Elterngeld (parental benefit) is money from the German government that replaces part of your income when you take time off work to care for your newborn.
Think of it as financial support that helps you focus on your family without losing all your income.
The government pays you monthly benefits designed to replace up to 67% of the net income you had before your child was born. The minimum you can get is €300 per month, and the maximum is €1,800 per month. Doesn’t matter if you earn €150.000 gross, there is a maximum to keep in mind to organize your finances.
Who can get Elterngeld?
You can get Elterngeld if you meet these requirements:
- You are the parent or legal guardian of the child (biological, adoptive, or foster parent)
- You care for the child yourself at home
- You and your child live in Germany
- You work less than 32 hours per week (or not at all)
- Your combined household income is under €175,000 per year (for births from April 1, 2025 onwards), this is “zu versteuerndes Einkommen” (taxable income), not your gross salary.
If you’re separated or divorced, you can still claim Elterngeld separately. Same goes for single parents, you can claim the full benefit on your own.
Important note on income: The income limit is based on taxable income (what appears on your tax return), not your gross salary. Your tax advisor or Finanzamt can tell you your exact taxable income.
Contact a tax advisor for more information.
How much money will you get?
The amount depends on how much you earned before your baby was born:
- Minimum: €300/month (if you earned less or weren’t working)
- Maximum: €1,800/month (if you had a high income)
- Standard: Most people receive between €600–€1,200/month
The calculation typically replaces roughly 65-100% of your net income during your reference period. For most families, it’s around 67%. However, the law guarantees a minimum of €300/month even if you earned very little or nothing before birth, and caps the maximum at €1,800/month regardless of previous income.
Important detail: The reference period for employees is the 12 months immediately preceding birth. For self-employed parents, it’s the last complete fiscal year before birth (January-December of the previous year). If you had gaps in employment due to maternity protection, illness, or benefits, you can sometimes exclude those months and look at earlier income periods.
Example: If you earned €2,000 net per month before birth, you might receive around €1,340/month in Elterngeld.
What if you had irregular work or gaps?
If you worked intermittently in the 12 months before birth, say, only 6 months out of 12, or with unpaid leave mixed in, your income is averaged across the full 12 months.
Example: You worked 6 months at €2,000/month and had no income for the other 6 months.
- Total earned: €12,000
- Average: €12,000 ÷ 12 = €1,000/month
- Elterngeld: Roughly 67% of €1,000 = ~€670/month
However, suppose those months without income were due to maternity protection, another child’s Elterngeld, or pregnancy-related illness. In that case, you can ask the Elterngeldstelle to exclude those months and look back at previous years for better-earning months instead. This can significantly increase your benefit.
Freelancers & Self-Employed Parents
The rules for your Elterngeld calculation are slightly different. Instead of the 12 months before birth, it’s based on the complete fiscal year prior to your baby’s birth, from January to December. You’re guaranteed a minimum of €300 per month, even if your earnings during that year were low. If you have both employment and self-employment income, the self-employed rules apply. Timing matters: if you expect your baby in mid-2025, aim to invoice clients in 2024 and receive payments then to maximize your income for the 2024 fiscal year. Some self-employed parents use the “gap model” to manage income timing effectively, allowing them to receive full Elterngeld while working part-time (up to 32 hours per week). This requires coordination with your accountant, but it’s a legal strategy utilized by many families.
How does It affect your salary during parental leave?
Here’s the key: if you take Elterngeld, you don’t work (or work very little). Your regular salary stops or is drastically reduced. However, Elterngeld fills part of that gap.
The math:
- Your old salary: €2,000/month → stops
- Elterngeld you receive: €1,340/month
- Your total income during parental leave: €1,340/month
The part-time work rule: If you work part-time (up to 32 hours per week), your Elterngeld stays the same AND you keep your part-time salary. This is where “Elterngeld Plus” becomes interesting (see below).
Basic vs Plus: The quick difference
Basis-Elterngeld (Basic):
Basis-Plus:
You don’t work (or work very minimally)
You work part-time (up to 32 hours/week)
Get full benefits (€300–€1,800/month)
Get half the basic amount (€150–€900/month)
Lasts up to 14 months total (shared for both parents)
Lasts up to 28 months total (twice as long)
Best if you want to take time fully off
Best if you want to return to work with support
Partnership Bonus: If both parents work 24–32 hours/week during the same months, you get an additional 4 months of Elterngeld (per parent). This can extend your total support to 22 months.
Why the timing matters: The 3-month rule
Benefits are paid retroactively from the month you apply, BUT only for 3 months back. So if you wait 4 months to apply, you’ve already lost one month of benefits.
Apply within 3 months of your baby’s birth. This is not a suggestion, it’s how you maximize your benefits.
Check this guide to get the birth certificate.
What’s NOT covered by Elterngeld
Elterngeld is calculated individually for each parent based on their own income. If both parents take parental leave at different times (or simultaneously), each parent applies separately and receives Elterngeld based on their own previous earnings. One parent’s Elterngeld does not affect the other parent’s income or benefits.Vulputate mi sit amet mauris commodo quis. Eget mi proin sed libero enim. Tempor id eu nisl nunc mi ipsum faucibus.
Elterngeld does NOT pay for daycare/kindergarten (Kita). If you want to send your child to daycare while on parental leave or after, you need a separate benefit called Kita-Gutschein (childcare voucher).
Your health insurance continues automatically during parental leave. If you’re in public health insurance (Krankenkasse), your employer covers the employer’s share. If you’re privately insured, you’ll need to pay the full premium yourself during leave, which can add €200-400/month to your costs. Plan for this if applicable.
What happens If you lose your job during or after parental leave?
Elterngeld is connected to your parental leave status, so it ends when your leave ends or if you’re dismissed. However, you’re protected by German unemployment insurance.
The transition is critical to plan for: there may be a 1-3 week gap between the end of Elterngeld and the start of ALG I. If you’re dismissed during parental leave and believe it’s illegal, you have only 3 weeks to challenge it in court; getting legal advice immediately is critical. Legal insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung) covering employment disputes can be a valuable safety net, typically costing €10-30/month.
Beyond unemployment benefits, you also have options: the Agentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) can fund retraining (Umschulung) programs lasting 1-2 years, during which you receive both unemployment benefits and full course funding through an education voucher (Bildungsgutschein).
For detailed information about dismissal during parental leave and all available support options, see our dedicated guide: “What Happens If You’re Fired During Maternity Leave?”
Common Misconceptions
“I have to choose between Basic and Plus forever” — False. You can switch between them month by month.
“If I work, I lose all my Elterngeld” — False. You can work up to 32 hours/week and keep your full benefits.
“My partner can’t take Elterngeld if I do” — False. You can both take it (with only 1 month overlap for Basic-Elterngeld).
“The money from abroad doesn’t count” — False. If you worked and earned income in Germany, it counts.