Basic Parental Allowance

Basic parental allowance is paid for a maximum of 14 months, provided that both parents apply for it. You can divide the time period among yourselves as you wish (at least two, at most twelve months per parent). Single parents are eligible to receive the full 14 months of parental allowance.

Parental Allowance Plus

ElterngeldPlus is a more flexible version of the basic parental allowance. It allows parents to extend the benefit period by converting one month of basic parental allowance into two months of Parental Allowance Plus. This means that Parental Allowance Plus can be received for up to 28 months , with a correspondingly reduced monthly payment. This model is particularly well-suited for parents who want to work part-time after the birth of their child. Additional income from part-time work is not fully deducted from parental benefits, making it possible to effectively combine employment with parental benefits. By way of comparison: Basic parental allowance is generally paid for 12 to 14 months and amounts to about 65 percent of the recipient’s previous income. Starting at the child’s 15th month of life, there must be no gap in parental allowance benefits; that is, at least one parent must be receiving Parental Allowance Plus.

Partnership Bonus

If you and your partner reduce your weekly working hours at the same time from 25 to 24 to 32 hours for 2, 3, or 4 months, you can take advantage of the so-called partnership bonus. In this case, you will receive an additional two, three, or four months of ElterngeldPlus.

Single parents are also eligible for the partnership bonus. The requirement is that the weekly work hours be reduced to between 24 and 32 hours for 2, 3, or 4 months. In this case, up to four additional months of ElterngeldPlus are also granted.

Amount of Parental Allowance

The amount of parental allowance is based on the average monthly earned income that the parent providing care earned during the 12 months prior to the child’s birth or the start of maternity leave. The basis is the income used to calculate the lost earnings.

Different assessment periods may apply to self-employed individuals and those with mixed income. For births occurring on or after January 1, 2013, taxes and social security contributions for self-employed individuals, freelancers, and business owners are taken into account on a flat-rate basis when calculating income. As an employee, you should continue to submit your pay stubs using your gross taxable income as the basis for calculation.

The basic parental allowance ranges from a minimum of 300 euros to a maximum of 1,800 euros per month. For ElterngeldPlus, the minimum amount is 150 euros and the maximum amount is 900 euros.

For more information on how parental allowance is calculated and how assessment periods are determined, please visit the website of the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (BMBFSFJ). And here is a parental allowance calculator from the BMBFSFJ.

Multiple Births

In the case of multiple births, parents are entitled to parental allowance for each birth. In addition, a multiple-child supplement is paid: For the second and each additional child in a multiple birth, you will receive 300 euros per month; for Parental Allowance Plus, you will receive 150 euros. Here you will find more important information about parental allowance.

Special Situations

Parental allowance is counted in full as income when receiving Unemployment Benefit II, welfare, and the child supplement . This also applies to the minimum amount of 300 euros. Income that is not subject to domestic taxation or is not treated as domestic income is not taken into account when calculating parental allowance.

Furthermore, there is no entitlement to parental allowance if couples or single parents had a taxable income of 200,000 euros (for births on or after April 1, 2024) or 175,000 euros (for births on or after April 1, 2025) in the calendar year prior to the birth of their child. If needed, you can find detailed explanations of the situations mentioned here on the BMBFSFJ website.

Parental Leave and Benefits for Civil Servants

Of course, as a civil servant, you are also entitled to parental leave and parental benefits. However, there are a few special considerations to keep in mind when it comes to you, compared to salaried employees.

The rules governing parental leave for civil servants are not uniform across Germany, as each federal state has its own laws and regulations on the matter—even though, in practice, the provisions are largely the same as those for non-civil servants. In some cases, the states even refer to the Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act (BEEG).

Special provisions apply to civil servants, particularly in the following areas: health care coverage during parental leave, financial assistance during maternity leave, implications for career progression, implications for pay, and implications for retirement benefits.

If you are a civil servant, check with your agency to find out which rules specifically apply to you. For detailed information on parental leave for federal civil servants , please contact the human resources department of your agency. You can find additional information here on the BMBFSFJ’s Family Portal, and all legal provisions in the Federal Maternity Protection and Parental Leave Ordinance (MuSchEltZV) on the websites of the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection and the Federal Office of Justice.

We also recommend that you notify the pension authority responsible for your case about your parental leave and, if necessary, seek advice from them regarding the implications for your pension benefits, particularly if you are working part-time.