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How much money do I get during maternity and parental leave?
How much money do I get during maternity and parental leave?

Part 3 of our family series covers all you need to know about pregnancy.

Christina Weber avatar
Written by Christina Weber
Updated this week

Overview of benefits

Let's find out how much money you get during maternity and parental leave! The dark spots in the pictures indicate when you get the benefits. Each benefit is explained below.

In a nutshell: you get benefits up to the amount of your usual net income on both private and public health insurance.

Benefits under private health insurance

Benefits under public health insurance


Before and after maternity leave

Financial support if you are too ill to work

In Germany, you get 14 weeks of maternity leave: 6 weeks before your baby is born and 8 weeks after. Your doctor may ask you not to work even before or after that. In this case, you're eligible for either of the 2 benefits below.

Maternity protection pay

Sick pay

Who?

You're employed with a Germany-based company

You're earning more than €520 per month, but not through employment

You've got public health insurance, or private health insurance with a sick pay add-on

How much?

Your usual monthly income

Up to 70% of your usual monthly income

How?

Submit the sick note to your employer

Submit the sick note to your health insurance

Parental allowance after your baby is born

Get more information and apply. This is a monthly payment you can get for 12-24 months if you fulfill the basic conditions:

  • You bring up your child and live in the same household in Germany

  • You work less than 32 hours per week

  • You are from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, or have a residency permit for Germany

  • The total income of you and your spouse is less than €175.000 per year

With private health insurance

With public health insurance

Who?

Anyone with private health insurance who fulfils the basic conditions

You get parental benefits if it is higher than the combination of the maternity benefits and the employer contributions to the maternity benefits.

How much?

65% of your usual income:

€150 - €1800 per month

Up to €150 - €1800 per month

If you get maternity benefits and employer contributions, the parental allowance is reduced accordingly.


During your maternity leave

Maternity benefits

Depending on your employment situation and your health insurance, you'll get the benefits from a different institution. If you're self-employed with private health insurance, you don't get maternity benefits. Instead, you'll get sick pay and parental allowance.

From the BAS
(Bundesamt für Soziale Sicherung)

From the public health provider

Who?

  • Employees with private health insurance

  • Employees with a monthly income of
    < €520 who are insured for free under public health insurance

  • Employed or freelancing mothers,

  • who earn >€520 per month,

  • and who have public health insurance

How much?

1 Payment: €210

2 Payment: €546 before birth, €624 after birth

It's based on your income during the last 3 months before the maternity protection period. You get a maximum of €13 per calendar day for 14 weeks.

How?

Apply at the BAS.

If you have private health insurance, the BAS will ask for a "Bescheinigung der Krankenkasse über Mutterschaftsgeld". You can get this from our team.

Apply through your public health provider

Sick pay

This is a one-time payment you receive 8 weeks after your baby is born.

Who?

  • You have private health insurance with a sick pay add-on

  • And your usual income is higher than the maternity benefits and the parental allowance combined.

How much?

Combined with the maternity benefits and/or parental allowance, you can get up to 70% of your net income.

How?

Submit the birth certificate to our team. If you're employed, also request and submit a letter called "Confirmation of Maternity Benefits" from the BAS.

Employer contribution to maternity benefits

Regardless of your health insurance, your employer may provide you with extra income during the maternity leave.

Who?

  • You're employed in Germany

  • And you have private health insurance, and your usual income is higher than the maternity benefits, parental allowance, and sick pay combined

  • Or you have public health insurance, and your usual income is higher than the maternity benefits.

How much?

Combined with the other benefits, you get your usual total income.

How?

We recommend asking your employer as the process varies between companies.

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