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Applying for child sickness benefit

Statutory health insurance fund (Krankenkasse) · Release from work in the case of a child’s illness

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When a child falls ill and needs care, parents with statutory insurance are entitled under § 45 SGB V (Social Code Book V, Sozialgesetzbuch Fünftes Buch) to unpaid release from work and to child sickness benefit (Kinderkrankengeld) from the Krankenkasse. The requirement is a medical certificate stating that the care is necessary and that no one else in the household can take it over.

Increased numbers of days apply for the 2026 calendar year. The basic rule in § 45 Abs. 2 provides for 10 working days per child and 20 for single parents. § 45 Abs. 2a, however, expressly provides: “By way of derogation from Abs. 2 Satz 1, the entitlement exists … in the 2026 calendar year for each child for a maximum of 15 working days, for insured single parents for a maximum of 30 working days.”

The overall cap is also increased for 2026: a maximum of 35 working days per parent, for single parents 70 – instead of the otherwise applicable 25 and 50 respectively. Child sickness benefit amounts to 90% of the net wage lost, capped at 70% of the contribution assessment ceiling (Beitragsbemessungsgrenze, BBG). The child must not yet have reached the age of 12 – in the case of a disability requiring help, no age limit applies.

Last updated8 October 2026
Legal basis§ 45 SGB V
VerificationChecked against gesetze-im-internet.de (version with § 45 Abs. 2a)
Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta
Independent information site: we are not your Krankenkasse, 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; binding information always comes from the competent body. Increased numbers of days apply for 2026 under § 45 Abs. 2a SGB V. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source — this is information, not legal or tax advice.
Per child (2026)15 working daysSingle parent: 30
Maximum (2026)35 working daysSingle parent: 70
Amount90% of netMax. 70% of the BBG
Age of the childUnder 12No limit in the case of disability
Required documents

What you need

Medical certificate for the receipt of sickness benefit (Krankengeld) in the case of a child’s illness

The actual application form, colloquially known as the “Kinderkrankenschein”. The paediatrician confirms in it that the child is ill and that care by a parent is necessary. Have it issued on the first day of the illness – funds accept retroactive certificates only to a limited extent.

The child’s electronic health card

For the visit to the doctor. The child must have statutory insurance – generally through family insurance (Familienversicherung). A privately insured child does not give rise to an entitlement to child sickness benefit, even if the parent has statutory insurance.

Details of the employer

The Krankenkasse needs the employer’s details to determine the net wage lost. Inform the employer of the release from work without delay – the entitlement to release exists regardless of whether leave is taken.

Proof of single-parent status

Only for the doubled number of days. Within the meaning of the provision, a single parent is someone who has sole custody of the child or lives alone with the child. Depending on the case, funds require registration or custody records for this.

Proof of the child’s disability

If the child is disabled and dependent on help, the age limit of twelve years does not apply. The relevant medical documents or the severely disabled person’s pass (Schwerbehindertenausweis) are required.

Step by step

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Check your entitlement

    Entitlement exists if you and your child have statutory insurance, the child has not yet reached the age of twelve, and no other person living in the household can take over the care. Also check your remaining quota for 2026: 15 working days per child, 30 for single parents, a maximum of 35 and 70 respectively in total.

  2. 2

    Inform the employer immediately

    Report the release from work without delay – ideally by telephone and then in writing. The entitlement to unpaid release from work follows from § 45 Abs. 3 SGB V; you do not need to take leave for it. Many employees, out of ignorance, draw on leave days and thereby forfeit their entitlement.

  3. 3

    Have the Kinderkrankenschein issued

    Have the “medical certificate for the receipt of Krankengeld in the case of a child’s illness” issued on the first day of the illness. It is a separate form and is not the same as a certificate of incapacity for work for adults. Without this certificate, the Krankenkasse does not pay.

  4. 4

    Submit the certificate to the Krankenkasse

    Submit the certificate to your Krankenkasse promptly – online via the app or the customer portal, by post, or at a branch office. The employer’s part of the form goes to the employer, so that they can certify the wage lost.

  5. 5

    Keep track of the days

    Keep your own record of the days used per child and in total. The funds count the days per parent; with two working parents the days can be split, and in certain cases one parent can transfer days to the other if the employer agrees.

  6. 6

    Plan ahead in the case of a longer illness

    If the quota is not enough, check alternatives: release from work under § 616 BGB (German Civil Code, Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch), provided the employment contract does not exclude it, leave, reducing overtime, or – for gravely ill children – the entitlement with no time limit under § 45 Abs. 4 SGB V.

Fee information

Costs and payment

Child sickness benefit is a cash benefitThe application and certificate cost nothing
Application and certificateFree of charge
Per child 202615 working days
Single parents per child 202630 working days
Upper limit 202635 working days
Single parents upper limit 202670 working days
Amount90% of the net wage

The application, certificate and advice are free of charge; child sickness benefit replaces part of the income lost. What matters is the correct number of days: the basic rule of § 45 Abs. 2 SGB V provides for 10 working days per child, 20 for single parents, with a cap of 25 and 50 days respectively. For the 2026 calendar year, however, § 45 Abs. 2a SGB V applies with expressly different, higher values: 15 and 30 working days per child, and a cap of 35 and 70 days respectively. Anyone reading an overview that states 10 and 20 days has the basic rule in front of them – not the special rule applicable for 2026. The amount is 90% of the net wage lost, capped at 70% of the contribution assessment ceiling.

Good to know

Important notes

Increased values apply for 2026. By way of derogation from the basic rule, § 45 Abs. 2a SGB V provides for the 2026 calendar year: 15 working days per child, 30 for single parents, a maximum of 35 and 70 respectively in total. The 10 and 20 days commonly mentioned are the basic rule in Abs. 2, not the value applicable for 2026.

You do not have to take leave. § 45 Abs. 3 SGB V gives a separate entitlement to unpaid release from work. Anyone who takes leave instead forfeits annual leave without gaining anything for it.

The Kinderkrankenschein is a separate form. It is called the “medical certificate for the receipt of Krankengeld in the case of a child’s illness” and is not the same as a certificate of incapacity for work. Have it issued on the first day of illness.

Both parents have their own allowance. The days belong separately to each parent with statutory insurance. With two children and two working parents, that comes to up to 30 days per parent in 2026 (2 × 15 working days per child; the overall cap of 35 working days only applies from three children).

Days can be transferred. One parent can transfer days to the other if the employer of the parent taking them over agrees. This helps when only one person can take over the care.

The child must have statutory insurance. A privately insured child does not give rise to an entitlement to child sickness benefit, even if the parent has statutory insurance. In families with mixed insurance, this is a common disappointment.

For critically ill children there is no time limit. Under § 45 Abs. 4 SGB V, the entitlement is unlimited in time if the child has a progressive, incurable illness with a life expectancy of only weeks or a few months. The age limit of twelve still applies here in principle – it only ceases to apply if the child is disabled and dependent on help. The entitlement belongs to only one parent.

No age limit in the case of disability. If the child is disabled and dependent on help, the twelve-year limit does not apply. This is often overlooked, because the age limit is mentioned unconditionally in brief overviews.

Avoid these mistakes

Common mistakes

Calculating with 10 instead of 15 days. For 2026, § 45 Abs. 2a SGB V applies with 15 working days per child and 30 for single parents. Anyone planning with the basic rule believes they are reaching the end of the quota sooner than they actually are.

Taking leave instead of release from work. The entitlement to unpaid release from work is set out in the law. Anyone who uses leave days instead loses annual leave and does not receive child sickness benefit.

Getting the Kinderkrankenschein too late. It should be issued on the first day of the illness. Funds recognise retroactive certificates only to a limited extent – in cases of doubt there is no money for the preceding days.

Submitting an ordinary certificate of incapacity for work. A separate form is provided for child sickness benefit. A certificate of incapacity for work for adults does not give rise to the entitlement.

Not keeping count of the days. The funds count per parent and per child. Anyone who does not keep track only notices on refusal that the quota is used up – usually at the most inconvenient moment.

Relying on this when the child has private insurance. The entitlement requires that the child, too, has statutory insurance. In families with mixed insurance, it does not exist.

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

How many child sickness days are there in 2026?

For the 2026 calendar year, § 45 Abs. 2a SGB V expressly provides, by way of derogation from the basic rule: 15 working days per child, 30 working days for single parents. The overall cap is 35 working days per parent, or 70 working days for single parents. The commonly mentioned 10 and 20 days are the basic rule in Abs. 2 and do not apply in 2026.

How much is child sickness benefit?

It amounts to 90% of the net wage lost, capped at 70% of the contribution assessment ceiling. This makes it proportionally higher than ordinary Krankengeld, which amounts to 70% of the gross wage. It is paid out by the Krankenkasse, not by the employer.

Do I have to take leave for this?

No. § 45 Abs. 3 SGB V gives you a separate entitlement to unpaid release from work, as long as the requirements are met. You do not have to use annual leave for this. Inform the employer of the release from work without delay.

Up to what age of the child does the entitlement apply?

The child must not yet have reached the age of twelve. If the child is disabled and dependent on help, this age limit does not apply. For children with a far-advanced, incurable illness and limited life expectancy, there is even an entitlement with no time limit under § 45 Abs. 4 SGB V.

Do both parents each have their own days?

Yes. Each parent with statutory insurance has their own quota. For 2026, that is 15 working days per child per parent, with a maximum of 35 working days in total. One parent can transfer days to the other if the employer of the parent taking them over agrees.

What do I need for the application?

The “medical certificate for the receipt of Krankengeld in the case of a child’s illness” – colloquially the Kinderkrankenschein. It is a separate form and is not the same as a certificate of incapacity for work for adults. Have it issued on the first day of the illness and submit it to your Krankenkasse promptly.

Does the entitlement also apply to privately insured children?

No. The requirement is that both the parent and the child have statutory insurance. A privately insured child does not give rise to an entitlement to child sickness benefit, even if the parent is a member of a statutory Krankenkasse.

What should I do when the days are used up?

Check several routes: a transfer of days from the other parent with the agreement of that parent’s employer, paid release from work under § 616 BGB, provided the employment or collective agreement does not exclude it, leave, or reducing overtime. For gravely ill children, the entitlement with no time limit under § 45 Abs. 4 SGB V applies.

Related official procedures

Family insurance
Child must have statutory insurance
Free of charge
Sickness benefit (Krankengeld)
In the case of your own illness
70%, max. 90% net
Household help
When care is unavailable
€10/day

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