Benefits
21 posts in this category.
That €44,000 German job offer pays ~€2,300/month — here's where the rest goes
A €44,000 brutto German salary lands ~€2,300 net per month. For Pakistan and India job-seekers reading offers before migration, here's the brutto-vs-netto breakdown by Steuerklasse.
Published 2026-06-15
Cheapest way to send money from Germany to Pakistan in 2026: Lemfi vs Wise vs Western Union
Sending euros home to Pakistan or India in 2026? The hidden FX markup costs more than the visible fee. Lemfi, Wise, ACE and Western Union compared for migrants.
Published 2026-06-15
13 foundations, €1,650/month — the Begabtenförderung route most internationals miss
Germany's 13 federally-funded foundations pay €1,292/month for Masters and €1,450/month for PhDs — plus seminars, mentorship and lifelong alumni networks. Here's which Stiftung fits your profile.
Published 2026-05-17
€1,365/month + flight + insurance — DAAD PhD Research Grant decoded
DAAD Research Grants for Doctoral Programmes pay €1,200–€1,365/month plus travel, research allowance, health insurance and family supplements. Here's how to win one without working a side job.
Published 2026-05-17
€934–€1,400/month to study in Germany — the DAAD playbook for 2026
DAAD Study Scholarships pay €934/month for Master students, €1,200–€1,365/month for PhDs, plus health insurance, travel and study allowance. Here's how non-EU applicants actually win one in 2026.
Published 2026-05-17
€300/month merit scholarship at 300+ German universities — Deutschlandstipendium 2026
The Deutschlandstipendium pays €300/month with no nationality restriction, no income test, and applies directly through your university. Here's why it stacks with DAAD and how to win one in 2026.
Published 2026-05-17
€1,400/month + tuition covered — Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters to Germany in 2026
Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters fund 2 years of study across 2+ EU countries: ~€1,400/mo living allowance, tuition waived, travel covered, plus insurance. Here's how non-EU applicants actually win an EMJM seat for September 2026.
Published 2026-05-17
€3,186/month — the IMPRS Max Planck PhD fellowships explained for 2026
International Max Planck Research Schools fund elite PhDs at 65% TV-L E13 (€3,186/month gross) inside structured doctoral programmes across ~70 Max Planck Institutes. Acceptance rate 10–15%, fully international, with mandatory cohort training.
Published 2026-05-17
€1,500–€2,500/month across Europe — the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Networks playbook
MSCA Doctoral Networks fund 3–4 year PhDs across at least two EU countries, with a €593 million annual budget under Horizon Europe. Stipend: ~€1,500–€2,500/month including living, mobility, and family allowances. Here's how non-EU applicants win an MSCA-DN seat for the 2026 call.
Published 2026-05-17
€2,100–€2,975/month net — the TV-L E13 PhD contract is a salary, not a scholarship
Most STEM PhD students in Germany are employed on a 75% TV-L E13 contract: €2,126–€2,975/month net, full health insurance, pension contributions, 30 days annual leave. Here's how the contract route compares to a scholarship and how to land one in 2026.
Published 2026-05-17
60% of your salary for up to 24 months — ALG 1 for Blue Card holders
Arbeitslosengeld I replaces 60% (67% with a child) of your net salary if you lose your job in Germany. Blue Card and §19c holders qualify the same day an EU citizen does. Here is the 2026 playbook.
Published 2026-04-23
€563/month + rent if everything goes wrong — Bürgergeld decoded
Bürgergeld (the former ALG 2) is Germany's last-resort safety net. €563/month for a single adult in 2026, full rent covered, household support scaled by age. For non-EU residents it has strict eligibility rules — here is the complete 2026 picture.
Published 2026-04-23
€1,800/month for staying home with your baby — Elterngeld Basis + Plus decoded
Germany pays up to €1,800/month Basiselterngeld for the parent caring for a newborn. Plus extends the window at half the rate. Here's what the 2026 income cap + 14-month logic actually means for Blue Card families.
Published 2026-04-23
€259 a month per child, until they turn 25 — Kindergeld 2026 decoded
Kindergeld rose to €259/month per child in January 2026. Every child counts the same, every parent in Germany can claim, and most newcomers miss at least one tactical detail.
Published 2026-04-23
€297 on top of Kindergeld — the Kinderzuschlag most working parents skip
If you earn enough to cover yourself but not quite enough to raise a child, Kinderzuschlag tops up your family income by up to €297/month per child. Most working families don't realise they qualify.
Published 2026-04-23
78 weeks of sick-pay safety net — what Krankengeld really covers
If you are too sick to work, your employer pays 100% for 6 weeks, then GKV pays 70% of gross (max 90% of net) for up to 78 weeks in a 3-year window. This is the Krankengeld safety net explained for 2026.
Published 2026-04-23
14 weeks at full salary around birth — Mutterschaftsgeld explained
Mutterschaftsgeld pays you your full net salary for 14 weeks around birth — 6 before the due date, 8 after. GKV pays up to €13/day, the employer tops up the rest. Then Elterngeld takes over for up to 14 months.
Published 2026-04-23
€347–€990/month to care for a family member — Pflegegeld for Blue Card holders
If you care for a parent, spouse, or child at home in Germany, Pflegeversicherung pays you up to €990/month in cash. Here's how Pflegegrade, eligibility, and the 2026 rates work for Blue Card families.
Published 2026-04-23
The €500/year tax-free savings scheme your employer funds — VL + Arbeitnehmer-Sparzulage
Vermögenswirksame Leistungen (VL) is an employer-funded savings bonus that most Blue Card hires never ask for. Up to €480/year from the employer plus €43–€86/year Sparzulage for lower earners. Here's how to get it.
Published 2026-04-23
€300–€700/month rent help most expats don't realise they qualify for — Wohngeld 2026
Wohngeld is the state rent subsidy that was doubled in 2023 and now reaches 2M+ households. Blue Card holders qualify. Here's the 2026 income thresholds, household-size table, and application timeline.
Published 2026-04-23
BAföG 2026 changes: higher maximum, wider eligibility, faster approvals
Germany's 2026 BAföG reform raises the maximum to €992/month, expands parental-income exemptions, and speeds up first-decision timelines.
Published 2026-04-21