is on the form's cover page) or hand it in at an Agentur für Arbeit.
  4. 4Keep a copy of everything, including the date you sent it.

What happens next

You receive a written Bescheid stating whether Kindergeld is granted, from which month, and your Kindergeld number. Processing typically takes several weeks and is slower where a cross-border annex is involved; if you have heard nothing, call with your Kindergeld number rather than filing a second application.

Common questions

Can I get Kindergeld as a non-EU citizen?

It depends on your residence title, not on your nationality: permits that allow you to work generally qualify, while several study- and short-stay permits do not. Attach a copy of your permit and let the Familienkasse assess it.

How far back is Kindergeld paid?

Only for a limited number of months before the application arrives — the current limit is stated on the Familienkasse page. The practical consequence is the same either way: applying late loses money you cannot recover.

My child lives abroad with the other parent. Can I still claim?

Possibly, if the child lives in the EU/EEA or Switzerland — this is what the Anlage EU is for, and the two countries' benefits are coordinated rather than paid twice. Children living outside that area generally do not qualify.

Do I have to reapply every year?

No. Kindergeld continues until the child's circumstances change — but from the child's 18th birthday you must prove they are still in education, and you must report changes yourself.

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.