Parental allowance
When parents are expecting a child, an important question is how the family will be financially secure after the birth. Parental allowance plays an important role here: it replaces part of your income if you take a full or partial career break after the birth.
Your way to the application
The best way to apply for parental allowance is online - it's the quickest way. You can prepare your parental allowance application before the birth.
Advantages of the online application
- You will be guided through the application step by step. We will only ask you the questions that apply to your case.
- You will find out which documents the parental allowance office needs in your case. You can upload these documents immediately.
- You can save your details temporarily, even before your child is born.
You log in to the online application with a BundID account.
To use the online application for parental allowance, it is sufficient to log in with "User name and password". If you would like to submit the application without any paper, please log in with "Online ID".
If you do not yet have a BundID account, you can create one quickly and easily here:
https://id.bund.de/de
Would you like to continue processing an online application you have started? You can find your saved applications in your account:
https://www.behoerden-serviceportal.de/onlineantraege
ATTENTION
If you started completing the online application before 15.09.2025 (version 3.5.0), an error message may be displayed. This is usually related to the application for partnership bonus months. Please only enter the first month from which you would like to take partnership bonus months in the corresponding field on the page "Determining your reference period for Parent 1".
If you still receive an error message, please write to us using the contact form:
https://www.familienportal.nrw/de/fragen-und-anregungen
Apply now
Which location should I specify?
Important: Please enter the place of residence of the child for whom you are applying.
If you do not live in Germany, you can only apply for parental allowance via this online service if you or the other parent work in Germany and the employer is based in North Rhine-Westphalia. In this case, please enter the location where the employer is based.
Simply explained
Parental allowance replaces part of your lost income if you want to be there for your child after the birth and work less or not at all for a while. Even if you had no income before the birth, you can still receive parental allowance.
There are three types of parental allowance:
- Basic parental allowance
- Parental allowance plus
- Parenthood bonus
You can also combine these options.
Parental leave is an unpaid break from working life for mothers and fathers who are looking after and raising their child themselves. Parental leave and parental allowance are therefore not the same thing. However, it is often practical to combine them.
What requirements must be met?
Parental allowance is available to young parents who live in Germany, look after their child in their own household and do not exceed certain income limits. You must also not be in full-time employment while you are receiving parental allowance.
In addition to the biological parents of a child, parents of stepchildren and adopted children can also apply for parental allowance. Second or third-degree relatives can also receive parental allowance if they take over the upbringing of a child due to serious illness, disability or death of the biological parents.
What do I get?
The amount of parental allowance is a minimum of 300 euros and a maximum of 1,800 euros and is based on the net income you earned before the birth of your child.
If the parents were self-employed before the birth, the parental allowance is calculated based on the income in the last completed financial year. This also applies to so-called mixed income, which is made up of income from employment and self-employment.
Where can I get help and advice?
Where can I get help and advice?
In North Rhine-Westphalia, parental allowance applications are processed by the districts and independent cities. The staff at your parental allowance office will advise you on all questions relating to parental allowance and parental leave - on site, by telephone or by email.
To view the contact details of your parental allowance office, please enter your zip code or place of residence.
Find advice
What else is important?
For more detailed information, for example on planning parental allowance and parental leave, and on working while receiving parental allowance, click here:
Already checked? Tips and lists for the next steps
There are a few things to think about and take care of before and after the birth. The following checklists will give you an overview of the most important formalities that you need to take care of before and after the birth.
Did you already know? More benefits for families
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