Regulations for international doctoral candidates

As an international researcher, the same regulations apply to you as to everyone else at the university. However, the regulations that affect you and your family outside the university must be considered as well, in a differentiated way. If you have an employment contract with the university, you should also read the information for academics with an employment contract. If you are doing your doctorate with a scholarship, you will find further relevant information here.
At this point, we would especially like to:

• Explain in more detail how maternity leave, parental leave or childcare are organised.
• Link to further information (if available) in English.
• Point out restrictions on state social and family benefits that mainly affect academics from non-EU countries without an employment contract.
• To point out possible difficulties that we know from our counselling practice.

We make no claim to completeness or legal certainty with this page and depend on your feedback and concrete questions. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you encounter difficulties or have questions: familienservice@zvw.uni-goettingen.de
Unfortunately, the BMFSFJ's family portal is not completely available in English, but it does contain selected information in simple language and information on family benefits in English.

Maternity protection

• As a rule, pregnant persons are not allowed to work for six weeks before the birth (calculated date of birth) and eight weeks after the birth (= maternity protection period).
• In the case of premature birth, multiple births or the birth of a child with a disability, the protection period can be extended to 12 weeks after the birth.
• Exception: Pregnant persons may continue to work at their own request before giving birth, as long as this does not pose a risk to mother and child.
• For the period after the birth, however, there is an absolute ban on employment.
• Doctoral students may continue to work on their doctorate during the protection period if they explicitly wish to do so.

Notification of pregnancy to the university

• If you are enrolled in a doctoral programme, please use this notification procedure and inform your supervisor.
• If you have an employment contract with the university, please inform your supervisor and send a medical certificate of the expected date of birth to your salary administrator.

Funding (maternity benefit)
Maternity benefit is a wage replacement benefit paid by the health insurance, which is supplemented by the employer if you have an employment contract. Maternity benefit is paid during the maternity protection period (6 weeks before and 8 weeks after the birth).

• If you have an employment contract with the university or are in another job that is subject to social insurance contributions, you will receive maternity pay. If you have any questions about how to apply, please contact your health insurance provider.
• If you have private insurance, you should also contact your health insurance to find out whether or not you can get maternity benefit.
• As a general rule, if you were not employed and did not draw a salary, you are unlikely to receive maternity benefit. From the time of the birth, however, you may be entitled to parental allowance.

Important information on private health insurance
Private health insurance companies often have more favourable insurance offers than statutory health insurance companies. However, many private health insurance companies have a blocking period for benefits during pregnancy (e.g. for preventive examinations and also the birth) of up to 24 months after taking out the insurance. If you are planning to start a family or are already pregnant, please check your health insurance contract.
Parental leave and parental allowance
As an employee, you are entitled to parental leave: This means that you can take up to three years of unpaid leave from work to care for each child. During parental leave, you can receive parental allowance and continue to work part-time (up to 30 hours per week/ 32 hours per week if your child was born in September 2021 or later). You apply for your parental leave or part-time parental leave using this form in MAP.
As a doctoral student without an employment relationship, you can take parental leave from your doctorate by applying for it in eCampus.
Parental allowance is between 300 euros and 1800 euros for the first 14 months or up to 28 months if you apply for ElterngeldPlus (which is half the money for twice the time). You can get additional months if your child was born prematurely or if you and the other parent work part-time at the same time during parental leave (partnership bonus). The amount of your parental allowance and whether you are entitled to it depend on various factors.
The main factors for a basic claim to parental allowance are:

• If you are in an employment relationship with the university or are otherwise employed subject to social insurance contributions and are taking parental leave/part-time, you are entitled to parental allowance.
• If you are from another EU country, you are entitled to parental allowance, including the basic parental allowance of 300 euros. Basic parental allowance is paid to parents who were not in gainful employment before the parental leave.
• If you are in Germany with a residence permit according to §16 or §18 and did not work before your parental leave, you are generally not entitled to parental allowance.
• Whether or not you are on leave from your doctorate has no influence on your entitlement to parental allowance.

You can get detailed advice on parental allowance and all other family benefits from the offices where you apply for the benefit. Our tip: If you do not have a claim yourself, check whether the other parent is eligible.
There are also other state benefits for families.

Childcare
Children under 3 years of age go to the crèche/pre-kindergarten or are cared for by a day care worker, children between 3 and 6 years of age go to the kindergarten, and children from 6 years of age are required to attend school. More…