Pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period can be quite turbulent times, during which you're preoccupied with yourself and your emotions, trying to organize a million things, and desperately needing breaks. So far, so normal – but when exactly is the administrative chaos that comes with every new baby in Germany supposed to be resolved? Besides applying for maternity leave, parental leave, and parental allowance, registration, child benefit, and daycare placement often pile up shortly after the birth. Wow!
But we'll guide you through this too, don't worry. Here's our step-by-step guide to navigating the bureaucratic maze – also available as a free download!
1 | Acknowledgement of paternity/stepchild adoption
When: before or after birth
Where: Responsible youth welfare office
Who: Unmarried couples
If you are in a heterosexual relationship and not married, your partner must acknowledge paternity and, if necessary, apply for a declaration of custody and right to determine the child's residence. You can do this before the birth, but it is also possible afterward. The youth welfare office in your place of residence is responsible for this.
If one woman in a lesbian couple has a child, her partner can apply for stepchild adoption – you don't need to be married for this. If the child was conceived using sperm from a private sperm donor, he must also consent to the adoption. All of this can potentially be applied for even before the birth – but it's best to seek advice, as the most suitable procedure sometimes depends on the state in which you live.
Married heterosexual couples – surprise, surprise – don't have to do anything. It's automatically assumed that the man is also the father of the child. Outdated, but current law.
2 | Maternity protection and maternity allowance before birth
When: before birth
Where: Employer and/or health insurance company
Who: all mothers
If you are employed, you will likely inform your employer at some point that you are pregnant. They will then inform you about the documents you need to submit to the HR department to apply for maternity leave and receive maternity pay (usually a copy of the first page of your maternity record book). Further documents are generally only required after the baby is born; see below.
Maternity leave begins six weeks before the expected due date and continues for eight weeks after. For premature births, twins, and children with disabilities, the leave period is extended to twelve weeks. During maternity leave, you receive maternity pay. The exact amount is calculated based on your average earnings in the 13 weeks prior to the start of your maternity leave. Statutory health insurance pays a maximum of €13 per calendar day. Your employer pays the difference between this amount and your average net daily wage.
If you are self-employed, it's best to contact your health insurance provider as early as possible. If you are privately insured, you unfortunately won't receive maternity pay, but you may be entitled to sick pay. If you are voluntarily insured under the statutory health insurance scheme, you will generally receive 70 percent of the earned income that was used to calculate your health insurance contributions before the start of your maternity leave.
3 | Registration of the child
When: after birth
Where: The responsible registry office
Who: everyone
Immediately after the birth, you or your partner register your child. This is often possible while still in the hospital and is usually the easiest way. However, if you weren't in a hospital or went home immediately after the birth, you can still register your child: simply find the registry office responsible for your area and register the child there in person – ideally within one to two weeks of the birth. The registry office will then issue the birth certificate and other documents – everything will be sent to your home by mail.
You need the birth certificate, for example, to apply for parental allowance and maternity allowance, and to register with the health insurance company.
Tip: If you and your partner have different last names, it can be helpful to apply for an international birth certificate. The parent who doesn't share the same last name as the child can carry this with them when traveling and thus prove their parental identity if necessary.
4 | Health insurance registration
When: after birth
Where: Health insurance provider of mother or father, often available online
Who: everyone
After registration, you will either receive the birth certificate(s) directly or they will be sent to your home. Once you have them, you can register your child with one of your health insurance providers for family insurance. This is free of charge and can often be done online.
5 | Maternity allowance after birth
When: after birth
Where: Employer and/or health insurance company
Who: all mothers
In order to receive the second part of your maternity pay, your health insurance company needs a copy of the birth certificate - and, if you are an employee, a copy of this document must also be sent to your employer.
6 | Child benefit
When: after birth
Where: Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency, available online
Who: everyone
Child benefit is applied for at the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency. For this, you need a tax identification number – not for you as parents, but also for your child. This will be sent to you automatically by post from the Federal Central Tax Office as soon as they receive your registration data (therefore: it's better to register sooner rather than later – see point 1). Once you have the number, you can apply for child benefit online .
7 | Parental allowance
When: after birth
Where: Responsible youth welfare office
Who: everyone
You can prepare most of the documents for your parental allowance and leave application before the birth; you can get all the necessary information from the relevant youth welfare office. You can submit the application after the birth.
You will usually need at least these documents:
- Completed application form and any other attachments
- Child's birth certificate stating the intended use for parental allowance
- Copies of the identity cards of both parents OR a copy of the passport with registration certificate and, if applicable, residence permit.
- Copy(ies) of the birth certificates of other children in the household (for the sibling bonus)
For employees
- Proof of income for the last 14 (mother) or 12 (father, partner) months for both parents
- Certificate of maternity allowance supplement from the employer
- Confirmation from the employer regarding the use of parental leave
- For part-time work during parental leave: confirmation of working hours from the employer
- Certificate from the health insurance company regarding maternity allowance after birth or negative certificate
- Certificate of service or trainee pay after birth
For the self-employed
- Copy of income tax assessment for the last calendar year before the birth (if this is not yet available: preliminary balance sheet or income statement)
- Declaration regarding working hours
- Proof of mandatory social security contributions
- Declaration regarding the continuation of the activity during the reference period: If the activity is discontinued/reduced, a replacement is hired, existing staff take on additional tasks, etc.
- Assessment of expected income during the reference period (the amount of the claim will only be definitively calculated after the end of the reference period).
Unfortunately, each German state has its own application for parental allowance – meaning you might not need to submit certain items from these lists or you might even need additional documents. Because searching for the necessary paperwork can be quite nerve-wracking, we advise you to avoid doing all this while you're still recovering from childbirth – in our experience, that's not a good time for a mess of paperwork.
