Which changes do I have to report to the Family Benefits Office?
The Child Benefit guide (Merkblatt Kindergeld) from the Family Benefits Office (as of July 2026) lists when you must report without delay. For all children, this applies:
| Change | Example |
|---|---|
| Address | You move house, even within the same city |
| Bank account | Child Benefit should go to a different account |
| Marital status | Marriage, permanent separation, divorce, death of a spouse |
| Household | A child moves out, or the other parent moves in |
| Abroad | You, the other parent or a child go abroad (not counting holidays); employment or posting abroad |
| Other benefits | You receive another benefit for the child, for example a foreign family benefit |
| Public service | You expect to work more than six months in the public service |
| Child missing or deceased | – |
For children aged 18 and over, the following also applies:
- Training, school, studies or voluntary service starts, changes, is interrupted, discontinued or ends
- the child takes up work of more than 20 hours per week after the first qualification
- the child was looking for work or a training place and now starts training, studies or a job, or stops looking
- the child is pregnant
- for a child with a disability: the child's income increases
This duty applies to the person who receives Child Benefit. Adult children only have to cooperate if the Family Benefits Office expressly asks them to (§ 68 Abs. 1 EStG).
What is not a Notification of Change?
- A new child: For a child for whom you do not yet receive Child Benefit, you submit a separate application (KG 1 with Anlage Kind). How this works is explained in the guide Applying for Child Benefit.
- Continued payment from age 18: Payment first stops on the 18th birthday. To keep Child Benefit going, you apply again and submit supporting documents, for example a school certificate (KG 5a) or a declaration about the training relationship (KG 5b).
- Objection to a decision: There is a separate process for this; the information on how to appeal is in your decision letter.
How do I report a change? – three ways
| Way | What you need | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| eService "Mitteilung an die Familienkasse" | Name, date of birth, previous postal code, tax identification number, Child Benefit number | a single change, also with uploaded supporting documents |
| Family Benefits Office profile in the portal of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit | Account in the portal and BundID | changing address and bank account yourself |
| Form "Veränderungsmitteilung" (KG 45) | Printout, signature, supporting documents as copies | reporting by post or fax |
You can reach both online options through the "Veränderungen mitteilen" page of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit. According to the eService, only the person who applied for Child Benefit can report changes. You send the paper form to the Family Benefits Office responsible for your place of residence; the address is on your Child Benefit decision letter.
Send supporting documents only as copies, never the originals. Questions are answered by the free service phone line of the Family Benefits Office at 0800 4 5555 30 (Monday to Thursday 8 am to 6 pm, Friday 8 am to 2 pm).
Filling in the KG 45 form – step by step
- Enter your Child Benefit number. It is on your Child Benefit decision letter and on the bank statement showing the Child Benefit payment. It has 11 characters: three digits, "FK" and six digits.
- Tick what has changed. The form (as of May 2025) has separate fields for address, bank account, marital status, number of children in the household, employment abroad, other child-related benefits, training and employment of an adult child. Enter everything else under "sonstige Veränderungen" (other changes).
- State the date. Every change needs a date showing when it applies from, for example "valid from" for a move.
- Enclose or submit supporting documents later. For example, registration confirmation, marriage certificate, training contract or exam certificate. On the form, you tick whether the supporting documents are enclosed or will follow.
- Sign and send it off. Keep a copy. If the report is late, the form has a separate field for the reasons.
What happens if I report a change too late?
If circumstances change, the Family Benefits Office recalculates Child Benefit from the date of the change (§ 70 Abs. 2 EStG). Anything you received too much after that date, you must repay, even if it was not your fault (§ 37 Abs. 2 AO; Child Benefit guide). The amount is due as a lump sum one month after the decision letter; if paid late, a late payment surcharge of 1% is added for each month or part of a month. The Family Benefits Office does not offer instalment payments, but you can apply for a deferral.
The guide also warns: anyone who does not report a change without delay breaches their duty to cooperate, and this can count as a regulatory offence or a criminal offence (§§ 370, 378 AO). Do not transfer the money back on your own. The Family Benefits Office explicitly asks you to wait for its letter.
When does Child Benefit end for adult children?
For children aged 18 and over, Child Benefit (Kindergeld) is only paid if a legal reason applies (§ 32 Abs. 4 EStG):
| Reason | Until |
|---|---|
| Child is unemployed and registered as a job seeker with the Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) | 21st birthday |
| Child is in vocational training, school or university, waits no more than four months between two stages, cannot find a training place, or is doing a voluntary service | 25th birthday |
| Child cannot support themselves because of a disability that started before their 25th birthday | no age limit |
After the first vocational qualification or first degree, Child Benefit (Kindergeld) only continues if the child works no more than 20 hours per week; a mini-job does not count against this limit. For vocational training or a degree, the training ends in the month the child is informed in writing of the overall result of the final exam. The Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) checks on children in higher education every two years on its own, but this does not replace your own duty to report changes.
Since January 1, 2026, Child Benefit (Kindergeld) is 259 € per month for each child (§ 66 Abs. 1 EStG). It is paid for every month in which the conditions are met for at least one day (§ 66 Abs. 2 EStG).
Frequently asked questions
Which changes do I have to report to the Family Benefits Office?
All changes that are relevant for Child Benefit (Kindergeld). This includes a new address or bank account, a change in marital status, a child moving out, moving abroad or passing away, employment abroad, and other family benefits, including from abroad. For adult children, this also includes the start, change, interruption, cancellation or end of vocational training or a degree, and taking up work after the first qualification.
How do I report a change for Child Benefit?
Online through the eService "Mitteilung an die Familienkasse" of the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit), in the Family Benefits Office profile using your BundID, or on paper using the form "Veränderungsmitteilung" (KG 45). Send the signed paper form to your responsible Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse). Always state your Child Benefit number.
Can I change my bank account details for Child Benefit online?
Yes. In the Family Benefits Office profile, you can change your address and bank account details yourself; to do this, you log in with your BundID. There is also the eService "Mitteilung an die Familienkasse" and the paper form KG 45.
Is it enough if I just register my new address at the residents' registration office?
No. The Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) states explicitly that reporting a change to other authorities is not enough, for example to the residents' registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt), the tax office (Finanzamt), the Jobcenter or the Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit). The change must reach your responsible Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse).
What happens if I report a change too late?
You must repay any Child Benefit (Kindergeld) you were overpaid, even if you did not mean to do anything wrong. According to the Child Benefit information leaflet (Merkblatt Kindergeld), failing to report a change, or reporting it too late, can also count as a regulatory offense or a criminal offense. For this reason, report any change immediately, even if it happened a while ago.
Do I have to tell the Family Benefits Office when my child finishes their training?
Yes. Once the training ends, entitlement stops unless another reason for Child Benefit (Kindergeld) applies. The Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) requires you to submit a certificate from the training institution or the exam certificate without being asked.
Where can I find my Child Benefit number?
On your Child Benefit decision letter (Kindergeldbescheid) and on the bank statement showing the Child Benefit payment. It has 11 characters: three digits, the letters FK, and six digits.
Fill in the Veränderungsmitteilung with HalloAmt
If you prefer to report changes on paper, HalloAmt will guide you through the KG 45 form in your own language: it only asks about the parts that apply to you, and tells you which documents you need to include. At the end, you get the completed PDF, which you sign and send to your Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse). If you are already registered online in the Family Benefits Office profile, you can change your address and bank account details there directly. Fill in the Veränderungsmitteilung with HalloAmt →
This page offers general, carefully researched information (as of 12.10.2026) and does not replace legal or tax advice. Amounts, forms and online procedures may change; your Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) decides on individual cases. For binding information, please contact your Family Benefits Office, an advice center or a lawyer. We cannot guarantee completeness or that the information is up to date.
Sources
- § 68 EStG – Special duties to cooperate (accessed 12.10.2026)
- § 66 EStG – Amount of Child Benefit, payment period (accessed 12.10.2026)
- § 32 EStG – Children (age limits, 20-hour limit) (accessed 12.10.2026)
- § 70 EStG – Assessment and payment of Child Benefit (accessed 12.10.2026)
- § 37 AO – Claims arising from the tax debt relationship (refund) (accessed 12.10.2026)
- § 370 AO – Tax evasion (accessed 12.10.2026)
- § 378 AO – Reckless tax understatement (accessed 12.10.2026)
- Family Benefits Office – Child Benefit information leaflet (as of July 2026, PDF) (accessed 12.10.2026)
- Family Benefits Office – Veränderungsmitteilung form KG 45 (as of May 2025, PDF) (accessed 12.10.2026)
- Federal Employment Agency – Reporting changes (accessed 12.10.2026)
- Federal Employment Agency – eServices for families (accessed 12.10.2026)
- Federal Employment Agency – Submitting documents (accessed 12.10.2026)
- Federal Employment Agency – Repaying Child Benefit and Supplementary Child Allowance (accessed 12.10.2026)
- Federal Family Portal – If something changes later, do I have to report it to the Family Benefits Office? (accessed 12.10.2026)