Kindergeld for foreigners in Germany 2026: €259 per child, who qualifies and how to apply

How much Kindergeld do you get in 2026?

Kindergeld (literally "child money") is paid by the Familienkasse, the family benefits office that is part of the Federal Employment Agency. Since 1 January 2026 it is €259 per child per month, the same amount for every child⁶. There is no income limit: a senior engineer on a Blue Card receives exactly the same as a part-time worker¹.

For 2027 the government has proposed raising the amount to €267, and to €272 in 2028. As of 6 November 2026 the bill had only had its first reading in the Bundestag, so the increase is not yet law¹³. Past increases were applied automatically, without a new application.

Who can claim Kindergeld as a foreigner?

The basic rule is that you live in Germany (you have a Wohnsitz, i.e. a registered home, or your habitual residence here) or you are treated as fully taxable in Germany. You must also be identified by your Steuer-ID, the 11-digit German tax identification number⁵. The child must live in Germany, another EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland¹. On top of that, nationality-specific rules apply.

Sources for the table: § 62 EStG⁵ and the Familienkasse page for cross-border cases¹⁰. The Familienkasse checks every case individually, so meeting one criterion does not guarantee a payment.

Which residence permits qualify?

If you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, your Aufenthaltstitel (residence title) is decisive. According to § 62 (2) EStG the following generally qualify⁵:

• Niederlassungserlaubnis (settlement permit) or Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt-EU (EU long-term residence permit).

• Blaue Karte EU (EU Blue Card), ICT card or Mobile ICT card. If you are moving on a Blue Card, see our guide to the EU Blue Card.

• An Aufenthaltserlaubnis (residence permit) that allows employment for at least six months.

• Certain humanitarian residence permits, partly only after 15 months of stay or when combined with employment, parental leave or certain benefits.

• A Beschäftigungsduldung (toleration for employment).

Important exceptions: residence permits issued for studying, vocational training, job-seeking and some other purposes generally do not qualify on their own, even if they allow some work; a few qualify only under extra conditions. For Ukrainians with a temporary protection permit under § 24 of the Residence Act, the permit must allow work for at least six months; since June 2022 no actual employment is required¹¹.

Children over 18

Kindergeld normally stops at 18. It continues until the child's 25th birthday if the child is in school, vocational training or university, is between two stages of education for up to four months, cannot find a training place, or does a recognised voluntary service. A child under 21 who is registered as a job-seeker and not employed also counts. For a child with a disability that began before 25, there is no fixed age limit⁸¹².

After a first degree or completed vocational training, the child may work up to 20 hours a week, take a marginal mini-job or be in a training employment without losing Kindergeld; earnings do not matter¹². A child who switches to a full-time job ends the entitlement.

Documents you need

• Your Steuer-ID and your child's Steuer-ID. Children born in Germany receive one automatically, and the Familienkasse obtains it from the Federal Central Tax Office¹. Lost your letter? Our tax ID guide and the official³ service explain how to get it resent.

• A copy of the child's birth certificate or an equivalent official document, which cross-border applicants must always enclose¹⁰.

• Your residence permit, if you are not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen.

• An employer certificate; self-employed applicants can submit their business registration or a tax assessment¹⁰.

• Your IBAN and details of the other parent, including where they live and work.

• For children over 18: school, training or university enrolment certificates.

How to apply, step by step

1. Collect the documents above. Ask the Familienkasse which foreign documents need a translation before paying for one.

2. If you and your child live in Germany, apply online via the Familienkasse eServices linked from¹. With a BundID (the federal online identity account) you can submit without a signature; otherwise print, sign and post the form.

3. If any family member lives or works abroad, or you are a non-German national, add the "Anlage Ausland" (foreign supplement) to the online application¹⁰.

4. If you or your child live outside Germany, apply in writing with the forms KG1 (application), KG1-AnK (child supplement) and KG 51 (foreign supplement), signed by hand¹⁰. Many forms are available in other languages.

5. Keep your submission receipt. If nothing happens after six weeks, call the free general line 0800 4 555530; from abroad the number is +49 911 12031010¹.

Apply soon after your child is born or after you arrive: back payments are limited to the six months before the month in which your application reaches the Familienkasse⁷. If you apply in November 2026, May 2026 is the earliest month that can still be paid.

From 2027, Kindergeld is due to be paid without an application in many cases, starting with additional children of families who already receive it. For first-born children the automatic route is planned only where a parent lives with the child in Germany and at least one parent works in Germany, so many international families will still have to apply¹⁴.

Cross-border families and separated parents

Kindergeld is paid only once per child, to one person. If the child lives with only one parent, that parent has priority⁹. Both parents applying separately just slows things down.

If one parent works in another EU country, or the child lives there, EU coordination rules decide which country pays first. Germany may then pay only the difference between its Kindergeld and the other country's family benefit. Family benefits paid by a non-EU country can exclude German Kindergeld entirely, even if they are lower¹⁰. Always declare foreign employment and benefits; undeclared overlaps lead to repayment demands.

After approval: payment dates and changes

Your approval letter contains your Kindergeldnummer (child benefit number). Its last digit, the Endziffer, determines on which day of the month the money arrives, between roughly the 3rd and the 26th. The full calendar is in our guide to Kindergeld payment dates, and the Familienkasse payment line is 0800 4 555533⁴.

You must report changes yourself: moving abroad, a new bank account, the child moving to the other parent, the end of school or university, or a new full-time job after a first degree. Overpaid benefit is reclaimed with a formal decision; wait for that letter rather than transferring money back on your own¹. You can object to any decision within one month.

Kindergeld, tax allowances and other benefits

When you file a German tax return, the tax office automatically checks whether the child tax allowances (Kinderfreibeträge) would save you more than the Kindergeld you received⁸. This mainly matters for higher earners, and you never have to choose in advance. To see your take-home pay, try the gross-to-net salary calculator.

If your income covers your own needs but not your children's, check the Kinderzuschlag calculator and the housing benefit calculator. The benefits finder shows which other support might apply to your family.

Information current as of 6 November 2026.