Published: 12 November 2026 · Updated: 12 November 2026
Enter how many children you have and see your German child benefit in seconds — €259 per child per month in 2026, the same amount for every child, paid regardless of your income. The calculator also shows the proposed 2027 rise to €267, clearly marked as not yet law.
Kindergeld is €259 per child, per month, in 2026. Two children mean €518 a month — €6,216 a year — paid by the Familienkasse until the child turns 18, or 25 while in education or training. The government has proposed €267 from January 2027, but the Bundestag had only held its first reading on 8 October 2026, so budget with €259 until the law is final.
Researched by MixKhazana Team · Last updated 12 November 2026 · Data: Familienkasse (Federal Employment Agency) Kindergeld leaflet, July 2026 edition — €259 per child per month in 2026; Federal Ministry of Finance draft Income Tax Reform Act 2027 (€267 proposal)
Kindergeld is Germany's monthly child benefit, paid by the Familienkasse, the family benefits office of the Federal Employment Agency. Since 1 January 2026 it is €259 per child per month — the same amount for the first child and every additional child, regardless of your income. A family with one child receives €259 a month (€3,108 a year); two children €518 (€6,216); three children €777 (€9,324); four children €1,036 (€12,432). The benefit is paid until the child turns 18, or up to 25 while the child is in education, training or an equivalent situation. Foreign residents can qualify too, depending on residence status — the Familienkasse decides each claim, and claims can be backdated. The Elterngeld calculator covers the separate parental benefit paid after a birth.
Two 2027 changes are in motion. First, the government's draft Income Tax Reform Act 2027 would raise Kindergeld to €267 per child from January 2027 and €272 from 2028 — but as of November 2026 the bill had only had its first reading in the Bundestag, so it is not yet law and this calculator labels it clearly. Second, a law passed by the Bundestag on 9 July 2026 makes Kindergeld automatic: from March 2027 it will be granted without an application for the second and any further children of families already receiving it, with the first child following at the end of 2027. And a third, smaller change: the Early Start Pension (Frühstartrente) passed the Bundestag on 16 October 2026 would pay €10 a month into a retirement account for each child aged 6 to under 18 from 1 January 2027 — it still needs the Bundesrat's approval.
Kindergeld is not the only support to compare. The Kinderfreibetrag (child tax allowance) is €9,756 per child in 2026 for both parents combined (€4,878 each), rising to a proposed €10,056 in 2027. The tax office automatically applies whichever is better for you — Kindergeld or the tax allowance — in the annual Günstigerprüfung (more-favourable check). As a rule of thumb, Kindergeld wins for most middle-income families, while the allowance wins at higher incomes; the table below shows the break-even shape. Families on low incomes may also qualify for the Kinderzuschlag top-up of up to €297 per child per month in 2026 — a separate application to the Familienkasse.
A family in Berlin with two children, both under 18, claiming for the full year 2026:
A family with four children receives €1,036 a month — €12,432 a year — at the 2026 rate. Try your own family size in the widget above.
| Kindergeld 2026 (in force) | €259 per child / month |
| Kindergeld 2027 (proposed, not law) | €267 per child / month |
| Kindergeld 2028 (plan) | €272 per child / month |
| Paid until | Age 18, or 25 in education/training |
| Kinderfreibetrag 2026 (both parents) | €9,756 per child / year |
| Kinderzuschlag top-up 2026 | Up to €297 per child / month |
Sources: Familienkasse Kindergeld leaflet (July 2026 edition); Federal Employment Agency press release 42/2025; Federal Ministry of Finance, draft Income Tax Reform Act 2027 (first reading 8 October 2026); Bundestag, Early Start Pension Act (16 October 2026).
Kindergeld is €259 per child per month in 2026, the same amount for every child and independent of your income. That is €3,108 a year for one child, €6,216 for two children and €9,324 for three. The rate comes from the Familienkasse Kindergeld leaflet (July 2026 edition) and has applied since 1 January 2026.
It has been proposed, but it is not law yet. The government's draft Income Tax Reform Act 2027 would raise Kindergeld to €267 per child from January 2027 and €272 from 2028. The Bundestag held its first reading on 8 October 2026; until the law passes, €259 is the amount to plan with.
Kindergeld is paid from birth until the child turns 18, or up to age 25 while the child is in education, training or an equivalent situation. The Familienkasse checks the child's status, and claims can be backdated within the legal limits.
Yes, depending on residence status. EU citizens working or living in Germany generally qualify, and many non-EU residents with a valid residence permit do too. The Familienkasse decides each claim on the residence and employment facts, and cross-border cases (children living abroad) have their own rules.
Kindergeld is cash paid monthly (€259 per child in 2026). The Kinderfreibetrag is a tax allowance of €9,756 per child per year (both parents combined) that reduces taxable income. You do not get both in full: the tax office runs a Günstigerprüfung (more-favourable check) and applies whichever is worth more to you. Kindergeld usually wins for middle incomes; the allowance wins at higher incomes.
From March 2027, no — for the second and any further children of families already receiving Kindergeld, it will be granted automatically under a law passed on 9 July 2026. The first child follows at the end of 2027. Until then, you apply to the Familienkasse as before.
The €259 rate comes from the Familienkasse Kindergeld leaflet (July 2026 edition) and the Federal Employment Agency. The €267 proposal for 2027 comes from the Federal Ministry of Finance's draft Income Tax Reform Act 2027, first read in the Bundestag on 8 October 2026. The €9,756 Kinderfreibetrag is the 2026 statutory figure.
Parental benefit after a birth — see your monthly amount.
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