Kinderkrankengeld: paid leave to care for a sick child

0-12 months · Family · Reviewed 20 June 2026 · All articles

When your baby or young child falls ill, your first instinct is to stay home and look after them. In Germany, the statutory health insurance system supports parents in doing exactly that through a benefit called Kinderkrankengeld - literally "child sick pay". This article explains who qualifies, how many days you can claim, what you are actually paid, how to obtain the necessary paperwork, and what happened to entitlements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is Kinderkrankengeld?

Kinderkrankengeld is a wage-replacement benefit paid by the statutory health insurer (Krankenkasse) when an employee with statutory health insurance (gesetzliche Krankenversicherung, GKV) has to stay home to care for a sick child. It is regulated primarily by Section 45 of the Social Code Book V (SGB V).

The benefit exists because German employment law separately governs ordinary sick leave (Lohnfortzahlung) for the employee themselves. When you are the one who is ill, your employer pays your full wage for up to six weeks. But when your child is ill and there is no other suitable carer in the household, a different legal basis applies: your Krankenkasse steps in and compensates you through Kinderkrankengeld rather than your employer paying your full salary.

The right to be absent from work without losing your job in this situation is guaranteed under Section 45 SGB V. Whether or not your employer tops up the benefit to your full salary depends on your individual employment contract or collective agreement (Tarifvertrag). Many public-sector and large-employer contracts do include a top-up, but you should check your own paperwork rather than assuming.

Who qualifies?

To receive Kinderkrankengeld you must meet all of the following conditions:

• You are a member of a statutory health insurer (GKV). Private health insurance (PKV) has separate, contract-dependent rules.
• Your child is under 12 years of age (or, if the child has a disability or chronic illness, there is no upper age limit).
• The child is covered as a family member under your GKV policy, or is insured in their own right under the GKV.
• A doctor has certified in writing that the child is ill and requires care.
• There is no other person in the household who could provide the necessary care - for example, a partner who is not working that day.
• You yourself would otherwise be at work and are therefore losing income.

Both parents are independently entitled to their own days. A mother and a father employed by different companies each have their own pool of days and can use them separately or in sequence.

How many days are you entitled to?

Under the standard rules restored in 2022 (after the temporary COVID extensions ended), the entitlement is as follows:

• 10 working days per parent, per child, per calendar year - for parents who live together with a partner.
• 20 working days per parent, per child, per calendar year - for single parents.
• If you have two or more children, the annual maximum is 25 days per parent (50 for single parents), regardless of how many children you have.

The days are counted per calendar year and reset on 1 January. They are not carried over. If your child falls ill on 29 December and is still ill on 2 January, the days used in December count against last year's quota and the January days count against the new year.

Note that the days are counted in working days, not calendar days. A seven-day illness that covers a weekend uses five days of your entitlement, not seven.

The 2021 COVID-19 extension

The COVID-19 pandemic created exceptional childcare pressures. Schools and Kitas in Germany experienced repeated closures, quarantine orders, and hybrid-learning periods that left parents unable to work. In response, the German government temporarily expanded Kinderkrankengeld entitlement through a series of legislative changes.

For 2021 specifically, the Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium fur Gesundheit) and the GKV umbrella association announced that each parent's annual entitlement was temporarily doubled: from 10 to 20 days per child (from 20 to 40 for single parents), with a household cap raised accordingly. Crucially, the extension also allowed Kinderkrankengeld to be claimed even when the child itself was not ill but the Kita or school was closed due to pandemic measures. This was a significant departure from the normal rule, which requires the child to be personally unwell with a medical certificate.

For 2022, a smaller extension of 30 days per parent (60 for single parents) was set, partly to cover the tail end of pandemic disruption, before the rules returned to their standard levels from 2023 onward. If you are checking your entitlement today, assume the standard figures apply unless a new emergency measure has been announced.

The COVID extension highlighted a gap in the ordinary system: it does not cover institutional closures unless the child is personally certified as ill. Advocacy groups and health unions have since called for a permanent increase in entitlement days, though no statutory change had been enacted as of the date of this article.

Payment rate and calculation

Kinderkrankengeld is paid at 90 percent of your net wage (Nettoentgelt), subject to a statutory daily maximum. The Krankenkasse uses your gross wage over the most recent relevant pay period to calculate the net figure, then pays 90 percent of that amount for each lost working day.

There is a statutory ceiling: the daily benefit cannot exceed the maximum Krankengeld rate, which is published annually. For most employees, 90 percent of net wage is the binding figure and the ceiling does not come into play, but high earners who earn above the contribution ceiling of the GKV will find their benefit capped.

Social security contributions (pension, unemployment insurance) are deducted from the Kinderkrankengeld payment as well, so your net receipt will be slightly less than 90 percent of net wage. Your Krankenkasse will provide a detailed statement. Income tax is not charged on Kinderkrankengeld itself, but the amount is added to the Progressionsvorbehalt calculation, which means it can affect which tax bracket your remaining income falls into at the annual return.

If your employer voluntarily pays you full salary during the period, they will usually reclaim the Kinderkrankengeld from the Krankenkasse directly - you do not receive the payment twice. Ask your HR department how your company handles this.

How to apply: step by step

The process involves three parties: the doctor, your employer, and your Krankenkasse.

1. Visit the doctor with your child. Any registered Kassenarzt (GKV-contracted doctor) can issue the certificate. The form is called the Kinderkrankmeldung (or sometimes referred to informally as an "Attest"). The doctor certifies the diagnosis, the dates of required care, and confirms that no other carer is available in the household. Keep a copy for yourself.
2. Notify your employer. Inform your employer on the first day of absence, just as you would for your own sick leave. Provide the original or a certified copy of the Kinderkrankmeldung to your HR department.
3. Apply to your Krankenkasse. Most Krankenkassen have an online portal or a downloadable form for Kinderkrankengeld applications. You will need to submit the Kinderkrankmeldung and confirm your bank account details. Some insurers also require a statement from your employer confirming that no salary was paid for the relevant days.
4. Processing time. Most Krankenkassen process routine applications within a few working days. Payment typically arrives in the same week if the claim is straightforward. If your Kasse requests additional documents, respond promptly to avoid delays.

If you are unsure which form your particular Krankenkasse uses, their member helpline or online portal will have the current form. The GKV Spitzenverband (umbrella association) website also publishes guidance that applies across all statutory insurers.

Self-employed and privately insured parents

Self-employed people who are voluntarily insured in the GKV do not automatically qualify for Kinderkrankengeld. They would need to have opted into the optional daily sickness benefit (Krankengeld-Option) when signing their contract, and the same optional coverage sometimes extends to child sick pay. Check your current policy wording or call your insurer.

Parents insured under private health insurance (PKV) are not covered by SGB V at all. Their entitlement depends entirely on their private contract. Some PKV tariffs include a child sick benefit; many do not. Civil servants (Beamte) have yet another regime governed by the Beihilfe system and their employer's specific regulations.

Self-employed parents also have no statutory right to take time off work without consequence in the same way that employees do under Section 45 SGB V. This is a recognised gap in Germany's social protection system and is frequently discussed in policy circles, though no legislative fix was in place at the time of writing.

Frequently asked questions

How many days of Kinderkrankengeld am I entitled to per year?

Each parent with statutory health insurance is entitled to 10 working days per child per calendar year. Single parents receive 20 days per child. If you have two or more children, the maximum rises to 25 days per parent (50 for single parents). These figures apply to the standard rules in place from 2022 onward after the COVID temporary increases ended.

Does Kinderkrankengeld apply to self-employed parents?

No - at least not automatically. Kinderkrankengeld is a benefit for employees covered by statutory health insurance. Self-employed people who are voluntarily insured in the GKV can apply for optional sick-child coverage, but it is not automatic. Privately insured parents follow their own insurer's rules, which vary by contract.

What document do I need from the doctor to claim Kinderkrankengeld?

You need a Kinderkrankmeldung - a written certificate from a doctor confirming that your child is ill and requires care at home. Your doctor fills this out at the appointment. Take it to your employer and send a copy to your Krankenkasse together with your application.

How much of my salary is paid as Kinderkrankengeld?

Kinderkrankengeld is paid at 90 percent of your net wage (after tax and social contributions), subject to a statutory ceiling. Your Krankenkasse calculates the exact amount based on your most recent payslips. Some employers voluntarily top up the benefit to your full salary - check your employment contract or collective agreement.