Overview

• Eligibility can run up to the 25th birthday for those in school, vocational training, or university, and for applicants actively seeking a training place while registered with the employment agency; under‑21 jobseekers registered with the agency also qualify.
• The monthly rate is €255 per child since January 2025, and entitlement does not depend on parental income or assets.
• Families receive a welcome letter with a QR code linking to a largely pre‑filled online form, the application is filed once, and payments flow automatically to the local Agentur für Arbeit until age 18.
• Special cases include parts of voluntary military service, the Bundesfreiwilligendienst, certain au‑pair stays with at least ten hours of weekly language instruction, and recognized peace‑service programs abroad, while marriage of the child does not end eligibility.
• Grandparents, stepparents, or foster parents may qualify as claimants; in rare cases payments go directly to an adult child who receives no parental support, and disability can extend entitlement beyond 25 if it began before 25 and prevents self‑support, with changes in circumstances to be reported promptly.