Familienpass & Bildungspaket: Benefits for Children in School and Leisure Activities
The Familienpass is a local family discount card issued by municipalities to enable families to participate in community and leisure activities at reduced prices or even free of charge (baden-wuerttemberg.de).
It is usually available free of charge or for a small fee and offers discounts with local partners such as:
Museums
Nurseries and childcare facilities
Holiday and summer programmes
Certain restaurants
The exact benefits vary from state to state and city to city, but the Familienpass is generally a very useful tool for accessing public holiday and leisure activities – for example, municipal summer holiday programmes like those in Munich.
The Bildungspaket (Education and Participation Package) is a nationwide support programme aimed at children from low-income families (those receiving Bürgergeld, housing benefit, child supplement, etc.) and covers essential costs related to education and social participation (familienportal.de).
It includes in particular:
School trips and excursions:
Day trips and multi-day class trips (bmas.de).
Books and school supplies:
A yearly allowance of up to 195 €, paid in two instalments in February and August (filderstadt.de).
School and daycare meals:
Full coverage of the cost of communal lunches in schools and childcare facilities, provided a valid entitlement card is presented.
Travel to school (depending on distance rules):
Support for transport costs, e.g. when the way to school is more than 2 km up to grade 4 or 4 km from grade 5 onwards.
Private tuition (Nachhilfe):
Funding for extra tuition where needed, even if the pupil is not formally at risk of failing the school year.
Sports and cultural activities:
15 € per month per child under the age of 18 for participation in sports clubs, music lessons or holiday camps (baden-baden.de).
The following groups are generally eligible:
Families receiving social benefits such as:
Bürgergeld (citizen’s income)
Kinderzuschlag (child supplement)
Wohngeld (housing benefit)
Sozialhilfe (social assistance)
Asylum seeker benefits under AsylbLG (familienportal.de).
Educational support (e.g. school supplies, trips, tutoring) is available to pupils up to the age of 25, as long as they do not receive an apprenticeship wage.
Social participation benefits (sports, cultural activities, leisure) are available up to the age of 18.
Familienpass:
Apply at your local municipality or via online portals of your city or federal state.
Usually free or subject to a small fee.
You show the pass to local partners to receive discounts or free entry.
Bildungspaket (Education and Participation Package):
The application is submitted to the authority that grants the main benefit, e.g.:
Jobcenter
Housing benefit office (Wohngeldstelle)
Social welfare office (Sozialamt) (berlin.de).
Typical documents include:
Benefit notice or proof of receiving Bürgergeld, Wohngeld, etc.
Confirmation from the school
Documentation of the need for extra tuition or of the long distance to school, where applicable
| Feature | Familienpass | Bildungspaket |
|---|---|---|
| Responsible authority | Municipality / federal state | Jobcenter, housing benefit office, social welfare office |
| Cost | Usually free or low fee | Free |
| Main purpose | Discounts for local leisure and cultural activities | Covering essential educational and social participation costs |
| Trips & cultural activities | Discounts for local events such as museums, camps, holiday activities | Full coverage or financial support for trips, camps and other activities |
| School meals | Not included | Full coverage of school and daycare meals |
| School supplies | Not included | Up to 195 € per year for school materials |
| Private tuition | Not included | Funded where needed |
| Target group | All families; promotes cultural participation | Low-income families |
Apply for the Familienpass first, so your family can immediately benefit from discounts on local leisure activities.
Activate the Bildungspaket to cover all essential educational and social participation costs for your child.
Prepare documents in advance:
Proof of income or benefit receipt
School confirmation/card
Any letters from school indicating need for tutoring or explaining trips.
Keep an eye on local schemes such as the Kiel-Karte, which combine cultural and social discounts and often make the procedures easier (bmfsfj.de, baden-baden.de, stadt.muenchen.de, kiel.de).
The Familienpass gives almost all families the opportunity to enjoy local cultural and leisure activities at reduced prices or even for free.
The Bildungspaket ensures that children from low-income families have their key educational and social needs covered – from school materials and lunches to tutoring, club fees and transport costs.
Using both together creates a balanced educational and cultural environment for the child, regardless of the family’s financial situation, and supports full participation in school and community life.
The editorial team of this website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and consultation of various sources. Nevertheless, errors may occur or some details may be incomplete or not fully verified. Please treat the information in this article as an initial point of reference and always contact the competent authorities for binding and up-to-date information.
