For some families, vacation is a pure luxury that is barely or not at all affordable. Current figures from the EU Statistical Office show that half of all low-income households in Germany cannot even afford a week’s vacation. Among single parents, the figure is even more than 60 percent who are unable to travel for a week once a year.
What many families may not know: The government promotes and subsidizes family vacations.
What type of vacation is supported?
There are around 80 non-profit family holiday resorts throughout Germany. Families can choose between accommodation by the sea and in the mountains, holiday homes and apartments with and without meals. Many of the offers also offer a child-friendly accompanying program with workshops or attractive play opportunities.
One List of family holiday resorts throughout Germany You will find here.
Who gets support for their vacation?
According to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, the offer is aimed particularly at families in stressful family situations, for example large families with low incomes or single parents. Many family holiday resorts are also suitable for stays by people with disabilities or people in need of care.
To ensure that the holiday remains affordable, family holiday resorts generally do not increase prices during the high season. Depending on the federal state and income, there is also the possibility of a grant to stay in a family holiday resort or to benefit from discounted prices.
Good to know: Grandma and grandpa can also travel with the children at reduced prices.
Whether you get discounts for the holiday resorts, you can check with this calculator.
Who gets financial support for their vacation and what do you have to do to qualify?
Eleven of 16 federal states provide subsidies for family recreation to families whose income is below a certain limit. (As of August 2023)
The federal states of Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony and Thuringia offer funding.
The amount of public subsidies varies from country to country. Before you start your journey A grant can be applied for either for each child or for each family member. However, this is only possible in the federal state in which the family has its permanent residence.
The applications for these individual grants are usually processed by the welfare and family associations at local or state level, by the local youth or district offices, and occasionally by the providers themselves. In some cases, the social ministries are also responsible.
This is how much money you can get for your vacation
The amount of the subsidies depends on which state you live in. But to get an idea – two examples:
- In Schleswig-Holstein Holiday activities for children and young people are funded with up to 12.00 euros per day and child. However, a maximum of 1/3 of the total eligible costs per child. The families are to bear a “reasonable share of the costs”, which means: you pay between 9.70 and 12 euros per day and child yourself. A maximum of 14 days of holiday are funded in total.
- In NRW Families can apply for a holiday through the Diakonie Ruhr-Hellweg. The families themselves pay a contribution of 50 euros per adult and 25 euros per child. Those who earn very little can also be exempted from this contribution. The families pay the local expenses, i.e. the “pocket money”, themselves.
You can find out which conditions apply in your state and how much holiday allowance you will receive in this Overview.
