Kindergeld in Germany: how to apply, and the six-month rule

Kindergeld is a monthly payment for a child, paid by the Familienkasse. This guide describes the general rules. It is not legal advice and not a decision on your own claim.

What Kindergeld is

Under EStG § 66 (1), as the statute stood on gesetze-im-internet.de on 12 November 2026, Kindergeld is 259 euros a month for each child. Check the current figure before you rely on it. It is paid from the beginning of the month in which the conditions are met until the end of the month in which they end (EStG § 66 (2)).

Who applies, and where

For most employees the Familienkasse is part of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Some public employers have their own Familienkasse. Who qualifies, and for how long, has its own rules. This guide does not set out those tests. Your decision letter and the Familienkasse come first.

The six-month payment rule

Once Kindergeld is fixed, it is paid retroactively only for the last six months before the beginning of the month in which the application arrived (EStG § 70 (1) sentence 2). That limit is about payment. The underlying claim is not removed by it (sentence 3). Do not read this as "the claim disappears after six months". It is why applying promptly matters, and why the date belongs on a household list.

After you apply

The Familienkasse fixes and pays Kindergeld by a written Bescheid (EStG § 70 (1) sentence 1). If your circumstances change, the award can be changed from the time of the change (EStG § 70 (2)). Tell the Familienkasse about a change that can affect the payment.

If you disagree with the decision

For Kindergeld under the EStG the remedy is an Einspruch, then the Finanzgericht. For Kindergeld under the BKGG it is a Widerspruch, then the Sozialgericht. That split is in section 12 of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit Merkblatt Kindergeld. The appeal instructions on your letter come first. The same leaflet says the Einspruch procedure is free of charge, and that a Finanzgericht claim is not free of court fees while a Sozialgericht claim on that path is. Those fee lines are the leaflet's, not a rule for every court case.

File within one month of Bekanntgabe, according to the leaflet and, for an Einspruch under the EStG, AO § 355. The last day is on the appeal deadline calculator.

Put it on the household list

Tick Kindergeld, enter the date you applied or the next document the Familienkasse asked for, and tag it with the child. Adding these dates, the person tags and the reminders come with Guardian. How to add it is in Family dates in Notenz.

New in Germany? The first 90 days checklist and Anmeldung sit next to this. Year-end household dates are in household deadlines.

Questions

How much is Kindergeld?

Under EStG § 66 (1) it is 259 euros a month for each child. That is the statute text on gesetze-im-internet.de as read on 12 November 2026. Check the current figure before you rely on it.

Can I get Kindergeld for months before I apply?

Once it is awarded, it is paid retroactively only for the last six months before the beginning of the month in which the application arrived (EStG § 70 (1) sentence 2). The underlying claim is not removed by that payment limit (sentence 3). That is why it is worth applying promptly.

Einspruch or Widerspruch against the Familienkasse?

For Kindergeld under the EStG it is an Einspruch; for Kindergeld under the BKGG it is a Widerspruch. That is from the Bundesagentur für Arbeit Kindergeld leaflet. The appeal instructions on your decision come first.

How long do I have to challenge the decision?

Usually one month after Bekanntgabe, according to the leaflet and, for an Einspruch under the EStG, AO § 355. Use the deadline calculator. A Kindergeld decision under the EStG is challenged with an Einspruch, not a Widerspruch.

Is this legal advice?

No. This guide describes the general statutory rules. Whether you qualify in your case is for the Familienkasse to decide.

Sources, read on 12 November 2026

• EStG § 66
• EStG § 70
• AO § 355
• Merkblatt Kindergeld (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)

This article describes the general statutory rules. It is not legal advice and not a decision on an individual claim.