You are planning a research stay in Germany and want to find out whether you can apply for child allowance?

Child allowance is usually paid when the applicant is domiciled or normally resident in Germany. In addition, the child must be domiciled or normally resident in Germany or another EU member state. Applicants whose residence is abroad may become eligible for child allowance if they are unlimited income tax payers in Germany. There are certain circumstances under which applicants may be eligible although they are normally resident abroad or their income is earned abroad - constellations of this kind can usually only be clarified when applications are submitted to the Family Office of the Federal Employment Agency.

Child allowance is paid up to a minimum age of 18 or, alternatively, up to the age of 25 if the dependent is undergoing schooling or training or higher education.

For the first and second child, child allowance is 184 EUR per month; for the third child it is 190 EUR and for additional children the sum is 215 EUR.

Applications must be made in writing to the local Family Office ("Familienkasse") .


EU/EEA citizens:
Citizens of the Member States of the EU, the EEA States, and Switzerland may receive child allowance irrespective of whether they have a settlement permit or a residence permit. The same applies to nationals of Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey on the basis of the respective bilateral agreements if they are liable to pay contributions for  unemployment benefit under the terms of their employment in Germany or, for example, if they draw unemployment or sickness benefit.

Those working on the basis of a service contract or who have been sent to Germany on temporary assignments by employers resident abroad are not eligible for child allowance even if they have a settlement permit or residence permit for the purpose of gainful employment.


Non-EU citizens:
Foreigners permanently resident in Germany are entitled to receive child allowance if they have a valid settlement permit or a residence permit for specific purposes - this also embraces the rights of residence and unlimited residence permits issued up to the end of 2004.





Further information:

Applications for child allowance
Leaflets, forms and helpful information
German Federal Employment Agency

General information on the subject of child allowance
Legal basis, areas covered by the service centre, information on applying for child allowance
The German Federal Office for Central Services and Unsettled Property Issues

Family benefits system (child allowance)
Persons entitled to child allowance, statistical data
Federal Central Tax Office