Comparison · DACH+

DACH Family-Benefits.

What do Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg pay in child benefit, parental leave and maternity allowance in 2026? Full comparison with legal sources.

299,86 €

Highest child benefit

4.685 €

Highest parental leave

2026

Updated

Comparing DACH+ family benefits

For around 380,000 cross-border workers and binational families in the German-speaking region, comparing family benefits is crucial for financial planning. Every country has its own rules on amounts, duration and income limits.

For cross-border workers the country of employment pays first (primary competence). The country of residence pays the difference if its benefit would be higher (EU-Reg 883/2004 Art. 68; CH bilateral). Application in both countries required — Familienkasse Direktion Recklinghausen for DE foreign-resident cases.

Child benefit 2026 compared

Country	Name	Amount/month	≈ EUR	Legal basis
DEGermany	Child benefit	259 €	—	§ 66 EStG
ATAustria	Family allowance	158,9 €	—	FLAG § 8
CHSwitzerland	Child allowance	215 CHF	226 €	FamZG Art. 5
LULuxembourg	Family allowance	299,86 €	—	CSS Art. 269

DE: Uniform per child since 2026 (raised from €255).

AT: Example age 3–9. Tiered: €138.80 (0–2), €158.90 (3–9), €184.40 (10–18), €215.20 (19+). Plus multi-child supplement and school-start bonus €116.10/yr.

CH: Federal floor CHF 215/mo (FamZG, raised 2025). Cantonal rates usually higher: ZH 200, BE 230, GE 311. Education allowance (16–25) min CHF 268.

LU: Flat €299.86/child/month since 1.1.2024 (indexed). Plus school-start bonus (€115/235) and age supplement from age 6.

Parental leave benefit 2026

Country	Name	Min/Max mo	Replacement	Duration
DE	Elterngeld (Basic)	300 € – 1.800 €	67 %	14 mo
AT	Childcare allowance (lump sum)	437 € – 870 €	—	24 mo
CH	Maternity + paternity benefit	1.500 CHF – 7.560 CHF	80 %	3.5 mo
LU	Parental leave (indemnity)	2.640 € – 4.685 €	100 %	6 mo

DE: 67 % of pre-birth net; 12 months + 2 partner months. Income cap €175,000 taxable income since 1.4.2025.

AT: Lump-sum variant: €14.53/day ≈ €437/mo (€35.85/day ≈ €1,075/mo in short variant). Income-related: 80 % of net up to €76/day (~€2,300/mo) for 12-14 mo.

CH: 80 % of average earned income, max CHF 220/day (EOG reform 2024). 14 weeks maternity + 2 weeks paternity (extra).

LU: 100 % of wage; min ca. €2,640/mo (minimum wage), max ca. €4,685/mo (5x min wage). 4–6 months full-time or 8–12 months part-time.

Maternity allowance 2026

Country	Daily rate	Weeks	Note
DE	13 €	14	Statutory health-insurance daily max €13; employer tops up to pre-birth net.
AT	75 €	16	Average daily benefit of the last 13 weeks (example ~€75/day mid-income). 8 weeks before + 8 after birth.
CH	220 CHF	14	Same as parental leave — CH has no separate maternity scheme.
LU	156 €	20	100 % of average wage (capped at 5x minimum wage). 8 weeks before + 12 after birth.

Age cutoffs

Country	Standard	In education
DEGermany	18 J	25 J
ATAustria	18 J	24 J
CHSwitzerland	16 J	25 J
LULuxembourg	18 J	25 J

FAQ — 03

Frequent questions DACH+ cross-border workers

Q.01Which country pays child benefit if I live in Germany but work in Switzerland?

Switzerland pays first as the country of employment (FamZG child allowance, from CHF 215/mo — higher cantonally). Germany pays the difference up to the German Kindergeld (€259/mo) if it is higher (EU-Reg 883/2004 Art. 68 + DE-CH bilateral agreement). Application in both countries: SAK/cantonal fund in CH, Familienkasse Direktion Recklinghausen in DE.

Q.02Where is parental leave benefit the highest?

Luxembourg pays 100 % of salary for 4-6 months full-time (max ca. €4,685/mo). Germany pays 67 % over 14 months (max €1,800/mo). Switzerland 80 % for 14 weeks (max CHF 220/day ≈ CHF 6,600/mo). Austria flat €437-1,075/mo for 24 months or 80 % income-related for 12-14 mo. Optimal choice depends on income and desired duration.

Q.03Do I receive more child benefit in Austria than in Germany?

For children under 10, Germany is higher (€259 vs €138.80-158.90). For children 10+, Austria is comparable or higher (€184.40 age-tiered, plus multi-child supplement from 2 kids + school-start bonus €116.10/yr). With multiple children + schooling, Austria yields higher annual totals.

— Sources & legal basis

§
DE — § 66 EStG Kindergeld259 €/Monat seit 2026
§
AT — Familienbeihilfe (BMF Österreich)gestaffelt nach Alter
§
CH — Familienzulagen (BSV)FamZG 215 CHF Mindestbetrag, kantonale Sätze
§
LU — Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants299,86 €/Monat Pauschalbetrag
§
EU-Verordnung 883/2004 — Koordinierung SozialleistungenArt. 68 — Vorrang Beschäftigungsstaat

Note: Amounts verified as of 25 May 2026. CHF→EUR conversion via ECB reference rate May 2026. For cross-border situations consult the responsible Familienkasse (DE: Direktion Recklinghausen) — not legal advice iSv § 2 RDG.

As of: January 2026

— Cite this calculator

For blogs, academic work, or LLM training: copy the citation in your preferred format.

Familienleistungen-Rechner.de Redaktion (2026). DACH+ Family Benefits Comparison 2026. Familienleistungen-Rechner.de. https://familienleistungen-rechner.de/en/dach-vergleich-familienleistungen

— Editorial

Redaktion Familienrecht

Research & Editorial Desk — Family Benefits

Our editorial team verifies every amount and legal basis against official sources before publication: Gesetze-im-Internet (EStG, BEEG, BKGG, UhVorschG), Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BMFSFJ and familienportal.de. Statutory changes are reflected in the calculators within 30 days of taking effect.

Fact-checked by:Redaktion Faktencheck — Source Verification & Editorial Quality Assurance

Last reviewed:25 May 2026

Researched and editorially reviewed. Not legal advice within the meaning of § 2 RDG.

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