Child benefit in Greece (A21): what your family gets in 2026
Greece’s child benefit turns on one figure: your family income divided by an equivalence scale that weights parents and children.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy
A couple with two children and €18,000 of family income receives €84 a month in Greek child benefit in 2026, paid as €168 every two months, or €1,008 over the year. The benefit, known by its form number A21 and paid by the welfare agency OPEKA, is set by article 214 of Law 4512/2018. Family income is divided by an equivalence scale: 1 for the first parent, 0.5 for the second and 0.25 per child, so 2 here. The resulting €9,000 falls in band Β, worth €42 for each of the first two children. There are three bands, Α up to €6,000, Β up to €10,000 and Γ up to €15,000 of equivalent income, and nothing above. Third and later children count double. There is no asset test, but five years of legal residence are required, twelve for most non-EU nationals. Enter your figures to see your band and the income at which you would lose it.
Child benefit per month
€84
Band Β · €168 every two months · €1,008 a year
| Equivalence scale | 2 |
| Equivalent income | €9,000 |
| Child 1 | €42 |
| Child 2 | €42 |
| Income up to which you stay in Α / Β / Γ | €12,000 / €20,000 / €30,000 |
Children count up to 18 (19 in secondary school, 24 if studying). Five years of legal residence are required, twelve for most non-EU nationals.
Amounts and limits from article 214 of Law 4512/2018 and OPEKA, as in force in 2026 · calculated in your browser, nothing is sent.
How the equivalence scale works
| Household | First parent | Second parent | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two parents | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 + 0.25 × children |
| Single parent | 1 | , | 0.5 for the first child, then 0.25 |
The scale is the same idea as the OECD-modified scale used in poverty statistics: a second adult or a child adds needs, but less than the first adult. Dividing income by it puts a couple with three children and a single parent with one child on the same footing. In practice the scale rises by a quarter with every child, so each extra child lifts the income limits by a quarter of the band width, which is why large families keep the benefit at incomes where small ones have lost it.
Five families, worked through
| Family | Income | Scale | Equivalent | Band | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Couple, 1 child | €14,000 | 1.75 | €8,000 | Β | €42 |
| Couple, 2 children | €28,000 | 2 | €14,000 | Γ | €56 |
| Couple, 3 children | €21,000 | 2.25 | €9,333 | Β | €168 |
| Single parent, 2 children | €15,000 | 1.75 | €8,571 | Β | €84 |
| Couple, 4 children | €24,500 | 2.5 | €9,800 | Β | €252 |
The second row is OPEKA’s own published example: two parents, two children, €28,000 of income, a scale of 2, an equivalent income of €14,000, band Γ and €56 a month. For a couple with one child the band Γ limit sits at €26,250; an expat couple on €26,000 with a toddler therefore still receives €28 a month.
How far you are from the next band
Room before the limit
€1,000
| Band now | Β |
| Benefit now | €84 |
| Above the limit | €56 |
One euro over the limit changes the band for the whole year.
Which children count
Unmarried children count up to 18, up to 19 while in secondary school and up to 24 while at university, an IEK vocational institute or the post-secondary apprenticeship year, as do children with a disability of 67% or more. For age purposes every child is treated as born on 31 December of the birth year. A child of compulsory school age, 4 to 16, must be enrolled and must not have repeated a year for absences, or the benefit stops.
Payments and the income year used
The benefit is paid in 6 two-month instalments on the last working day of the payment month; the 2026 dates are on the child benefit payment dates page. Early in the year OPEKA uses the previous tax return; once the new return is filed, the amount is recalculated on the newer income, which can move a family up or down a band mid-year. Income here means the taxable income on the assessment plus amounts taxed separately.
The birth allowance on top
Birth allowance for the baby you expect
Birth allowance
€2,400
| In two instalments of | €1,200 |
| Equivalent income limit | €40,000 |
| Apply within | 3 months |
Unlike A21, the birth allowance under Law 4659/2020 is a lump sum per birth with a much higher ceiling, €40,000 of equivalent income, so most working families qualify even when they get no monthly child benefit.