Parents working in Germany whose children live in Romania often wonder whether they can receive both German Kindergeld and Romanian child benefit at the same time. The answer depends on the European Union’s family benefit coordination rules.
While a family may qualify for benefits in more than one country, this does not automatically mean that they can receive two full family benefits for the same child and the same period. EU regulations determine which country has primary responsibility for paying family benefits and whether another country must provide a supplementary payment.
What is Romanian Child Benefit?
The main family benefit in Romania is Alocația de Stat pentru Copii, commonly known as Romanian child benefit. It is a state-funded payment intended to support families with the costs of raising children.
The benefit is generally available to eligible children living in Romania and is paid monthly to a parent or legal guardian. It forms an important part of Romania’s social support system for families.
Can You Receive Romanian Child Benefit and Kindergeld?
Yes, it is possible to have entitlement to family benefits in both Romania and Germany. However, entitlement does not necessarily mean that both countries will pay the full amount of their respective benefits.
Under EU social security coordination rules, family benefits must be coordinated whenever more than one country may be responsible for paying benefits for the same child.
The purpose of these rules is to prevent duplicate payments while ensuring that families receive the highest benefit to which they are entitled.
How Does EU Family Benefits Coordination Work?
EU family benefit coordination applies when family members live, work, or are insured in different European countries.
The rules are designed to determine:
- which country has primary responsibility for paying family benefits,
- whether another country has secondary responsibility,
- whether a supplementary payment is due,
- the total amount the family is entitled to receive.
These regulations ensure that families do not lose their rights simply because they live in one country and work in another.
When Does Germany Have Priority?
Germany is often the country with primary responsibility when a parent:
- works in Germany,
- is self-employed in Germany,
- is covered by the German social security system.
In such cases, Kindergeld may be payable even if the child permanently resides in Romania.
When Can Romania Have Priority?
Romania may have primary responsibility in situations where:
- both parents work in Romania,
- the family lives in Romania,
- no parent has employment that creates priority rights in another EU country.
Each case is assessed individually, taking into account employment status, residence, and family circumstances.
Can You Receive Two Full Family Benefits?
No.
One of the fundamental principles of EU coordination rules is that a family cannot legally receive two full family benefits for the same child and the same period.
If a family qualifies for both Romanian child benefit and German Kindergeld, the competent authorities determine which country has primary responsibility for payment.
The second country may only pay a supplementary amount if its benefit is higher than the benefit already being paid by the primary country.
What Is a Differential Supplement?
A differential supplement is an additional payment made by the country with secondary responsibility.
For example, if Romanian child benefit is lower than German Kindergeld, the German Family Benefits Office (Familienkasse) may pay the difference between the two amounts.
As a result, the family receives support equivalent to the higher benefit rate without receiving two full benefits simultaneously.
This mechanism ensures fair treatment of families while preventing duplicate payments within the European Union.
Why Must Foreign Benefits Be Declared?
When applying for Kindergeld, parents must inform Familienkasse about any family benefits received in another country, including Romanian child benefit.
The German authorities exchange information with foreign institutions to verify entitlement and determine the correct amount of benefits payable.
Failure to declare foreign family benefits may result in overpayments, repayment obligations, or delays in processing an application.
Romanian Child Benefit and Kindergeld – Summary
Receiving Romanian child benefit does not automatically exclude entitlement to German Kindergeld. In many cases, families may have rights under both the Romanian and German family benefit systems.
However, EU coordination rules prevent the payment of two full family benefits for the same child and the same period. Instead, one country pays the primary benefit, while the other may provide a differential supplement if its benefit is higher.
For families with connections to both Romania and Germany, understanding these coordination rules is essential to ensuring that all available family benefit entitlements are correctly claimed.