Kindergeld Doesn't Stop at 18, If Your Child Is Still in School, Training, or University
Turning 18 does not automatically end Kindergeld, but it does end the automatic part. Once your child is an adult, the Familienkasse stops paying without a new request, even if your child is still clearly in school, an apprenticeship, or university, you have to actively apply again and show that one of a specific set of conditions still applies. The benefit can continue up to age 25 if your child is in their first course of schooling or training, with no restriction at all on how many hours they work alongside it. A second Ausbildung or degree still qualifies, but only if your child works 20 hours a week or less. A gap between finishing school and starting training or university is covered too, but only for up to 4 months. And if your child hasn't found a training place yet despite genuinely looking, registering as ausbildungsplatzsuchend with the Agentur für Arbeit keeps the claim alive while they search.
The Official Rule
Kindergeld’s basic rule, paid automatically to nearly every family with a child under 18, changes sharply the moment your child turns 18. The benefit itself can continue well past that birthday, but the automatic part stops completely. The Bundesagentur für Arbeit’s own guidance on Kindergeld ab 18 is direct about this: the Familienkasse does not keep paying without a fresh application, even when your child’s actual situation, still at the same school, still living at home, hasn’t changed at all.
Four distinct situations keep the claim alive up to age 25, and they come with meaningfully different rules attached.
| Situation | Continues up to | Work-hours limit |
|---|---|---|
| First school course, apprenticeship, or degree | Age 25 | None at all |
| Second training course or degree | Age 25 | Max 20 hrs/week |
| Gap between finishing school and starting training/university | Up to 4 months | Not applicable, short fixed window |
| Registered and actively seeking a training place (ausbildungsplatzsuchend) | Age 25 | Not applicable, tied to genuine search effort |
The first-versus-second training distinction is the one that catches families off guard financially. During a child’s first Erstausbildung, whether that’s an apprenticeship or a university degree, official guidance confirms there’s no restriction whatsoever on how much your child works alongside it, a full-time working student on their first degree doesn’t jeopardize the family’s Kindergeld at all. Once that first course of training or study is actually completed and your child moves on to a second one, a master’s degree after a bachelor’s, say, or a second apprenticeship in a different field, the rules tighten: familienportal.de’s official FAQ confirms Kindergeld continues only if your child works 20 hours a week or less, a genuine Minijob alongside it doesn’t count against that limit, but a substantial part-time job crossing 20 hours does.
The transition-gap and job-search provisions cover two more real, common scenarios. A gap of up to 4 months between finishing one stage of education and starting the next, June graduation, October semester start, is exactly the kind of pause this rule anticipates. And if your child genuinely hasn’t secured a training place yet, registering as ausbildungsplatzsuchend with the Agentur für Arbeit or a Jobcenter is itself the proof the Familienkasse asks for, as long as the search stays genuine rather than becoming a registration nobody follows up on.
What Real People Say
Family finance and tax guidance aimed at parents of older teenagers repeatedly flags the same gap between expectation and reality: assuming Kindergeld simply continues because nothing about the child’s daily life has changed. The active reapplication requirement isn’t advertised loudly at the point a child turns 18, since there’s no single triggering letter or notification, it’s on the family to know the rule exists and act on it around the birthday itself.
The second-Ausbildung hours limit comes up often in family and student finance forums too, particularly among families where an adult child is working a substantial part-time job to help fund a second degree. The recurring, practical advice is to check planned working hours against the 20-hour limit before committing to a work schedule, rather than discovering after the fact that a few extra weekly hours quietly ended the family’s Kindergeld eligibility for that period.
Step by Step
- Mark your child’s 18th birthday as an action point, not just a milestone. Kindergeld will not continue without you actively reapplying, regardless of how unchanged your child’s actual situation is.
- Identify which of the four situations applies: first training or degree, second training or degree, a transition gap, or an active training-place search, since the rules and limits genuinely differ between them.
- If it’s a second course of training or study, check planned work hours against the 20-hour weekly limit before your child commits to a job schedule alongside it.
- If there’s a gap before the next stage starts, confirm it’s 4 months or less. If it looks likely to run longer, look into what else might justify continuing the claim during that stretch.
- If your child hasn’t found a training place yet, register them as ausbildungsplatzsuchend with the Agentur für Arbeit or a Jobcenter promptly, since this registration is the actual proof the Familienkasse relies on.
- File the follow-up application with the Familienkasse as soon as the relevant situation is confirmed, since back pay is limited and a late application can mean permanently losing months you were otherwise entitled to.
Compliance Note
This page explains the general legal framework for Kindergeld eligibility between ages 18 and 25, current as of mid-2026. It is not tax or legal advice, and your child’s specific situation may involve details that change the outcome. Confirm your exact case with your Familienkasse directly before assuming a particular rule applies.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
My child just turned 18 and is still in the same Gymnasium they were in last year. Do I need to do anything?
Yes, and this is the single most common mistake families make around this age. Kindergeld is not automatically continued past a child's 18th birthday, even if literally nothing about their situation has changed. The Familienkasse requires an active new application confirming your child is still in school, and it won't pay retroactively for months you never applied for, so the actual cost of forgetting is real money, not just paperwork.
My child finished their apprenticeship and immediately started a bachelor's degree. Does that count as a second Ausbildung with the 20-hour limit?
Yes, generally. A completed vocational Ausbildung followed by a degree counts as your child's second course of training, which means the 20-hour weekly work limit applies if they want to keep working substantially alongside their studies. This differs from the unrestricted first-Ausbildung rule, so if your child is planning a part-time job alongside a second course of study, checking the hours against this limit in advance avoids an unpleasant surprise.
What if my child graduated high school in June but their university program doesn't start until October?
This transition period is specifically covered, as long as it doesn't stretch beyond 4 months. A June-to-October gap fits inside that window, so Kindergeld should continue through the gap uninterrupted. If the gap were to run longer than 4 months for some reason, that extra stretch would fall outside this specific coverage and would need a different justification to keep the claim alive.
My child wants to do an apprenticeship but hasn't found a placement yet. Are we just not eligible until they find one?
No, there's a specific path for exactly this situation. If your child registers as ausbildungsplatzsuchend, actively seeking a training place, with the Agentur für Arbeit or a Jobcenter, that registration itself satisfies the proof requirement that they're making genuine efforts to find one. Kindergeld can continue on this basis while the search is ongoing, up to age 25, as long as your child keeps making real efforts rather than letting the registration lapse without following through.