Overview
- The Bundesrat gave final consent to the government's bill that will let Familienkassen pay Kindergeld automatically, and the law is set to take effect on 1 January 2027.
- Automatic payments will begin in a two-stage rollout that first covers newborns of families who already receive Kindergeld and later extends to firstborns.
- For a first child to receive automatic payment, at least one parent must live with the child in Germany and at least one parent must work in Germany to avoid duplicate payments from other EU states.
- Payments will only be triggered once the Familienkasse has a child's tax identification number and parents' bank details, and the existing application process remains for cases with missing data or doubts about entitlement.
- Media reports say firstborns may be included from November of the rollout year and that the monthly Kindergeld could rise from €259 to €272 in 2028, but those timing and increase details are reported rather than independently confirmed.