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Elterngeld During Ausbildung: How to Claim Parental Leave Benefits on a Low Training Income

· 2024-05-14

Learn how to claim Elterngeld during your Ausbildung in Germany, calculate your benefit amount, and use partner months to maximize your parental leave.

Having a baby while doing an Ausbildung in Germany is more common than people think — and yes, you can receive Elterngeld even on a trainee salary. Many Moroccan families moving to Germany assume parental leave benefits are only for full-time employees with high incomes, but that's simply not true. This guide breaks down exactly how Elterngeld during Ausbildung works, how much you can expect to receive, and how to use every rule in your favor.

What Is Elterngeld and Who Qualifies During Ausbildung?

Elterngeld is Germany's parental leave benefit, paid by the state to help parents cover living costs after a child is born. It's managed by the Elterngeld office (Elterngeldstelle) in your federal state and funded through taxes — not your employer.

To qualify for Elterngeld during your Ausbildung, you need to meet these basic conditions:

• You live in Germany (registered residence / Meldebescheinigung).
• You are the legal parent or adoptive parent of the child.
• You are not working more than 32 hours per week (the limit for receiving Elterngeld simultaneously).
• You have a valid residence permit that allows you to receive social benefits — for Moroccans, this is typically a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) or an EU Blue Card, but even some temporary permits qualify. Check with your Ausländerbehörde.

Here's the key fact: Azubis (trainees) absolutely qualify. Your Ausbildungsvergütung (training allowance) counts as income for the calculation. Even if your income is very low, you will receive at least the Mindest-Elterngeld (minimum Elterngeld) of €300 per month.

Basic Elterngeld vs. ElterngeldPlus: Which One Should You Choose?

Germany offers two main models, and choosing the right one matters a lot when your Ausbildung income is low.

Basic Elterngeld (Basiselterngeld)

• Paid for up to 14 months total (12 months for one parent, +2 partner months if both parents take leave).
• Replaces 65–67% of your average net income from the 12 months before the birth.
• Minimum: €300/month, maximum: €1,800/month.
• For low incomes (under ~€1,000 net/month), the replacement rate increases to up to 100% on a sliding scale.

Example: If your Ausbildungsvergütung is €800/month net, your Elterngeld replacement rate rises to roughly 75–80%, giving you around €600–640/month in Basic Elterngeld.

ElterngeldPlus

• Paid for twice as long as Basic Elterngeld — up to 28 months for one parent.
• Each monthly payment is half the amount of Basic Elterngeld.
• Works especially well if you return to part-time work or part-time Ausbildung during parental leave.
• You can combine it with part-time training (under 32 hours/week) and still receive ElterngeldPlus.

Example with the same €800 net income:

• Basic Elterngeld: ~€620/month for 12 months = €7,440 total.
• ElterngeldPlus: ~€310/month for 24 months = €7,440 total.

The total is similar, but ElterngeldPlus spreads payments over a longer period — useful if your Ausbildung finishes and you want support while job searching.

Partnership Bonus (Partnerschaftsbonus)

If both parents each work or train 25–32 hours per week for at least 4 consecutive months at the same time, you each receive 4 extra months of ElterngeldPlus. That's a meaningful bonus worth claiming if your partner also works part-time.

How Elterngeld Is Calculated on an Ausbildung Income

The calculation uses your average net monthly income from the 12 calendar months before the month your child was born. Here's what counts:

• Your Ausbildungsvergütung (after tax and social contributions).
• Any side income under certain thresholds.

What is excluded from the calculation:

• Unemployment benefits (ALG II / Bürgergeld).
• Wohngeld (housing benefit).
• BAföG.
• Months when you received Mutterschaftsgeld (maternity benefit) — these months are skipped in the 12-month average, which can actually help your calculation.

Step-by-Step Calculation Example

Let's say you're a Moroccan trainee in Hamburg earning €900 gross / €720 net per month during your Ausbildung in year 2.

1. Average net income: €720/month.
2. Replacement rate for incomes under €1,000: approximately 67% + a sliding bonus. At €720 net, your rate is roughly 75%.
3. Monthly Elterngeld: €720 × 0.75 = €540/month.
4. This is above the €300 minimum, so you receive €540/month in Basic Elterngeld for up to 12 months (or 14 if your partner takes 2 months).

Use the official Elterngeld calculator at familien-wegweiser.de or the BMFSFJ calculator at bmfsfj.de to get your exact figure before applying.

Partner Months and How to Maximize Your Benefits

The 14-month maximum for Basic Elterngeld only applies if both parents take at least 2 months each. If only one parent takes leave, the maximum drops to 12 months.

For Moroccan couples in Germany, here's the practical strategy:

• Parent 1 (usually the mother): Takes 12 months of Basic Elterngeld. During the first 8 weeks after birth (the Mutterschutz period), she receives Mutterschaftsgeld from the Krankenkasse and her employer instead — Elterngeld does not start until after this period ends.
• Parent 2 (the partner/father): Takes 2 partner months (Vatermonate). This can often be done during a vacation period or by taking unpaid leave from their Ausbildung or job.

Important: If your partner is also doing an Ausbildung, they are legally entitled to take parental leave (Elternzeit) for up to 3 years — your employer or training company cannot refuse. You simply need to notify them at least 7 weeks in advance in writing.

Combining Elterngeld with Parental Leave from Your Ausbildung

During Elternzeit (the actual leave period, separate from the benefit), your Ausbildungsvertrag is paused — not cancelled. German law (BEEG § 18) protects you from dismissal during Elternzeit.

Key points:

• You can postpone up to 24 months of your Elternzeit to use before the child's 8th birthday — useful if you want to finish your Ausbildung first and take leave later.
• You can continue your Ausbildung part-time (under 32 hours/week) and still receive Elterngeld or ElterngeldPlus.
• Notify your Ausbildungsbetrieb in writing (Elternzeitantrag) at least 7 weeks before you plan to start leave for children under 3, or 13 weeks before for the postponed portion.
• Your Ausbildung contract duration may be extended by the length of your parental leave — confirm this with your employer in writing.

Contact your Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK) or Handwerkskammer (HWK) if your employer is uncooperative. They mediate exactly these situations.

What People Get Wrong About Elterngeld During Ausbildung

This is where many families lose money or miss deadlines:

• Waiting too long to apply. Elterngeld can be applied for retroactively, but only for the last 3 months. Apply as soon as possible after the birth — ideally within the first month.
• Forgetting to exclude Mutterschaftsgeld months. The months when you received Mutterschaftsgeld are removed from the 12-month income average. This can raise your calculated average if those were low-income months.
• Not claiming the partner months. Fathers or partners often skip their 2 months. Don't — it gives you 2 extra months of payments at no cost.
• Assuming BAföG or Bürgergeld recipients can't get Elterngeld. You can still receive Elterngeld, but the minimum €300 will be offset against Bürgergeld. If you are above the minimum, you keep the difference.
• Not telling the Elterngeldstelle about a change in income. If your Ausbildungsvergütung changes during the benefit period, you must report it. Overpayments must be repaid.
• Choosing Basic Elterngeld when ElterngeldPlus suits you better. If you plan to return to part-time Ausbildung quickly, ElterngeldPlus often works out better — run the numbers before you decide.

Where and How to Apply

Apply at your local Elterngeldstelle, which is part of the Jugendamt or Versorgungsamt depending on your federal state. Most states now allow online applications:

• Bayern: Bayern.de Elterngeld portal
• NRW: elterngeld.nrw.de
• Berlin: service.berlin.de
• Hamburg: via the Hamburg Service portal

Documents you typically need:

• Birth certificate of the child (Geburtsurkunde).
• Your last 12 payslips (Gehaltsabrechnungen / Ausbildungsvergütung).
• Your Ausbildungsvertrag.
• Proof of residence (Meldebestätigung).
• Your passport and residence permit.
• IBAN for payment.
• If applicable: Mutterschaftsgeld confirmation from your Krankenkasse.

Processing time is typically 4–8 weeks. Payments are made monthly, retroactively from the start of your Elterngeld period.

Conclusion

Elterngeld during your Ausbildung is absolutely within reach — even on a trainee salary of €700–1,000/month, you can receive €300–750/month in parental benefits and protect your training contract at the same time. The key is knowing which model (Basic vs. ElterngeldPlus) fits your situation, claiming your partner months, and applying early.

If you're planning your move to Germany or are already in the middle of your Ausbildung and starting a family, getting the paperwork right from day one makes a huge difference. Book a consultation with our German immigration specialist (€16) to plan your move — our team can help you navigate Elterngeld applications, Ausbildung contracts, and everything in between.