Elterngeld: what the BEEG actually grants new parents

§1 BEEG lists the four conditions verbatim: entitlement belongs to whoever (1) has a residence or habitual abode in Germany, (2) lives in one household with their child, (3) personally cares for and raises this child, and (4) exercises no, or no full, employment. For non-EU nationals the section adds residence-title rules — broadly, titles that authorise (or have authorised) employment for at least six months qualify, with listed exceptions (study, au-pair and seasonal-work permits among them). Multiple births yield a single entitlement.

Source: BEEG §1 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.

§2's mechanics: Elterngeld is granted at 67 percent of pre-birth income from employment, paid up to a maximum of €1,800 monthly for full months without employment income. The percentage slides: below €1,000 pre-birth income it rises by 0.1 points per €2 of shortfall (toward 100%); above €1,200 it falls by 0.1 points per €2 of excess. Income is computed net of the standardised tax and social-contribution deductions the law prescribes — the official Elterngeldrechner runs the arithmetic.

Source: BEEG §2 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.

§4's architecture: Elterngeld comes as Basiselterngeld (drawable to the child's 14th month) or ElterngeldPlus (to the 32nd month, at least one parent drawing consecutively from month 15). Parents jointly hold twelve monthly amounts of Basiselterngeld, plus two further months where one parent's employment income is reduced in two months (partner months) — and each Basis month can be swapped for two Plus months. Premature births extend the entitlement (14/15/16 months at 8/12/16 weeks early). For the cross-border family, the coordination rules decide which country pays family benefits first.

Source: BEEG §4 — gesetze-im-internet.de, read 10 September 2026.