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Apply for Mutterschaftsgeld

Krankenkasse (health insurance fund) · § 24i SGB V

KrankenkasseWith certificate

With Mutterschaftsgeld (maternity allowance), two bodies pay, and that explains the figure everyone stumbles over. The Krankenkasse pays, under § 24i SGB V, the average earnings of the last three calendar months reduced by deductions – but ‘no more than €13 per calendar day’.

That is around €390 a month and initially seems alarmingly low. But the decisive second sentence follows immediately: if the average net pay exceeds this amount, ‘the excess amount is paid by the employer …’. Together, both add up to your previous net income – the cap on the Krankenkasse payment is therefore not a reduction, but a division.

Payment is made for the protection period set by the Maternity Protection Act (Mutterschutzgesetz, MuSchG) in § 3 MuSchG, and for the day of delivery – usually six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth; in the case of premature and multiple births and in further cases, the period after the birth is extended.

One point for planning purposes: Mutterschaftsgeld and the employer supplement are later offset against Elterngeld (parental allowance). In the months concerned, little or no Elterngeld is therefore received – anyone who adds both together is planning with money that does not actually flow in that way.

Last updated27 August 2026
Legal basis§ 24i SGB V · § 3 MuSchG
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de (consolidated version)
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information page: We are not the Familienkasse, not an authority and not a paid advisory service — we do not submit applications on your behalf. All information comes from official sources and is explained here in simple terms; the competent body is always authoritative. Not legal advice. The competent body is the Krankenkasse; the supplement is paid by the employer. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document administrative procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
KrankenkasseMax. €13/dayAround €390 a month
EmployerThe remainderUp to net pay
Protection period6 before, 8 afterPlus day of delivery
ElterngeldIs offsetDo not add together
Required documents

What you need

Certificate of the expected date of delivery

A doctor or midwife issues it – at the earliest seven weeks before the calculated due date. It is the basis for calculating the protection period and therefore for the entire payment period.

Details of the employment relationship

For the Krankenkasse and for the employer, who calculates the supplement. What matters is the average earnings of the last three calendar months before the start of the protection period.

After the birth: birth certificate (Geburtsbescheinigung)

It is needed for payment of the part after the birth and at the same time determines the exact end of the post-natal protection period – in the case of premature births, this period is extended.

For self-employed persons: evidence of insurance status

Whether, and to what extent, Mutterschaftsgeld is payable depends, for voluntarily insured persons, on the tariff chosen, in particular on any entitlement to sickness benefit (Krankengeld). Clarify this early with your fund – the tariff cannot be changed afterwards.

Bank details

For payment by the Krankenkasse. The employer supplement is usually handled through the usual payroll.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Obtain the certificate in good time

    The medical certificate of the expected date of delivery is issued at the earliest seven weeks beforehand. It is a requirement for payment – without it, nothing begins, even if the protection period has already started.

  2. 2

    Submit it to the Krankenkasse

    The competent body is the Krankenkasse, not the Familienkasse and not the Elterngeldstelle (parental allowance office). It pays, under § 24i SGB V, the reduced average earnings, at most €13 per calendar day.

  3. 3

    Inform the employer

    The employer pays the supplement – that is, the difference between the €13 a day and your average net pay. Together, both add up to your previous net income; the €13 alone is never the whole benefit.

  4. 4

    Calculate the protection period

    Usually six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth, plus the day of delivery. If the child arrives earlier than calculated, the post-natal period is extended by the days not used; in the case of premature and multiple births and in further cases, a longer period applies.

  5. 5

    Submit the birth certificate after the birth

    For the part after the birth, the Krankenkasse needs the birth certificate. Submit it promptly – otherwise payment is suspended while your expenses continue.

  6. 6

    Plan for the offsetting against Elterngeld

    Mutterschaftsgeld and the employer supplement are offset against Elterngeld. In the first months after the birth, little or no Elterngeld is therefore received. Anyone who adds both together is planning with money that does not actually flow in that way – instead, calculate with the months after the protection period ends.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Who pays how muchThe €13 is only half the answer
KrankenkasseAt most €13 per calendar day
That corresponds toAround €390 a month
EmployerDifference to net pay
TogetherPrevious net income
Basis of calculationLast 3 calendar months
Against ElterngeldIs offset

The figure €13 per calendar day from § 24i SGB V regularly alarms people, because it is usually quoted without the second part. It is the maximum amount paid by the Krankenkasse – around €390 a month. The decisive sentence follows immediately afterwards: if the average earnings of the last three calendar months, reduced by deductions, exceed this amount, ‘the excess amount is paid by the employer …’. The Krankenkasse and the employer together make up your previous net income. The cap is therefore not a reduction in the benefit, but a division between two payers – anyone who only reads the €13 dramatically underestimates the benefit. Payment is made for the protection period under § 3 MuSchG ‘as well as for the day of delivery’: usually six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth, with an extension for premature and multiple births. Important for financial planning is the flip side: Mutterschaftsgeld and the employer supplement are later offset against Elterngeld. In the months concerned, little or no Elterngeld therefore comes in – do not add both benefits together.

Good to know

Important notes

The €13 is not the whole benefit. It is the maximum amount paid by the Krankenkasse; the employer pays the rest up to the level of net pay. Together, this adds up to your previous net income.

The competent body is the Krankenkasse, not the Familienkasse. And the supplement comes from the employer – three different bodies for three different benefits around the birth.

The basis of calculation is the last three calendar months. Before the start of the protection period, not the current salary.

The protection period is extended in several cases. In the case of premature births, multiple births, and when the child arrives before the calculated due date – unused days are then added on.

Maternity benefits are offset against Elterngeld. Anyone who adds both together is planning with money that does not actually flow in that way.

The certificate is available at the earliest seven weeks before the due date. Without it, payment does not begin, even if the protection period has started.

For voluntarily insured persons, much depends on the tariff. In particular on an entitlement to Krankengeld. Clarify this early – the tariff cannot be changed afterwards.

After the birth, submit the birth certificate. Otherwise payment of the second part is suspended.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Assuming €13 a day is the whole benefit. The employer supplement makes up by far the larger part. Together, both add up to the previous net income.

Adding Mutterschaftsgeld and Elterngeld together. Maternity benefits are offset; in the months concerned, hardly any Elterngeld is received.

Applying to the Familienkasse. The competent body is the Krankenkasse; the supplement is paid by the employer.

Obtaining the certificate too late. It is a requirement for payment and is issued at the earliest seven weeks before the due date.

Not checking the tariff in good time as a voluntarily insured person. Whether Mutterschaftsgeld is payable depends on it – and this cannot be changed later.

Leaving the birth certificate unsubmitted. Without it, payment for the time after the birth is suspended.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Do I really only receive €13 a day?

No – this is the most commonly misunderstood figure on this subject. The €13 per calendar day is the maximum amount that the Krankenkasse pays under § 24i SGB V, so around €390 a month. If your average net pay exceeds this amount, the employer pays the difference as a supplement. Together, both add up to your previous net income. The cap is therefore not a reduction, but a division between two payers.

For what period is payment made?

For the protection period under § 3 MuSchG ‘as well as for the day of delivery’ – usually six weeks before and eight weeks after the birth. The post-natal period is extended in several cases: in the case of premature births, multiple births, and when the child is born before the calculated due date – the days not used from the pre-natal period are then added on.

Where do I apply for Mutterschaftsgeld?

At your Krankenkasse. Not at the Familienkasse, which pays Kindergeld and Kinderzuschlag, and not at the Elterngeldstelle. Your employer pays the supplement, usually through the usual payroll – no separate application is needed for this, though they do need to be told that the protection period is beginning. Around the birth, three different bodies are therefore responsible; knowing this saves several weeks.

Is Mutterschaftsgeld offset against Elterngeld?

Yes, and for financial planning this is the most important point. Mutterschaftsgeld and the employer supplement are offset against Elterngeld, so that in the months concerned – usually the first ones after the birth – little or no Elterngeld is received. Anyone who adds both benefits together is reckoning with money that does not actually flow in that way. Instead, plan with the months after the protection period ends if you want to estimate the actual course of payments.

How is the amount calculated?

From the average earnings of the last three calendar months before the start of the protection period, reduced by deductions – not from the current salary and not from the annual average. This produces a daily rate; of this, the Krankenkasse pays at most €13 per calendar day, and the employer pays the rest. If there were any particular circumstances in those three months – such as unpaid leave or a change in salary – it is worth asking the fund how this affects the calculation.

Do I receive Mutterschaftsgeld as a self-employed woman?

This depends on the type of insurance cover, and you should clarify the question early. For those voluntarily insured under statutory health insurance, what matters decisively is whether the tariff chosen includes an entitlement to sickness benefit (Krankengeld). Privately insured persons do not receive Mutterschaftsgeld from a statutory fund; here everything depends on the contract. The timing is decisive: a change of tariff has no retrospective effect, and shortly before the birth the matter can no longer be changed.

What if the child arrives earlier?

In that case, the pre-natal protection period is effectively shortened – but the days not used are added to the post-natal period, so that the overall period is preserved for you. In the case of a premature birth, an already-extended post-natal protection period also applies from the outset. Submit the birth certificate promptly, therefore: only with it can the Krankenkasse calculate the actual period.

Do I have protection against dismissal during pregnancy?

Yes, the Maternity Protection Act provides for special protection against dismissal – however, it only takes effect once the employer knows of the pregnancy, or is informed of it within a short period after you have received a notice of termination. In practice, this means: notifying the employer is not merely a courtesy, but the condition for the protection to apply at all. Have receipt of the notification confirmed.

Related official procedures

Elterngeld
Reduced by maternity benefits
Up to €1,800
Parental leave
The time afterwards
Free of charge
Krankenkasse
The competent body
Under SGB V

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