I moved to Hamburg for love. Figuring out Elterngeld was not part of the plan.

How it started

Moving to another country sounds exciting until you need to fill out forms in a language you barely speak. Nobody tells you that having a baby in Germany comes with a stack of deadlines, German-only websites, and words like Bemessungszeitraum.

I spent way too many evenings googling things like “what is Elterngeld” and “Kindergeld deadline English”. Every time I thought I understood something, there was another form. That parents can only receive Basiselterngeld at the same time for one month? That Mutterschaftsleistungen get offset against your benefit? Nobody had mentioned any of that.

So Jochen and I built what I wish had existed back then — a free guide, a calculator, and deadline reminders. All in English. All for expat parents like us.

Why Elterngeld Help

Most tools ask for your income and spit out a number. Great — but if you don’t know what Bemessungszeitraum means, or why Plus might beat Basis in your case, that number won’t help you make the right call.

We built this differently. Every step explains what’s happening and why it matters. You don’t just get a result. You understand it.

Everything you need, in one place

Every calculation and explanation in our tool is based on the BEEG — the German parental benefit law — and the official guidelines from the Ministry for Family Affairs. Not blog posts. Not forum opinions.

That said, we’re not lawyers and not the Elterngeldstelle. Our tools help you understand and prepare your application, but the official decision is always made by your local office.