Parental leave by country / Germany
Maternity, paternity and parental leave in Germany
How long each parent can be away, who pays and how much, the notice rules and the job protection — in plain English, whether you run a team in Germany or work on one.
Germany protects mothers with a work ban of six weeks before and eight after the birth at full net pay, funded by the health insurer and the employer. Each parent may then take Elternzeit — unpaid job-protected leave of up to three years per child — while Elterngeld replaces 65–67% of lost net income (300 to 1,800 euros a month) for 12 months, or 14 if both parents take at least two. Germany still has no dedicated paid paternity leave; the planned two-week Familienstartzeit has not been enacted.
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How it works
The Mutterschutzgesetz bans work for six weeks before the due date (waivable by the mother) and eight weeks after the birth (twelve for multiples, premature or disabled children), with Mutterschaftsgeld from the statutory health insurer topped up by the employer to the mother's average net pay; dismissal is prohibited from pregnancy until four months after the birth. Elternzeit under the BEEG gives each parent up to three years of unpaid leave per child, of which 24 months may be taken between the child's third and eighth birthdays, with a right to part-time work of 15 to 32 hours a week and protection from dismissal. Elterngeld is paid by the state Elterngeldstelle: Basiselterngeld at 65–67% of the previous net income for up to 12 months, plus two partner months if both parents take at least two, or ElterngeldPlus at half the rate for twice as long, with a partnership bonus for parents working part-time together. There is no statutory paid paternity leave: the Familienstartzeit that would have implemented the EU Work-Life Balance Directive's two weeks was not enacted and is not in the current coalition agreement.
Worth knowing: Elterngeld can be combined with part-time work of up to 32 hours a week, and ElterngeldPlus stretches the payments for parents who return part-time; the income cap for eligibility has been lowered twice since 2024.
If you run a team in Germany
Apply the work ban and pay the Mutterschaftsgeld top-up (reimbursed through the U2 levy), keep the job open through Elternzeit, and respond to Elternzeit requests — seven weeks' notice before the child is three, thirteen weeks after — in writing. You may refuse part-time work during Elternzeit only for urgent operational reasons in companies of more than 15 employees. Annual leave may be reduced by one-twelfth for each full month of Elternzeit, if you tell the employee.
If you work in Germany
Tell your employer about the pregnancy so the protections apply, and request Elternzeit in writing at least seven weeks before it starts, committing to how you will use the first two years. Apply for Elterngeld at your Elterngeldstelle within three months of the birth, because it is paid retroactively for three months only. Fathers wanting time at the birth take Elternzeit — there is no separate paternity leave.
Parental leave and annual leave
Annual leave accrues in full during Mutterschutz. During Elternzeit the employer may reduce it by one-twelfth per full month, and leave not taken before Elternzeit can be taken after it in the current or following year.
The annual leave entitlement itself is covered on our Germany annual leave page — 20 working days minimum.
Keeping the record straight
Long leaves are where leave records go wrong quietly: holiday that kept accruing for months and was never credited, a return date nobody diarised, a reduced entitlement applied where the law forbids it. In Germany the rules above decide what is owed on return, and the record has to show it. A tracker like Leavo keeps the leave, the accrual and the approvals in one place so the return is a date, not a dispute. We compare the options in our leave management software guide, and the policy side — carryover, payout, accrual — in our guides.
Parental leave in Germany: common questions
Is there paid paternity leave in Germany?
No. Fathers and partners take Elternzeit and can claim Elterngeld for those months; the two-week paid Familienstartzeit proposed to implement the EU directive has not been enacted as of 2026.
How much is Elterngeld?
Basiselterngeld replaces 65–67% of the parent's previous average net income, between 300 and 1,800 euros a month, for up to 12 months — 14 if both parents take at least two months. ElterngeldPlus pays half for twice as long.
Can Elternzeit be split?
Yes. Each parent may split it into up to three periods, and 24 of the 36 months can be used between the child's third and eighth birthdays.
Does annual leave accrue during maternity or parental leave in Germany?
Annual leave accrues in full during Mutterschutz. During Elternzeit the employer may reduce it by one-twelfth per full month, and leave not taken before Elternzeit can be taken after it in the current or following year.
Source
Primary source: Mutterschutzgesetz (MuSchG); Bundeselterngeld- und Elternzeitgesetz (BEEG). Benefit rates and ceilings change every year and collective agreements frequently improve on the statutory scheme — confirm against the current text before acting. See our methodology.