Who receives Kindergeld?
The conditions in five points:
- Who applies: residence or habitual abode in Germany. Without either, only in special cases, for example with unlimited tax liability in Germany.
- For which child: own and adopted children, foster children, as well as the spouse's children and grandchildren if they live in the applicant's own household.
- Where the child lives: in Germany, in the EU or in the EEA. Children in other countries only count in exceptional cases.
- Tax ID: of the person applying and of the child.
- Age: until 18 without conditions, after that only with a reason.
Up to what age is Kindergeld paid?
Whether the conditions are met is decided by the Familienkasse, not by us.
Nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland
According to the Federal Employment Agency, nationals of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland can receive Kindergeld.
For nationals of the EU and the EEA, an exception applies in the first 3 months after moving (§ 62 Abs. 1a EStG). During this time Kindergeld is only paid if there is income in Germany, for example from work or a business.
After that, the right of free movement is decisive (§ 62 Abs. 1a Satz 3 EStG). Anyone who came only to look for work and had no other reason for their stay before does not receive Kindergeld.
Nationals of countries with agreements
There are intergovernmental agreements for nationals of Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey.
According to the Federal Employment Agency, they can receive Kindergeld if they are in employment subject to social insurance in Germany. The same applies when receiving unemployment benefit or sickness benefit.
All other nationals
Anyone who does not have the right of free movement and is not covered by an agreement needs certain residence documents (§ 62 Abs. 2 EStG), for example:
- a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) or an EU long-term residence permit (Erlaubnis zum Daueraufenthalt-EU);
- an EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU);
- a residence permit that entitles or allows the holder to work for at least 6 months.
Certain residence permits are excluded, for example for training, as an Au-pair, for seasonal work or for looking for work. For others, for example for studying, additional conditions apply.
Where the child lives
Children who live neither in Germany nor in an EU or EEA country do not count as a rule (§ 63 Abs. 1 EStG). The exceptions are on a separate page.
The tax ID
The law requires the tax ID of the person applying and that of the child. If the child is not liable to tax in Germany, the child is identified in another way (§ 63 Abs. 1 EStG).
If the tax ID is only issued later, this has a retroactive effect on the months in which the other conditions were met (§ 62 Abs. 1 Satz 3 und § 63 Abs. 1 Satz 5 EStG).
Even so, retroactive payment is only made for the last 6 months before the month in which the application reaches the Familienkasse (§ 70 Abs. 1 Satz 2 EStG).
Only one person receives it
Payment goes to the person in whose household the child lives. Where the parents are separated, the money goes to the household in which the child lives. For the same child the Familienkasse always pays only once.
What does not matter
The law does not link Kindergeld to the parents' income.
Kinderzuschlag is paid on top of Kindergeld when income is low. Both go through the same Familienkasse.
Kindergeld for yourself
Anyone who is a full orphan or does not know where their parents live can, under further conditions, receive Kindergeld for themselves (§ 1 Abs. 2 BKGG).