KG 1 — Child Benefit Application (Antrag auf Kindergeld)

What is KG 1 — Antrag auf Kindergeld?

KG 1, the Antrag auf Kindergeld, is the main application for German child benefit. It is published by the Familienkasse of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency) and is used by the parent, or other entitled person, who should receive the payments. The current edition is KG 1 - 01.25, Stand September 2025. The form itself is in German, which is one of the main reasons newcomers to Germany find it daunting.

KG 1 covers you, your spouse or partner (or the child's other parent if they live with you), the bank account for the payments, and any children you already receive Kindergeld for. It never stands alone: for every child you are claiming for you add a separate Anlage Kind (child supplement). Timing matters too — the form's notes say that child benefit is paid retroactively only for the last six months before the month your application reaches the Familienkasse.

FileIt explains each question of KG 1 in English, with the German term alongside, and prints your answers onto the official German PDF. Names, dates of birth, tax identification numbers and addresses can be pre-filled from the People records in your FileIt vault, and your IBAN is printed one character per box as the form expects. The finished PDF is saved in your vault. FileIt does not send anything to the Familienkasse: you print the form, sign it by hand and post it yourself with the Anlagen.

Who needs to fill out KG 1 — Antrag auf Kindergeld?

• Parents in Germany claiming Kindergeld for the first time, for example after the birth of a baby.
• Families who have moved to Germany and want to claim child benefit for their children.
• A parent claiming for an additional child when they have not yet claimed for that child, even if they already receive Kindergeld for others (listed in part 5).
• Step-parents, foster parents or grandparents who have the child in their household and are entitled to claim.
• Parents of a child aged 18 or over who is in training, studying, doing a voluntary service or looking for work, and so may still qualify.
• When both parents qualify, only one of them applies — the one both agree should receive the benefit.

When to use KG 1 — Antrag auf Kindergeld

• Soon after your child is born — the child's tax identification number is sent to the child's registered address shortly after birth, and you will need it.
• As soon as you move to Germany and register your address, once you have your own tax identification number.
• Without delay: the Familienkasse pays backdated child benefit only for the six months before the month it receives the application.
• When a child you did not previously claim for becomes eligible, or when entitlement should switch to you from someone else.

What you need before you start

• Your 11-digit tax identification number (steuerliche Identifikationsnummer), from the Bundeszentralamt für Steuern letter, your annual payslip statement or your tax assessment.
• The tax identification number, name and date of birth of your spouse, registered partner or the other parent who lives with you.
• Your marital status and the date it started (marriage, divorce, separation and so on).
• Your IBAN and BIC, the bank's name, and the account holder's name if the account is not yours.
• Details of any children you already receive Kindergeld for, with the Familienkasse and child benefit number (Kindergeldnummer).
• Details of your other children for whom someone else receives Kindergeld.
• One completed Anlage Kind for each child you are applying for.
• Anlage EU if you are an EU/EEA citizen but not German, or your residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) if you are not an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen.
• Anlage Ausland if you, a family member or a child lives or works abroad or receives foreign benefits.

What’s on KG 1 — Antrag auf Kindergeld

The 2025 edition has 5 pages. FileIt asks for it in 8 parts:

1. Before you startApplicant (antragsteller/in)
2. 1 About you, the applicant (Angaben zur antragstellenden Person)Applicant (antragsteller/in)
3. 2 Spouse / partner or other parent living with you (Ehepartner(in), Lebenspartner(in) oder anderer Elternteil im gemeinsamen Haushalt)Spouse / partner
4. 3 Bank account for the payments (Angaben zum Zahlungsweg)Applicant (antragsteller/in)
5. 4 Send the decision to someone else (Der Bescheid soll nicht mir, sondern folgender Person zugesandt werden)Applicant (antragsteller/in)
6. 5 Children you already receive child benefit for (Für folgende Kinder beziehe ich bereits Kindergeld)Applicant (antragsteller/in)
7. 6 Your other children for whom someone else receives child benefit (Weitere eigene Kinder, für die eine andere Person Kindergeld bezieht)Applicant (antragsteller/in)
8. Declaration and signature (Unterschrift)Applicant (antragsteller/in)

How to fill out KG 1 — Antrag auf Kindergeld, step by step

1 Header — Kindergeld-Nr., phone number and number of Anlagen

At the top, enter your child benefit number only if you already receive Kindergeld for another child — you will find it on letters from the Familienkasse. You can give a daytime phone number for questions (Telefonische Rückfrage tagsüber), and you state how many Anlage Kind forms you are enclosing: one per child you are claiming for.

2 1 Angaben zur antragstellenden Person (about you, the applicant)

Your tax identification number must be filled in if one has been issued to you; since 2008 everyone registered at a main or sole address in Germany is assigned one, and since 2016 it is a condition of the claim. Then give your surname, any academic title, first names, birth name or name from a previous marriage, date and place of birth, sex, nationality and full address.

For marital status (Familienstand), tick the one that applies and give the date since when. Tick "dauernd getrennt lebend" (permanently separated) only if at least one spouse or registered partner intends to stay apart for good. The nationality notes on the form tell you when Anlage EU or your residence permit must be attached.

3 2 Spouse, partner or other parent in the household (Ehepartner(in), Lebenspartner(in) oder anderer Elternteil)

Complete this part if you live in the same household as your spouse, registered civil partner, the child's other biological parent, or a step-parent. Give their tax identification number if issued, name, date of birth, nationality, sex, birth or former name and, if different, their address — for example a second home in Germany or abroad.

If the child's other parent does not live with you, leave this part blank and give their details in the Anlage Kind instead. The person named here signs at the bottom of page 2 to agree that you receive the child benefit.

4 3 Angaben zum Zahlungsweg (bank details)

Enter the IBAN and BIC of the account the Kindergeld should be paid into, and the bank's name. The account does not have to be yours: if it belongs to someone else, tick "nicht antragstellende Person, sondern" and give the account holder's surname and first name.

5 4 Send the decision to someone else (Bescheid an eine andere Person)

Optional. If the Familienkasse's written decision (Bescheid) should go to an authorised recipient rather than to you — a tax adviser (Steuerberater), lawyer or wage-tax help association (Lohnsteuerhilfeverein) — give their name and address here. Otherwise leave it empty.

6 5 Children you already receive Kindergeld for (Angaben zu Kindern)

Do not list the children you are claiming for now; each of them has their own Anlage Kind. Instead, list the children for whom you already receive child benefit — including where it is paid to another account, diverted (Abzweigung) or reimbursed (Erstattung) — with their date of birth, sex, and the Familienkasse and child benefit number. There is room for five.

7 6 Other children of yours for whom someone else receives Kindergeld (Weitere eigene Kinder)

List your own children for whom another person, such as the other parent or a grandparent, receives child benefit, with who receives it and at which Familienkasse. These children count in the order of your children (Zählkinder), which the Familienkasse needs to know.

8 Declaration and signature (Unterschrift)

By signing you confirm that all information, including in the Anlagen, is complete and true, that you will report any change relevant to child benefit to the Familienkasse without delay, and that you have read the Merkblatt Kindergeld (the official child benefit leaflet). You sign and date by hand; if you are under 18, your legal representative signs. Below that, the person from part 2 signs to consent to the benefit being paid to you.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Sending KG 1 without an Anlage Kind for each child — the main form alone does not identify the children you are claiming for.
• Leaving out tax identification numbers. Yours and the child's are required if they have been issued.
• Listing the child you are applying for in part 5; that table is only for children you already receive Kindergeld for.
• Filling in part 2 for the other parent when they do not live with you — their details belong in the Anlage Kind.
• Forgetting the second signature from the spouse, partner or other parent in part 2.
• Waiting too long to apply; payments are backdated for no more than six months before the month the application arrives.
• Not enclosing Anlage EU, Anlage Ausland or a residence permit when your nationality or a foreign connection calls for it.
• Typing characters the form's font cannot print, such as ł, ş or ğ — write them without the accent.

After you fill it out

Print the completed KG 1 and every Anlage Kind. Sign KG 1 by hand, and ask the spouse, partner or other parent named in part 2 to sign the consent line if they agree that you receive the child benefit. If you cannot agree between you who should receive it, tell the Familienkasse; if a court has decided, enclose the decision.

Post the signed forms, together with any required attachments (such as proof of training for a child over 18, an adoption order, Anlage EU, Anlage Ausland or a residence permit), to your Familienkasse. FileIt does not send the application for you. The Familienkasse also offers its own online application; this FileIt route produces the paper version to sign and post.

Keep a copy in your FileIt vault with the rest of the family's documents. Once the Familienkasse's decision (Bescheid) arrives, store it alongside so the Kindergeldnummer is easy to find — you will need it for later changes, which you must report promptly, such as a move, new bank details or a child finishing school.

KG 1 — Antrag auf Kindergeld: frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Blank form (PDF), published by Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Familienkasse: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/datei/kg1-antrag-kindergeld_ba036550.pdf
• Official instructions and guidance: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/familie-und-kinder/downloads-familie-und-kinder/formulare-kindergeld
• Edition shown on this page: KG 1 - 01.25 - Stand September 2025 (checked 2026-09-25).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Familienkasse or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-09-25.

Related forms

All Germany forms · Every form FileIt can fill