If you are a probationary civil servant (Beamtenanwärterin or Beamtenanwärter) during your Referendariat, the German traineeship after the state exam, and you plan parental leave, three things need to be planned together: your pay, your civil servant health aid (Beihilfe) and the premium for your private health insurance (PKV). Unlike salaried staff, your cover depends on your civil servant status. Parental leave itself is governed by state law, and the health aid office of your state decides individual cases.
Short answer: During parental leave you generally receive no trainee pay. Whether your health aid continues depends on your state and on the health aid office. You usually pay the private premium yourself unless a refund applies. In North Rhine-Westphalia, premiums can be refunded on application if they relate to a supplementary aid tariff (status: February 2023).
The essentials in brief
- Parental leave is governed by state law. Trainee pay generally stops during parental leave.
- As a rule, the health aid rate for probationary civil servants without children is 50 percent, with variations between states.
- Starting parental leave can affect your entitlement to health aid, so ask the health aid office before you start.
- You usually pay your private premium yourself during parental leave. A refund is only available in certain cases.
- Plan parental leave with all three bodies: your employer or state, the health aid office and your insurer.
What happens to your pay during parental leave?
According to the NRW finance administration’s leaflet on parental leave, the entitlement requires that you received service pay in the month before parental leave began (status: February 2023). During leave the pay therefore does not continue. The exact rules for your state are set out in the state ordinance or in information from your employer.
For planning this means that your income stops while regular costs such as rent or insurance premiums continue. Draw up a budget for the months without pay before you apply.
How does parental leave affect the health aid?
Health aid is an entitlement under civil service law and depends on your status. According to the NRW leaflet, starting parental leave can affect your health aid entitlement. The leaflet refers you explicitly to the responsible health aid office.
The rate of health aid is set by state law. As a rule, probationary civil servants without children receive 50 percent. The table shows what typically applies:
| Case | Typical health aid rate | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Common rule in many states, no children | 50 percent | State health aid ordinance and the health aid office |
| Hesse (official) | 70 percent outpatient and dental, 85 percent inpatient | The rates apply uniformly, regardless of marital status (leaflet on the Hessian health aid ordinance) |
| Flat-rate health aid in some states | Fixed flat sum instead of health aid | Whether your state offers it and what it means during parental leave |
In some states a child can change the assessment rate. Ask for written confirmation of the rate that applies to you before the birth or before you apply for parental leave. You can read more in our guide on civil servant health aid during training.
What about the private premium during parental leave?
Many probationary civil servants are privately insured, usually with a trainee tariff that supplements their health aid. During parental leave the pay stops, but the premium usually remains. Simply cancelling the contract is not a good idea, because a health check may be required later. Talk to your insurer about suspension or an expectancy arrangement first.
The NRW leaflet shows how a refund can work (status: February 2023). Civil servants from pay grade A 9 onwards receive a contribution of 31.00 euros there. Trainees receive their health and long-term care premiums refunded on application, as far as they relate to a supplementary aid tariff. Check whether your state has similar rules.
Assumption: your private premium is 180 euros per month during parental leave, of which 60 euros relate to a supplementary aid tariff. Under the NRW model, these 60 euros would be refunded on application, which comes to 720 euros over twelve months. Whether and how much is refunded depends on the rules of your state, so clarify this in advance.
Which questions should you clarify before applying?
- Do trainee pay stop from the first day of parental leave, and from when exactly?
- Does your health aid entitlement remain, and which rate applies afterwards?
- Which premium applies to your trainee tariff, and is a refund possible?
- Can the insurance contract be suspended, or does an expectancy arrangement need to be agreed?
- How does parental leave affect the end of the traineeship and the examination dates?
Written answers are worth more than phone calls. Keep them together with your application for parental leave. The application is usually made in writing to your employer, and you must observe the deadlines set by state law. Missing them risks gaps in pay and health aid.
Frequently asked questions
Do I receive trainee pay during parental leave?
Generally not. The NRW leaflet requires service pay in the month before parental leave begins. For the period of leave you will need to plan with your own resources, for example with parental allowance (Elterngeld), whose amount depends on your income before the birth.
Does my health aid continue during parental leave?
That depends on your state and the individual case. The health aid office must answer this in a binding way. Obtain the answer in writing before you start parental leave and keep it.
Who pays health aid bills while I am on parental leave?
The health aid office checks the bills you submit. Our guide on submitting health aid claims explains how to do this and which deadlines apply.
Can I suspend my private insurance during parental leave?
This is not regulated the same way everywhere. Ask your insurer whether an expectancy arrangement or a reduction of contributions is possible. An overview of expectancy arrangements is available in our guide on expectancy cover in private health insurance (in German).
Do the same rules apply if I am salaried after the traineeship?
No. Salaried teachers have no civil servant health aid entitlement, and their parental leave falls under federal law rather than the civil service law of the state. Check the rules separately if you go through both phases.
So what should you do now?
- Ask your employer: find out how parental leave in the traineeship works in your state and whether pay stops.
- Ask the health aid office in writing: confirm whether and to what extent health aid continues during leave.
- Contact your insurer: check whether the contract can be suspended or whether a refund is possible.
- Plan your finances: calculate the months without pay together with the ongoing premiums before you apply.
Related reading
- Civil Servant Health Aid During Training: Rates and Claims
- Civil Servant Health Aid: Rates and How It Works
- Health Insurance After the Trainee Period: What Comes Next
- Referendariat and a child: family allowance, parental leave and health insurance
Sources: Finance administration of North Rhine-Westphalia, leaflet on parental leave (finanzverwaltung.nrw.de, status February 2023); Hessian leaflet on the health aid ordinance, § 15 (rp-kassel.hessen.de, version from 24 November 2021).
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
