Kindergeld for Expats in 2026: How Much It Is and Which Residence Permits Qualify
Kindergeld is €259 a month per child in 2026. Which nationalities and residence permits usually qualify under § 62 EStG, and where the 2027 increase stands.
Kindergeld in Germany is €259 a month for every child in 2026, whatever the parents earn. Germans and EU/EEA citizens living in Germany usually qualify; non-EU parents usually need a settlement permit, an EU Blue Card or ICT Card, or a residence permit that allows work for at least 6 months, under § 62 EStG. A rise to €267 for 2027 is still a bill.
Kindergeld is €259 a month for every child in 2026 (§ 66 EStG), the same for the first child as for the fifth, and it does not depend on income. Whether you can get it as a foreign parent depends on your nationality and residence title, under § 62 of the Income Tax Act (EStG). The Kindergeld calculator for expats gives the amount for your children and the rule that usually applies to your status. It describes the rule; the Familienkasse decides each case.
The amount
| Year | Kindergeld per child a month | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | €259 | Law (§ 66 EStG) |
| 2027 | €267 proposed | Bill, not law (Bundestag Drucksache 21/8235) |
| 2028 | €272 proposed | Bill, not law |
The Familienkasse page Kindergeld: Anspruch, Höhe und Dauer gives €259, and notes the amount has been the same for every child since 1 January 2023. Kindergeld is paid for children under 18, and for young people up to 25 in education or training, among other cases (§ 32(4) EStG). Only one person gets it for each child, usually a parent the child lives with.
Who qualifies: the rule in § 62 EStG
§ 62 EStG has three layers.
1. Everyone: residence in Germany. You need a home or usual residence in Germany, or to be treated as an unlimited taxpayer in Germany, and a German tax ID (§ 62(1)).
2. EU and EEA citizens: the 3-month rule. An EU or EEA citizen who moves to Germany gets no Kindergeld for the first 3 months unless they have German income from work or self-employment (§ 62(1a)). After that they qualify if they have a free-movement right. The Familienkasse page for people from abroad lists these: working or self-employed, looking for work or involuntarily unemployed, a family member's right, enough money and health insurance, or permanent residence. It also lists Swiss citizens alongside EU and EEA citizens.
3. Other nationalities: the residence title. § 62(2) says a non-EU parent gets Kindergeld only with one of these:
| Residence title | What § 62(2) EStG says |
|---|---|
| Niederlassungserlaubnis or Daueraufenthalt-EU | Qualifies (no. 1) |
| EU Blue Card, ICT Card, Mobile ICT Card | Qualifies (no. 2) |
| Other residence permit allowing work for at least 6 months | Qualifies (no. 2), except the excluded types below |
| Training (§ 16e), au pair, seasonal work, European Voluntary Service, § 20a(5) job search | Excluded (no. 2(a)) |
| Study (§ 16b), recognition of qualifications (§ 16d), job search (§ 20) | Only while working, on parental leave or getting ongoing SGB III benefits (no. 2(b)) |
| War (§ 23(1)), hardship (§ 23a), § 25(3) to (5) | While working legally, on parental leave or getting SGB III benefits, or after 15 months of permitted, authorised or tolerated stay (nos. 3 and 4) |
| Beschäftigungsduldung (§ 60d) | Qualifies (no. 5) |
The Familienkasse adds two groups: recognised refugees and people entitled to asylum, and citizens of Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Morocco, Montenegro, Serbia, Tunisia and Turkey who are in employment subject to social insurance in Germany or get Arbeitslosengeld or Krankengeld. An asylum seeker's Aufenthaltsgestattung or an ordinary Duldung is not on the list in § 62(2).
The Familienkasse itself warns that meeting one of these conditions does not guarantee a claim: it checks every case. Borderline permits are exactly where this matters, so the calculator gives "usually" answers and names the paragraph.
What changed recently
- 2027 rate: not law yet. The federal government's Einkommensteuerreformgesetz 2027 would raise Kindergeld to €267 a month from January 2027 and €272 from January 2028, and the child tax allowance from €6,828 to €7,128. The Bundestag held the first reading on 8 October 2026 and sent the bill to committee. Until it passes both houses, €259 is the only figure in force.
- Tax treatment. § 31 EStG pays Kindergeld during the year as a monthly tax rebate. When you file your tax return, the tax office checks whether the child tax allowances would save you more; if so, it applies them and counts the Kindergeld against them.
How to apply
Apply to the Familienkasse online or in writing. Claims can be backdated 6 months, so apply soon after the birth or the move. Cross-border families (a child or a parent in another EU country) also fill in the "Anlage Ausland" and send an employer's certificate. If the child lives in another EU country, EU coordination rules decide which country pays first; the calculator does not cover that.
Sources
- Familienkasse (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), Kindergeld: Anspruch, Höhe und Dauer and Kindergeld für Menschen im oder aus dem Ausland, checked 18 October 2026.
- § 62 EStG, § 66 EStG, § 31 EStG and § 32 EStG, gesetze-im-internet.de, checked 18 October 2026.
- Deutscher Bundestag, first reading of the Einkommensteuerreformgesetz 2027, 8 October 2026.