Applying for Elterngeld when giving birth abroad
Elterngeld: what happens when you give birth abroad
A lot of my clients consider giving birth abroad for a number of reasons: having their family nearby, being able to speak the language, going to the place of birth recommended by their friends etc. But what happens to your Elterngeld if you give birth abroad? Are you still entitled to it if you have not given birth in Germany?
The short answer is…yes! You are still entitled to Elterngeld even if you gave birth in another country than Germany. But you need to make sure of a few things.
Elterngeld: General conditions
Regardless of where you give birth, your entitlement to Elterngeld is linked to you fulfilling certain criteria. These are: you are registered in Germany, you live in the same household as your child, you earned less than 300K€ as a couple in the last fiscal year, you are a EU citizen or hold a valid residence permit and you work 32 hours or less / week whilst claiming.
Now these are general rules and conditions. In some cases, you are entitled even when not registered in Germany, or not living with the child. Please consult the authorities to double-check your entitlement or book your individual Elterngeld consultation with me to find out.
Elterngeld: Register the baby after giving birth out of Germany
When you give birth in Germany, the child is automatically registered at the mother’s address. When giving birth abroad, you will need to do an Anmeldung for the baby (register them) at your local Bürgeramt (citizen’s office).
I recommend my clients to book an appointment at the Bürgeramt as early as possible (sometimes even before birth) as you usually have to wait a few weeks before the appointment takes place.
You will need to bring the baby’s birth certificate and their travel document (ID card or passport). If one of the custody holders cannot be present, the other will need to have a power of attorney to be able to register the child.
In some cases, none of the parents can be present. A power of attorney can be given to a third-person alongside with the baby’s travel document in original and their birth certificate.
Make sure the Anmeldung is valid from birth and not from the date of the appointment as this could jeopardize you getting Elterngeld from birth.
Elterngeld: Translate the birth certificate after giving birth outside of Germany
Another thing you should think about is that the birth certificate of your baby will not be in German so don’t forget getting it translated (or get an international birth certificate from your local authorities) to speed up all procedures in Germany.
A translation agency I recommend for all your translation needs is Red Tape Translation.
I hope this was useful, now you can go ahead and choose your country of birth with the peace of mind you can still get Elterngeld!
About Baby in Berlin
Baby in Berlin is a concierge service for young parents – for expecting international families in Germany who need assistance with the organization of their pregnancy and the paperwork related to baby and birth. Book your consultation today to make sure your Elterngeld application goes smoothly!