the employer
The Maternity Protection Pay is issued by the employer and must be at least the same amount of a 13-week wages average or of the last 3 months before pregnancy.

The ElterngeldPlus makes it easier for mothers and fathers to combine a parental allowance and part-time work. Parents who work part-time after the birth of their children can now extend the entitlement period: one Elterngeld month beco- mes two ElterngeldPlus months. A multiple bonus for children, parents and the job.

Partnerschaftsbonus months are Elterngeld Plus months that parents can take on top of the regular Elterngeld eligibility period. They consist of 4 extra months per parent that parent are entitled to when they: Take these months consecutively and simultaneously.

Parental leave (“Elternzeit”) is an unpaid leave from work for which the parents of babies and young children can apply. If you want to spend more time with your child, you can “go on parental leave”.

Eligibility for Elterngeld Have a residence in Germany or an Aufenthaltstitel (residence permit) that allows you to work in Germany. You and your child reside together. You care and rear your child personally. You do not work more than 30 hours per week during the time Elterngeld is issued.

A child can attain German citizenship by being born in Germany even if neither parent is German. A further condition is that one parent has been legally resident in Germany for eight years and has a right of unlimited residence or for three years an unlimited residence permit.

Fathers can start parental leave (the earliest) at the childbirth and mothers can start theirs’ after the end of their (six-weeks-long) maternity leave. Both parents have to take at least a part of their parental leave before the child’s 3rd birthday and they need to conclude it before the child’s 8th birthday.

Elterngeld is funded by the federal tax system and replaced, on January 01, 2007, the pre-existing Erzeihungsgeld or Parenting Allowance. This is not a permanent subsidy while it is limited to the first 12 or 14 months following the child’s birth.

Elterngeld: what you need to know about parental allowance in Germany.

• ID documents/passports of the whole family.
• Anmeldung of both parents.
• Fiscal numbers (Steuer-ID) of the whole family.
• Health insurance cards of the whole family.
• International certificate of marriage (if married)

Adjusting to motherhood is made a little easier if you happen to be an employed woman working for a German company. Expectant mothers applying for employment are not required to make their pregnancy known before entering into employment.

Women can give birth in a hospital, birth house or at home, with all the options covered by health insurance. Private maternity options are also available for foreigners who want a risk-free delivery. Anyone living in Germany will need to be registered with a German health insurance scheme to have costs covered.

Da das Basiselterngeld – wenn beide Elternteile Elternzeit nehmen und Elterngeld beantragen – für maximal 14 Monate gezahlt wird, kann sich beim Elterngeld Plus ein Bezugszeitraum von maximal 28 Monaten ergeben. Beim Elterngeld besteht auch noch die Möglichkeit, einen Partnerschaftsbonus zu beanspruchen.

Das Elterngeld gehört zu den Familienleistungen in Deutschland, die von der Bevölkerung am meisten geschätzt werden. Es sichert die wirtschaftliche Existenz der Familien und hilft Vätern und Müttern, Familie und Beruf besser zu vereinbaren.

Es soll den Eltern ermöglichen, sich Zeit für ihr Kind zu nehmen. Elterngeld gibt es in den Varianten Basiselterngeld, ElterngeldPlus und Partnerschaftsbonus – diese können miteinander kombiniert werden. Auch getrennt lebenden Elternteilen steht das Elterngeld zur Verfügung.

Sie erhalten zwischen 65 und 100 Prozent des bisherigen Bruttolohns (abzüglich Steuern und Sozialabgaben), wenn Sie Elterngeld beantragt haben. Dies ist bei Basiselterngeld und beim Elterngeld Plus identisch. Beim Elterngeld Plus wird Ihnen die Summe allerdings auf den doppelten Zeitraum in halber Höhe ausgezahlt.