How long does Kindergeld take?
- Faster cases~28 days
- Average cases~42 days
- Slower casesUp to 2 months
Most guides say a Kindergeld application takes 4–6 weeks. The only official figure we could find is considerably longer: asked under freedom-of-information rules, the Familienkasse Berlin-Brandenburg gave an average of 50 working days — around ten calendar weeks, roughly double the usual estimate. That figure dates from December 2023 and covers one regional office; the Bundesagentur für Arbeit does not publish a current nationwide processing time, so treat any single number with caution. The statutory maximum is six months.
More details
More important than the wait is the deadline on the other side. Kindergeld is only paid retroactively for six months, so applying late costs money permanently — that loss cannot be recovered later, however long the office then takes.
What actually keeps an application moving is completeness: birth certificate, ID, IBAN and, for children over 18, proof of education or training. Missing documents are the most common reason a file sits.
Sources
Information is for general knowledge only.