Family allowances in Vaud for student parents
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If you study in Vaud and have children: the Vaud family allowance amounts, how parents without a job (or with a small job) can claim through the cantonal compensation office, the birth allowance, and children who live abroad.
Key facts
- Amounts in Vaud (2026, unchanged since 1 Jan 2025), per child per month: child allowance (under 16) CHF 322 for the 1st and 2nd child, CHF 365 from the 3rd; training allowance (in education, at the latest until 25) CHF 425 for the 1st and 2nd child, CHF 468 from the 3rd.
- Birth or adoption allowance: CHF 1,617, one-off, doubled for multiple births.
- Not automatic: allowances are paid only on request.
- Non-employed parents (many students) can claim if they are insured with AVS as non-employed persons, their taxable income is CHF 60,480 a year or less (CHF 5,040 a month), they get no AVS/AI supplementary benefits, and nobody with a job can claim for the same child.
- Small job: if your earned income is under CHF 7,560 a year (CHF 630 a month), you can claim as a non-employed person under the same conditions.
1. Which allowances exist in Vaud
| Allowance | Who | Amount per month (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Child allowance | child under 16 | CHF 322 (1st and 2nd), CHF 365 (3rd and more) |
| Training allowance | child in vocational training or studies, from the month training starts, until it ends or at the latest age 25 | CHF 425 (1st and 2nd), CHF 468 (3rd and more) |
| Allowance for a child unable to earn a living | 16 to 20 | CHF 425 / CHF 468 |
| Birth or adoption allowance | one-off | CHF 1,617 (doubled for multiple births or adoption of several children at once) |
Vaud pays more than the federal minimum; the amounts above are the Vaud amounts for all non-farm recipients. Only one allowance of the same kind is paid per child.
2. Student parents: which route applies
- You have a job paying CHF 7,560 a year or more: you claim through your employer (or its family allowance fund). At EPFL, UNIL or another Vaud higher education employer, you fill in the questionnaire and give it to your HR unit, not to the cantonal fund.
- You have no job, or earn less than CHF 7,560 a year: you can claim as a non-employed person (see section 3).
- Your partner works: if a parent with a job can claim for the same child, that parent's claim comes first; a non-employed claim is only possible if nobody with a job, on unemployment benefit or on AI daily allowances can claim.
- On unemployment benefit: you get a supplement from your unemployment fund instead.
Students without income usually pay AVS contributions as non-employed persons: see AVS/AHV.
3. Non-employed parents: the caisse cantonale vaudoise
Conditions (vd.ch, caisseavsvaud.ch):
- you are compulsorily insured with AVS as a non-employed person;
- your taxable income is CHF 60,480 a year (CHF 5,040 a month) or less (amounts from 1 Jan 2025);
- you receive no AVS/AI supplementary benefits;
- no working parent can claim for the same child.
Also covered: people whose earned income is too low for the employee route (under CHF 7,560 a year or CHF 630 a month), and non-employed people under 21 who do not pay AVS contributions.
How to claim: fill in form CAF06 ("Demande d'allocations familiales pour personnes sans activité lucrative") and send it with the documents to the Caisse cantonale d'allocations familiales of your place of residence; vd.ch says you file it through your social insurance agency (agence d'assurances sociales). The caisse accepts the completed PDF and documents online. Payment comes directly from the caisse.
Documents (caisseavsvaud.ch): family book or full family certificate (or marriage certificate and children's birth certificates); for foreign nationals without a C permit, the residence permits of the whole family; for separated or divorced parents, the court measures; for unmarried parents, the acknowledgement of paternity and parental authority agreement if any; study certificates for children 16 and over.
How far back you can claim: unpaid benefits expire five years after the end of the month they were due for (LPGA art. 24 para. 1).
4. Children living abroad
- Swiss family allowances are paid for children abroad only if an international agreement requires it (OFAS).
- The main one is with the EU and EFTA: Swiss, EU and EFTA nationals who live or work in Switzerland can get Swiss allowances for children living in an EU or EFTA country. Birth and adoption allowances are not exported (Federal compensation office, CdC).
- If the other parent works in the child's EU/EFTA country, that country normally pays first and Switzerland may pay the difference if its allowance is higher.
- For non-employed claimants with children outside Switzerland, the EU/EFTA rules above are the main route; other cases: To verify with the caisse.
- Children living in a non-EU/EFTA country: allowances are paid only if an international agreement provides for it (OAFami art. 7 para. 1); ask the caisse whether one applies to your case.
5. Related help
- Health insurance for the family and the cantonal premium subsidy: LAMal premium reduction in Vaud.
- Bringing your partner and children: Family and partner permits.
- Scholarships and emergency support: Student financial aid.
- Pregnancy, birth costs and the federal maternity allowance: Pregnancy and maternity basics in Vaud.
- Two weeks' paid leave for the father or the mother's wife: Paternity and other-parent leave.
Finding a day-care place and how fees work: see Childcare and day-care in Vaud.