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Bilateral agreement, KG 51-ju form, reduced rate — everything you need to know if your children live in Serbia.
Germany and Serbia have a bilateral social security agreement that enables the transfer of child benefit entitlements. The agreement succeeds the Yugoslav-German agreement from 1968.
Thanks to this agreement, a parent who works and lives in Germany can receive Kindergeld for children who live in Serbia — but at a reduced rate adjusted to the cost of living in Serbia.
Serbia vs. other countries
Kindergeld for children in Serbia is paid at a reduced rate. The German government uses a Ländergruppen (country groups) system that adjusts the amount according to the cost of living in the country where the child lives.
EUR 259/month
Full amount
~EUR 104–130/month
Reduced rate (Ländergruppe 4)
The exact amount is set annually. The Familienkasse calculates the final amount based on the current Ländergruppe table. For the latest data, contact the Familienkasse.
* Amounts are approximate and may vary. The Familienkasse provides the final calculation.
Mixed situation — children in both countries
For children in Serbia, instead of the standard KG1-Anlage Kind, form KG 51-ju (Anlage Ausland) is used. This is a bilateral form specific to the Serbian-German agreement.
The form is available on familienkasse.de in the international section, or pick it up in person at Familienkasse.
Part of the form is filled out and certified by the competent authority in Serbia — usually the municipality or civil registry office at the child's place of residence.
Attach the certified KG 51-ju to your KG1 application. Important: the form must be filled out in German or have a certified translation.
From the competent civil registry office in Serbia. Must have Apostille and certified translation into German. Alternatively — CIEC multilingual extract (no translation needed).
Municipal certificate of the child's address in Serbia — not older than 6 months.
The Social Work Center or PIO Fund issues a certificate that no child allowance is being paid in Serbia.
For children over 15 — certificate of regular school attendance with certified translation into German.
High rejection rate
The form must be completely filled out and certified by the competent authority in Serbia. Empty fields or missing certification = automatic rejection.
All documents from Serbia must have an Apostille and certified translation into German (except CIEC extracts which are multilingual).
If it is established that child benefit is also being received in Serbia, the Familienkasse reduces or rejects the application. Always attach a certificate confirming the child does not receive benefit in Serbia.
Due to the complexity of applications for children abroad, we strongly recommend consulting an expert before submitting. Mistakes are common and costly — a rejection means starting the process over.
Call the hotline or schedule an appointment at the nearest office. The service is free.
DGB, Verdi and other trade unions offer free consultations to members, including help with Kindergeld applications.
For complicated cases — an attorney specializing in social law can submit the application on your behalf and handle the appeals process.
Can help with document certification and refer you to competent authorities in Serbia.
Start our interactive guide and find out in 2 minutes whether you are eligible for Kindergeld and how much the amount could be.
Start Kindergeld guideSources: Familienkasse (familienkasse.de), bilateral social security agreement Germany-Serbia, Federal Central Tax Office.
Last updated: March 2026.