Child benefit
In Germany, child benefit is a state benefit that parents can receive from the birth of the child. Child benefit is not paid automatically. You can apply for it at the responsible authority (Familienkasse).
Requirements
You can receive child benefit in Germany if:
• you live in Germany or if you work in Germany but live in another country of the European Union
and
• your child is under 18 years of age or under 25 years of age and in school/professional training
and
• you regularly take care of your child/your children and you live together in the same household,
or
• you meet all the requirements, but the child does not live in your household, but with the other parent or grandparents. Then you can still apply for the child benefit and it will then be paid to the other parent or grandparents.
Child benefit for EU citizens
EU citizens (e.g. from Bulgaria, Romania, Spain or Hungary) can receive child benefit in Germany if they meet certain conditions.
You can receive child benefit for your child/your children if you:
- • have a job or self-employment in Germany. If you are not employed, you must prove that you have sufficient financial resources to secure your livelihood and that you have health insurance
- • receive state benefit from the Jobcentre
- • have been living in Germany for at least five years.
If you receive child benefit in another country of the European Union, this will be taken into account and you will receive the difference between the child benefit in Germany and the child benefit in the other country. However, some local authorities (Familienkasse) require a certificate that no child benefit is received in the other country.
Support with the application
If you are or have been working in prostitution and would like to apply for child benefit, you can contact one of the counseling centers for prostitutes in Hessen. The counsellors will assist you in submitting your application.
If there is no counseling center for prostitutes in your city, you can contact FIM e.V. Hessen:
German, Bulgarian: +49 (0)177 864 96 26
English, Romanian, Spanish and other: +49 (0)157 73 55 16 85