When is the Elterngeld deadline, and how far back is Elterngeld paid?

What the law actually says

The rule is one sentence in section 7 of the Federal Parental Allowance and Parental Leave Act (Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz, BEEG): "Es wird rückwirkend nur für die letzten drei Lebensmonate vor Beginn des Lebensmonats geleistet, in dem der Antrag auf Elterngeld eingegangen ist." In English: Elterngeld is paid retroactively only for the last three Lebensmonate before the start of the Lebensmonat in which the application was received. The same section says the application must be made in writing.

Two words in that sentence do most of the work. Lebensmonate are your child's months of life, not calendar months. Eingegangen means received: what counts is the day the application reaches the Elterngeldstelle, not the day you post it.

There is no date on which the whole claim expires. Under section 4 of the BEEG, Basiselterngeld can be drawn up to the end of the child's 14th Lebensmonat and ElterngeldPlus up to the 32nd, as long as the rules for consecutive months are met. A late application does not void the claim. It cuts off the oldest months, one at a time.

How to count Lebensmonate, with a worked example

The federal Familienportal explains it with an example: a child born on 15 February has a first Lebensmonat from 15 February to 14 March, a second from 15 March to 14 April, a third from 15 April to 14 May, and so on. Each Lebensmonat starts on the same day of the month as the birthday.

Take a baby born on 18 August 2026. Lebensmonat 1 runs from 18 August to 17 September, Lebensmonat 2 from 18 September to 17 October, Lebensmonat 3 from 18 October to 17 November, and Lebensmonat 4 from 18 November to 17 December. An application that arrives on 17 December falls in Lebensmonat 4, so it reaches back to months 1, 2 and 3. One that arrives on 18 December falls in Lebensmonat 5 and reaches back only to months 2, 3 and 4. Month 1 can no longer be paid.

The Elterngeldstelle of the city of Hannover puts the same rule plainly in its FAQ: if the application arrives on the last day of the child's fourth Lebensmonat, it can still reach back to Lebensmonate 1 to 3.

Why Familienportal says three months, not four

Familienportal, the information site of the federal family ministry, tells parents to apply right after the birth and within the first three Lebensmonate, because Elterngeld is paid retroactively for three Lebensmonate at most. That is a month earlier than the last possible day, and the margin is useful.

Applications travel by post or through an online service, signatures from the second parent can take days, and the date that matters is the date of arrival. Hannover's Elterngeldstelle also warns that emailing the completed form does not count as an application. Aiming for the end of the third Lebensmonat leaves room for any of that to go wrong without costing a month.

You also cannot get ahead of the clock completely. Familienportal states that the application can only be made after the birth. What you can do before the birth is prepare: Hannover suggests getting everything ready so that only the child's name and date of birth need to be added.

What a late application costs, and what it does not

Each Lebensmonat that arrives too late takes one monthly payment out of reach, always the oldest one first. How much that is depends on the parent and the months they applied for. Familienportal gives the range for Basiselterngeld as €300 to €1,800 a month and for ElterngeldPlus as €150 to €900, with Basiselterngeld usually at 65 percent of the net income that stops after the birth.

For mothers there is an important detail. Familienportal explains that Mutterschaftsgeld and the employer's top-up for the same child are counted in full against Elterngeld, and that months with these maternity benefits count as Basiselterngeld months. The protection period after the birth lasts eight weeks, or twelve after premature or multiple births, under section 3 of the Maternity Protection Act. So when a mother's first Lebensmonat drops out of reach, the real difference can be smaller than one full Elterngeld payment. For a partner who planned to take Elterngeld in those months, it can be the whole amount.

Figures checked on 1 October 2026. Since births from 1 April 2025, Elterngeld is excluded above a taxable income of €175,000 for couples and single parents (it was €200,000 for births from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025). For births from 1 April 2024, both parents can draw Basiselterngeld at the same time for only one month within the first twelve Lebensmonate, with exceptions such as premature and multiple births. These values have changed several times and can change again.

Common mistakes that cost a month

Counting calendar months or 90 days. A baby born on 18 August is not three months old on 30 November in Elterngeld terms. Count from the birthday, as above.

Waiting until every document is in. Hannover's Elterngeldstelle asks parents to send the application as soon as possible after the birth and to send missing documents once they have them. It also says there is no need to wait for the end of Mutterschutz.

Assuming the other parent's form can wait. Familienportal notes that if the other parent can also get Elterngeld, they must sign your application too. Collecting that signature is easy to forget in the first weeks.

Keeping no record of when it arrived. Because the arrival date decides which months are paid, keep the confirmation from the online service or proof of delivery for a posted application.

If you would rather not count Lebensmonate by hand, ElternFrist takes your baby's due date or birth date, marks out the Lebensmonate, and shows the last day an application can arrive and still reach the first month, with a document checklist planned back from that date.

This guide summarises official information from the BEEG, Familienportal and local Elterngeldstellen. It is not legal advice. Rules can change, and your Elterngeldstelle decides your case; ask the office responsible for where your child lives.

Frequently asked questions