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Germany Updates

Important changes to rules, benefits, taxes, immigration, work and everyday life in Germany.

Upcoming changesBrowse the 2026 archive

Latest changes

Official-source-verified updates that materially affect people living in or moving to Germany.

Work
Effective from 1 January 2027

Germany Minimum Wage 2027: €14.60 per Hour from January

Germany's statutory minimum wage is €13.90 per hour in 2026 and is legally set to rise to €14.60 on 1 January 2027.

Updated 23 August 2026

Employees

Minijob workers

Education
Cabinet approved — legislative process ongoing

BAföG Reform 2027: Planned Allowance Increases

The Federal Cabinet has approved a BAföG reform draft that would raise the housing allowance from €380 to €440 from summer semester 2027 and increase the student basic-needs amount later. It is not yet effective law.

Published 23 August 2026

Planned for summer semester 2027; further changes from winter semester 2027/28

Students

School pupils

Family & Benefits
Cabinet approved — legislative process ongoing

Frühstartrente 2027: Germany's Planned €10 Child Pension Contribution

The Federal Cabinet has approved a draft Frühstartrente law under which the federal government would contribute €10 per month for children from age six until 18. It is not yet effective law.

Published 23 August 2026

Planned for 1 January 2027; first payments during 2027

Families

Children

Family & Benefits
Effective now

Kindergeld Is €259 per Child in 2026

The current Kindergeld amount is €259 per eligible child per month, effective from 1 January 2026.

Published 23 August 2026

Families

Parents

Cars & Transport
Effective now

Deutschlandticket Costs €63 a Month in 2026

The nationwide local and regional public-transport subscription costs €63 per month from January 2026.

Published 23 August 2026

Passengers

Students

Money & Taxes
Effective now

German Social Insurance Thresholds Changed for 2026

The 2026 contribution ceilings determine how much employment income is used to calculate statutory health, care, pension and unemployment contributions.

Published 23 August 2026

Employees

Employers

Upcoming changes

Only confirmed changes with an established future effective date. Proposals are not included here.

Work
Effective from 1 January 2027

Germany Minimum Wage 2027: €14.60 per Hour from January

Germany's statutory minimum wage is €13.90 per hour in 2026 and is legally set to rise to €14.60 on 1 January 2027.

Updated 23 August 2026

Employees

Minijob workers

Recently effective

Changes already in force, with links back to the permanent guide for the full rules.

Family & Benefits
Effective now

Kindergeld Is €259 per Child in 2026

The current Kindergeld amount is €259 per eligible child per month, effective from 1 January 2026.

Published 23 August 2026

Families

Parents

Cars & Transport
Effective now

Deutschlandticket Costs €63 a Month in 2026

The nationwide local and regional public-transport subscription costs €63 per month from January 2026.

Published 23 August 2026

Passengers

Students

Money & Taxes
Effective now

German Social Insurance Thresholds Changed for 2026

The 2026 contribution ceilings determine how much employment income is used to calculate statutory health, care, pension and unemployment contributions.

Published 23 August 2026

Employees

Employers

By topic

Only topics with published, verified updates are shown.

Money & Taxes · 1
Work · 1
Family & Benefits · 2
Education · 1
Cars & Transport · 1

Popular guides related to recent changes

Updates explain what moved; these evergreen guides explain the complete process.

Permanent guide

Pay and payslips

Reading a German payslip, understanding why the gap between Brutto and Netto is so large, and knowing what is negotiable. This is the employment side of pay; the tax detail is on our salary and tax pages.

Permanent guide

Minijob

A Minijob is employment below a monthly earnings ceiling, almost free of deductions for the employee. The ceiling is tied to the minimum wage and moves with it, and a Minijob is still real employment with real rights.

Permanent guide

Employment contract

What an Arbeitsvertrag must contain, which clauses matter most, and which common terms are unenforceable however confidently they are written. A German contract is usually shorter than its equivalent elsewhere, because statute fills the gaps.

Permanent guide

Self-employment

The practical distinction between Freiberufler and Gewerbe, immigration permission, insurance, pension and false self-employment.

Permanent guide

Study costs

Tuition is usually the smallest part of the bill. The real costs are rent, health insurance and the money you have to prove you hold before a visa is issued.

Permanent guide

Bachelor’s degrees

What it takes to start an undergraduate degree in Germany: how your school certificate is assessed, when a Studienkolleg is required, what the language requirements really are, and how the application actually works.