Apply for maternity and paternity grant - students
About maternity and paternity grant for students
Parents who are studying full-time may be entitled to a grant.
The right to a grant is 6 months for a parent. Total rights of two parents are therefore 12 months. 6 weeks are transferable.
Both parents can start receiving the grant from the 1st day of the child's birth month, or later.
In the case of a primary adoption or permanent foster care, both parents may start receiving the grant from the 1st day of the month when the child enters the home.
If there is a trial period before the adoption or permanent foster care can be arranged, or if the child must be brought to Iceland from another country, the grant payment may be started at that time, provided the relevant authorities have confirmed the measure.
The right to child support is suspended 24 months after the child enters the home.
Conditions
Parents must have been studying full-time for at least 6 months in the last twelve months preceding the birth of the child, primary adoption or permanent foster care.
Parents must have met requirements for academic progress for that time.
Legal domicile in Iceland is necessary.
Exemptions from the requirement of legal domicile
If the parent temporarily moved their legal domicile because of study abroad.
If the parent temporarily moved their legal domicile and is studying remotely at an Icelandic school at the time.
Requirements:
To have had a legal domicile in Iceland for at least 5 consecutive years prior to the move.
If the parent resided in another EEA country during the 12 months preceding the birth of the child.
Requirements:
To have had legal domicile in Iceland when a child is born, is adopted or is permanently fostered.
Not more than a month has passed since the period of insurance ended in that country.
The parent must apply for a U1 certificate so that the Directorate can obtain information about insurance periods in other EEA countries.
Parents who have received a residence permit in Iceland* for the first time may be entitled to a grant.
This may be the case even if the parent has not had a legal domicile in Iceland for the last twelve months before the birth of the child, initial adoption or permanent foster care.
Requirements:
It has not been more than 12 months since the granting of a residence permit.
* on grounds of international protection or on humanitarian grounds.
ISK 222,494 is the monthly grant payment to a parent studying full time.
The grant is a fixed amount.
Payments are subject to income tax.
This amount applies to grants for children born on or after 1 January 2024.
Apply for
Applications should be made at least 3 weeks before the expected date of birth of a child, primary adoption or taking a child into permanent foster care.
It usually takes 2-4 weeks to process an application. If supporting documents are missing, the processing time may be longer.
Application status
If the applicant does not receive an email, the application is still being processed. If information is missing, the parent will be sent an email about it.
Processing completed
1. Letter of rights: The parent receives a letter by email when the processing of the application is complete. The letter contains the results of the calculation of entitlement to a birth grant. 2. Payment plan: Once a child is born, the applicant receives a payment schedule by email. It shows the amounts that will be paid each month.
You can change a period of maternity and paternity leave and register a new period after the leave begins.
Same online application
If a period is to be changed or a new one is registered, the parent uses the same application as was sent to apply originally. The application is on My Pages at Ísland.is. A new application should not be created.
Using your personal tax credit
Wage earners can use their personal tax credit to lower the income tax withdrawn from their salaries. This tax credit can be used during maternity and paternity leave.
You can start receiving a grant on the first day of the month in which a child is born.
The maternity allowance payment period may be divided into more than one period, but each period may not be shorter than 2 weeks.
If a parent has been working in the last two months before the birth of a child, the grant may be taken at a reduced rate in consultation with the employer.
Studying and working
It could be better for a parent who has worked in at least 25% work percentage while studying, during the last 6 months before the birth of a child, to apply for payments as a parent on the labour market.
Parents may be allowed to receive compensation for loss of income from an employer. This applies only if the parent has worked in a paid job in a minimum of 25% work percentage each month in while studying, during the 6 months preceding the birth of the child.
The employer may compensate for the difference between the grant amount and the average total wages in the last 2 months before the month of birth.
If the amount of payments exceeds this average, the risk is that the parent will receive grant payments that are too high. Parents are encouraged to contact the Leave Fund to know what the amount that should not be exceeded. Please contact:
