What documents do you need to apply for Elterngeld?

The form, and where it goes

Elterngeld is applied for in writing, one application per parent per child, at the Elterngeldstelle responsible for where your child lives. Familienportal, the federal family ministry's information site, says to use the form of your own Bundesland. Besides the Elterngeldstelle itself, paper forms are available at many municipal offices, most health insurers (Krankenkassen) and most hospitals with a maternity ward.

Every state now offers a digital route. The online assistant ElterngeldDigital covers Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia, while Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saarland and Saxony run their own online applications. In Bavaria, for example, Elterngeld is handled centrally by the Zentrum Bayern Familie und Soziales (ZBFS). Check your state's page before you start: when we checked in October 2026, Berlin's service portal was asking for new applications by post while its online portal was being rebuilt.

Online does not always mean paperless. Hannover's Elterngeldstelle describes three ways to use ElterngeldDigital: print the finished form and post it with original signatures, submit the data online and post the signatures, or submit everything digitally with a BundID account. If the other parent can also get Elterngeld, they have to sign your application as well.

Proof of the birth: the Elterngeld copy of the Geburtsurkunde

After you register the birth, the Standesamt (registry office) gives you several versions of the birth certificate. One is marked "zur Beantragung von Elterngeld", for applying for Elterngeld. Hannover's Elterngeldstelle points out that only this copy is meant for them, and that for a paper application they need it in the original. Berlin's service portal likewise lists the child's birth certificate for Elterngeld in the original.

Hannover's FAQ even has an entry for parents who were told they had sent the wrong certificate. The copies look alike. Before anything goes in an envelope, read the line on the certificate that says what it is for.

Proof of income before the birth

Familienportal lists the income documents by situation. Employed mothers send payslips for the 12 months before the month in which their Mutterschutz began. Employed fathers, and other parents who did not have Mutterschutz, send payslips for the 12 months before the birth. Self-employed parents usually send their last tax assessment (Steuerbescheid); Berlin accepts a profit statement (Einnahmen-Überschuss-Rechnung) or other credible proof if the assessment is not available yet.

Two details from Hannover's Elterngeldstelle save a round of letters. The Steuerbescheid comes from the tax office after you file a tax return; it is not the annual wage tax statement (Lohnsteuerbescheinigung) your employer gives you. And if your employer only issues a payslip when something changes, you still have to cover every month, including the last payslip from before the period and the next one after it, and numbered payslips must be complete with no gaps.

Employed mothers also add the Krankenkasse's certificate about Mutterschaftsgeld after the birth and the employer's certificate about the top-up to Mutterschaftsgeld (Zuschuss zum Mutterschaftsgeld). Hannover says a payslip from the Mutterschutz period, ideally for the month of the birth, is enough to show the top-up. Civil servants send certificates about their pay during Mutterschutz, and mothers with private health insurance send proof of any daily sickness allowance (Krankentagegeld) paid during Mutterschutz.

Familienportal adds that the Steuerbescheid for the year before the birth should be included where available, because Elterngeld is excluded above a taxable income of €175,000 for births from 1 April 2025. If it is not yet clear whether the limit is exceeded, you can still apply and Elterngeld is approved provisionally.

Extra documents some families need

If you plan to work part-time while receiving Elterngeld, Familienportal asks for your employer's confirmation of your working hours during the Elterngeld months, or your own declaration if you are self-employed. Further declarations can be needed if you work less than before, and Familienportal notes that other documents may be required depending on the case. Your employer is obliged to issue the documents you need.

Parents who moved to Germany should expect to show identity and residence papers. Berlin's list includes ID cards or passports with the latest registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) for each parent, and the residence title for applicants who are not German nationals. According to Familienportal, citizens of other EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland can generally get Elterngeld if they live or work in Germany. For other nationalities it depends on the residence title, and Familienportal refers questions to the Elterngeldstelle.

Common mistakes

Holding the application until the file is complete. Elterngeld is paid back only three Lebensmonate from the month the application arrives. Hannover's Elterngeldstelle asks parents to apply as soon as possible after the birth and to send missing documents later.

Emailing the PDF. Hannover states that sending the form by email is not an application. Use the post or the online service your state offers.

Forgetting the second signature. If both parents can claim, both sign, even when only one is applying for now.

If you want the list in order with dates, ElternFrist lays out these documents backwards from your Elterngeld cutoff, from what to gather before the birth to the Bescheid you keep at the end, and shows which office handles Elterngeld in your state.

This guide summarises official information from Familienportal and local Elterngeldstellen. It is not legal advice, and requirements differ between states and cases. Your Elterngeldstelle decides which documents it needs from you.

Frequently asked questions