Understanding the German Parental Allowance Application (Elterngeld)
Veröffentlicht am 16. August 2026 · 6 Min. Lesezeit
This article is in English, but the official Elterngeld form itself is only available in German — every authority you deal with will expect German paperwork. What follows is a glossary and a walkthrough to help you understand what the form is actually asking, before you fill it in.
What is Elterngeld?
Elterngeld (parental allowance) is a German benefit for parents after the birth of a child. The application form asks for around 20–30 pages of information covering income, the birth itself, parental leave (Elternzeit) and health insurance. This article does not cover how much you might receive or how long — that depends on your individual case and is decided by your local Elterngeldstelle (parental allowance office), not by this article.
Key vocabulary
- Elterngeldstelle — the local office that processes your application.
- Basiselterngeld / ElterngeldPlus — the two main variants of the benefit; the form asks you to choose or combine them.
- Elternzeit — parental leave from your employer, a separate process from Elterngeld itself.
- Mutterschaftsgeld — maternity benefit paid during the legal protection period around birth; the form asks whether you received it.
- Steuer-ID — your German tax identification number, an 11-digit number required for both parents if you apply jointly.
Documents you'll typically need
- Geburtsurkunde des Kindes (Ausfertigung für Elterngeld)
- Einkommensnachweise der letzten 12 Monate vor der Geburt
- Bescheinigung der Krankenkasse
- Nachweis über Mutterschaftsgeld, falls bezogen
- Bescheinigung des Arbeitgebers über die Elternzeit
Exactly which documents are required in your case is decided by your local Elterngeldstelle.
Which portal applies to you
Since August 2026, Germany has been switching Elterngeld applications from the old ElterngeldDigital portal to a new one. Which one applies to you depends on your child's birth date — details are in the article Elterngeld-Portalumstellung 2026 (in German).
Filling the form out in your own language
Filento can translate the form's questions and field labels into English while you review your entries — the values written into the final PDF stay in correct German, which is what your Elterngeldstelle needs. Upload the blank official form together with your documents, and Filento fills in the fields for you.
Fill out your Elterngeld form now →