Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Self-Employment

The Maternity Protection Act does not apply to self-employed pregnant women. So, how do you manage your maternity leave? To protect yourself financially, consider taking out supplementary insurance. Furthermore, there are no legal regulations regarding when you are allowed to work before and after the birth.

However, if you want or are unable to work less or not at all during this time, you have the option of receiving what is known as "maternity benefit" or “Mutterschaftsgeld” You must arrange it yourself, especially if you don’t earn much. You will learn how to receive "maternity benefit" as a self-employed person in the following sections.

Good to know: The Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) is a law that generally provides employees with workplace protection for 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth. The law also applies to pregnant women who have a miscarriage or stillbirth—although shorter periods apply in these cases. It also regulates financial compensation in the event of loss of earnings during the "maternity protection period" – this includes, among other things, "maternity allowance" (“Mutterschaftsgeld”.) The law applies to dependent employees, i.e., people who are employed. For further information, please visit our "Pregnancy" topic page.

During the "maternity protection period" – typically 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after childbirth – employees work less or not at all. During this time, they receive the so-called "maternity allowance." It is paid out by the health insurance company or the Federal Social Security Office. For more information on pregnant women in the workforce, refer to the topic "Pregnancy."

The "typical" maternity allowance, which is received by employed pregnant women without supplementary insurance, is not available for the self-employed. Self-employed pregnant women decide for themselves how long they work before and after childbirth. You can also voluntarily take out additional insurance for the same period (6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth) to receive financial compensation:

This works through supplementary insurance with your health insurance provider. It will provide you with sick pay (statutory insurance) or a daily sickness benefit (private insurance). Sick pay is equivalent to maternity benefits. Please note whether and how you need to provide proof of your maternity leave – e.g., through medical certificates. You can learn more about it in the section "How do I get maternity benefits?".

In principle, self-employed people in Germany are also required to have health insurance.

However, this does not automatically cover you for maternity leave, for which you need additional insurance. There are different options here. It depends in particular on the type of health insurance you have:

● If you have private health insurance, you also need daily sickness benefit insurance. This pays if you are unable to work due to illness. It also applies to the period of "maternity protection." You determine precisely when the payment of the daily sickness benefit begins when you sign the contract. Important: Benefits for pregnancy and maternity protection must be regulated explicitly in your contract.

● If you are voluntarily insured under statutory health insurance, you need sickness benefit insurance. Only then are you entitled to sickness benefit and "maternity benefit" as a self-employed person. However, this coverage is often insufficient: You only receive sickness benefit from the 43rd day (after 6 weeks) of sick leave. Before that, the insurance company does not pay anything.

○ You pay a higher premium for sickness benefit entitlement. The amount is based on your gross income. However, the surcharge is capped. In 2025, the limit is €33.04 per month.

○ To shorten the 6-week period, you can choose an optional plan from your statutory insurance provider. This means you may receive sick pay after just 8 or 15 days. An optional plan costs more, but can provide significant protection for you.

Important: You must take out supplemental insurance on time. Check with your health insurance provider about the deadlines.

Good to know: If you are self-employed full-time, you are not covered free of charge by your spouse's health insurance plan. On the other hand, your spouse and children are covered by your family's insurance plan. You can find out more about family insurance under the topic "Health Insurance."

• "Maternity benefit" for self-employed persons in statutory health insurance is equivalent to sick pay: You receive 70% of your gross or 90% of your net income – whichever is lower. You can find your income on your income tax assessment under "Einkünfte aus selbständiger Arbeit." If it is missing, the health insurance provider will determine the amount. The maximum maternity benefit limit is based on the contribution assessment limit. In 2025, the maximum daily payment is €183.75.
• Maternity benefit for self-employed individuals in private health insurance is equivalent to daily sickness benefit: You can determine the amount of daily sickness benefit yourself when taking out the insurance. However, there is a maximum limit for daily sickness benefit, which is based on your net income. This is calculated based on your average daily net income for the last 12 months. Furthermore, the daily sickness benefit, including other benefits such as parental allowance, may not exceed your net income.

There is a lot to consider before and after birth. Since the Maternity Protection Act does not apply to self-employed individuals, you have to decide for yourself:

• Until when will I work before the birth?
• When will I start working after the birth?
• How much will I work?
• What work can I do?

When making these decisions, consider:

• How is the health condition of my baby and me?
• Who could cover for me during my absence?
• How many bills do I have to pay each month?
• Do I have employees and trainees I need to pay?
• Do I have any projects that need to be completed during my maternity leave?
• What's my financial situation? How much money do I have?

You can seek advice on these questions. You can find counselling centres in the section "Where can I find more information and advice?".

Information on statutory health insurance sickness benefits can be found:

• on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health
• on the citizens' hotline of the Federal Ministry of Health
• directly from your health insurance provider

Information on private health insurance sickness benefits can be found:

• on the service portal of Private Health Insurance (PKV)
• directly from your private health insurance provider

You can also get initial information on how to protect yourself, for example:

• from your chambers of commerce and professional associations
• from the information hotline for small and medium-sized businesses and business start-ups.

You can also find further information:

• on the start-up platform or a local start-up platform partner
• on the family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
• on the start-up portal of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK)
• in the maternity protection guide of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
• at Mutterschutz für Alle! e.V.
• with the "Maternity Protection for the Self-Employed" Alliance
• with ver.di

As a self-employed person, you are entitled to parental allowance for the period after childbirth. You can learn more about this on our "Parental Allowance" page.

However, you are not entitled to parental leave because, as a self-employed person, you do not have an employer.

Yes, even if you are self-employed, your child is entitled to child benefits. You can find out more information on our "Child Benefit" page.

Good to know: You can check whether you are entitled to supplementary child benefits (“Kinderzuschlag”) using the KiZ-Lotsen. You can learn more about it under "What is supplementary child benefit (“Kinderzuschlag”)?".

Just like employed parents, self-employed parents also get tax relief. You can find out more about it under "Tax Return."

If you are a single parent or separated and raising your child alone and the other parent isn't paying child support, you may be able to receive advance child support payments (“Unterhaltsvorschuss”). For more information on advance child support payments, click here.

If your income is low, your child may be eligible for educational and participation benefits. You can find more information under "Education and Participation Package."