Citizen's Allowance and Child Benefit: What EU Citizens Are Actually Entitled To Now
Nothing has changed for EU citizens in Germany regarding the Citizen's Allowance (Bürgergeld) and child benefit (Kindergeld). What has changed is the political direction. At their conference in Hamburg in June 2026, the federal and state interior ministers decided on two review mandates: whether access to basic social security for EU citizens can be made more difficult after only a short period of employment in Germany, and whether child benefit can be reduced if the children live in another EU member state. This was justified by the fight against social benefit fraud; a better digital exchange of data between authorities is also to be examined.
A review mandate is not a law. To date, no law has been passed on either of these two points. The existing legal situation remains in effect: Unemployed EU citizens have no entitlement to benefits during the first three months of their stay in Germany. Those who work here can acquire entitlements thereafter. In 2026, the child benefit is generally 259 euros per child per month and can, under certain conditions, also be paid if the child lives in another EU state.
However, child benefit is not paid twice. If entitlements exist in several EU states, European priority rules determine which country must pay first; the second country will, at most, pay the difference. These rules do not only affect foreign nationals – German parents also encounter cross-border child benefit cases depending on their place of residence, employment, and tax liability.
Regardless of the outcome of the review, here is what you can do now: Keep your records of employment periods in Germany complete and organized – employment contracts, pay slips, social security records, and certificates of periods of involuntary unemployment. They are the foundation of every claim and will remain so even after any reform. Notify the Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) immediately if your children's place of residence or your employment changes; failure to report such changes regularly leads to repayment demands, and these are applied retroactively. And check every official notice: You can file an objection against a rejection or a repayment demand within one month.