Elterngeld · German parental allowance
More time with your child — calculated exactly
When your child arrives, the German state replaces a large part of the salary you give up: Elterngeld, the German parental allowance. How much you get, and how long you can stay home, depends on how you plan.
Try it with our numbers — free
Free, no account. Your salary data is processed exclusively on your device and never leaves it. Only if you want your plan as a plan dossier (PDF) at the end does it cost €14.90, once. For parents who live in Germany.
A sample plan: Anna and Marc share 18 months
Sample plan: Anna receives maternity pay in months 1 and 2 of the child's life and Basiselterngeld in months 3 to 7; Marc receives Basiselterngeld in months 8 to 14. In months 15 to 18 both work part-time and receive the Partnerschaftsbonus.
What you can plan
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Who stays home when?
You split the Elterngeld months between you. Try different splits and see what each one pays, month by month.
Try a split -
Fathers stay home too
Together you have twelve months of Basiselterngeld, or 14 with the two partner months. One parent may take up to twelve of them, not just two. See what more months for the father would mean for you.
Calculate more father months -
At home together
If you both work 24 to 32 hours a week at the same time, each of you can get up to four more months of ElterngeldPlus. The calculator warns you before you break a rule.
Plan the Partnerschaftsbonus -
Married? Think about your tax class early
The right tax class before the birth can increase your Elterngeld, but only if you switch in time, sometimes even before pregnancy. For many couples it changes nothing. You'll see which applies to you.
Work out our deadline
How it works
- Enter your salaries. A few minutes, no account.
- Try out plans. You see every month in euros, for each of you, and which plan gives you the most — in money or in time together.
- Your plan in writing, if you want it. The plan dossier: your plan as a PDF, with the working, deadlines, checklists and a sheet for the online application, for €14.90. Everything on screen stays free.
In one sentence
We calculate your parental allowance according to the law, show you the best split plan and the deadline for your tax-class change — and fill in your application. No advice, no accounts, no salary data on our servers.
Questions
Is the calculator really free?
Yes, all of it — no account, and as many plans as you like. Everything you see on screen stays free. Only the plan dossier as a PDF costs money.
What do we get for €14.90?
The plan dossier: your plan as a PDF, with the tax-class page, the working, a transfer sheet for the online application, checklists and deadlines, a calendar file and a pre-filled parental-leave letter. What exactly is in it — and a sample to look at first.
How do we apply?
Yourselves — in ten federal states for free, online at mein-elterngeldantrag.de. The dossier includes a sheet that lists what to enter there from your plan. If you prefer to apply on paper, in these states (except the city of Bremen) you get the official form filled in as well. Which states
Do we need an account?
No. If you want to keep a plan, you save it on your device with one button.