Kindergeld application: how it works

You apply for Kindergeld (child benefit) at the Familienkasse (family benefits office) of the Federal Employment Agency. It is 259 euros a month for every child. You fill in the form online, print it and sign it; for newborns the whole process can be digital with an ELSTER certificate. The Familienkasse pays back pay for six months at most.

Kindergeld: the essentials

Amount
€259 a month for every childAs of: 26.10.2026 · § 66 EStG
Responsible office
Familienkasse of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)As of: 26.10.2026 · Familienportal
How to apply
fill in online and sign; newborns fully digital with ELSTERAs of: 26.10.2026 · Familienportal
Backdated payment
at most 6 months before the month of applicationAs of: 26.10.2026 · § 70 EStG
All details (5)
Tax ID
tax ID (Steuer-ID) of the applicant and of the child
Age limit
up to age 18; up to 21 if looking for work; up to 25 in school, training, university, a transition period or voluntary service
Paid to
for each child the Familienkasse pays only one person
Phone
service number of the Federal Employment Agency 0800 4 555530, free of charge
Behördenfix fixed price
€27.99 for filling in; you sign, we send

Please note

  • • You sign the form yourself

The official ways to Kindergeld

Fill in onlinefill in the form in the browser, print, sign, send to the Familienkasse
Fully digitalfor newborns only, with an ELSTER certificate, no paper
On paperin writing and signed by hand (§ 67 EStG)
More rows (2)
Processing timeno official figure; after the decision the Familienkasse pays monthly
Back paystate in the application from when you want Kindergeld; paid for at most 6 months before the month it arrives

How we fill in the application with you

  1. 1Give your detailsChild, tax IDs, bank account.
  2. 2Pay the fixed price27.99 euros, no authority fee.
  3. 3Receive the completed formAs a PDF, ready to sign.
  4. 4You sign, we sendBy post to your Familienkasse.

Applying yourself at the Familienkasse

The way without us, step by step

You can apply for Kindergeld without us. The federal Familienportal describes this way:

  • Online: the Familienkasse form can be filled in directly in the browser. Then you print the application, sign it and send it to the Familienkasse of your employment agency.
  • For newborns: with a valid ELSTER certificate you apply fully online, with no printout and no signature on paper.
  • The application asks for your tax identification number and your child's. If the Kindergeld is to go to you and you live with the other parent, he or she signs the declaration at the end of the form.
  • The Federal Employment Agency answers questions about the application on the free number 0800 4 555530.
  • Costs compared: the official pages name no fee for the application itself. With us you pay 27.99 euros for filling in the form with your details. You sign, and we send the signed application by post to your Familienkasse.
  • We are not an authority. Only the Familienkasse decides whether and from when Kindergeld is paid.

Open the official page

The details you need

  • Your tax ID and your child's tax ID.
  • Your child's name and date of birth, your IBAN.
More documents (3)
  • For couples: who should receive the Kindergeld. The other parent signs the declaration at the end of the form.
  • If your child is 18 or older: details of school, training, university, voluntary service or job search.
  • If you want back pay: the date from which it should be paid.

Good to know

Only one person receives the Kindergeld

For each child the Familienkasse pays Kindergeld to only one person.

All details (2)

Parents who do not live permanently apart decide with a so-called entitlement designation (Berechtigtenbestimmung) which of them receives the Kindergeld. The declaration at the end of the application is enough: the other parent signs there. According to the Familienportal the designation usually applies permanently and can be revoked at any time; a revocation changes nothing for the time before. If the parents cannot agree, the family court decides on application. The same applies to step-parents, foster parents and grandparents in a shared household.

Kindergeld is paid for every month in which all conditions are met on at least one day. If a child is born on 25 May, the Familienkasse pays the full Kindergeld for May. If the child turns 18 on 20 May and no other conditions apply, May is the last month; if the 18th birthday falls on 1 May, it is already April.

When does help with the form make sense?

You do not need it if you have both tax IDs at hand and can manage the Familienkasse online form. That way costs you nothing, and for newborns it even works without paper using ELSTER.

It can help if German forms are hard to understand for you, if your child is already an adult and details of training or university are needed, or if you are making your first application after moving to Germany. We transfer your details completely into the form, you check and sign, and we send it to the Familienkasse.

What we do not do: we do not check whether Kindergeld will be paid, we calculate nothing, we do not represent you before the Familienkasse, and you use the online route with ELSTER yourself.

Questions about Kindergeld

Can I apply for Kindergeld online?

Yes. You fill in the Familienkasse form online, then print the application, sign it and send it to the Familienkasse. It works without any paper for newborn children: with a valid ELSTER certificate you then make the Kindergeld application fully online, without a handwritten signature.

How much Kindergeld is there per child?

Under § 66 of the Income Tax Act (EStG), Kindergeld is 259 euros a month for every child, as of 26 October 2026. The amount is the same for the first, second and every further child. The Familienkasse pays monthly; the Federal Employment Agency publishes the payment dates on its website.

How far back is Kindergeld paid?

For the last six months at most before the month in which your application reaches the Familienkasse. This is set out in § 70 EStG. State in the application that you want back pay and from when. The Familienkasse does not pay older months, even if you apply later.

Up to what age is there Kindergeld?

In principle up to the 18th birthday. Up to 21 there is Kindergeld if the child is registered as unemployed and looking for work. Up to 25 there is Kindergeld during school, training or university, in a transition period of at most four months, without a training place or in a recognised voluntary service. Separate rules apply to children with disabilities.

Who gets the Kindergeld, mother or father?

Only one person receives Kindergeld for a child. Parents in a shared household decide themselves who receives it: the other parent signs the declaration at the end of the form. If the parents do not agree, the family court can decide on application. Separate rules apply to parents who live apart.

Does Behördenfix send the Kindergeld application for me?

Yes, the paper application. We fill in the form with your details and send it to you as a PDF. You read and sign it, and we send the signed application by post to your Familienkasse. This costs 27.99 euros. Only the Familienkasse decides whether and from when Kindergeld is paid; we do not check or calculate that.

Official sources

Sources (4)

Reviewed by M. Gabal on 26.10.2026

Provided by Behördenfix (M. Gabal). Behördenfix fills in the application with your details; you sign, and we send the signed application to the responsible office. We do not use online accounts such as ELSTER or BundID. We are not an authority, give no legal advice and do not assess your individual case.

Related services (4)
What we do and what we don't
  • We fill in applications based on your details, file them and follow them up.
  • We give no legal or tax advice and do not assess chances of success.
  • We are a private service, not a public authority.
Have your Kindergeld form filled in· 27.99 €