There has been a strong demand for simplifying the application process for parental leave, making it more automated and providing services that meet the needs of users.

The project office Digital Iceland and the Directorate of Labour have collaborated on developing the technical implementation of a digital application for parental leave.

The Directorate of Labour is responsible for the management of parental leave and with the digitalization of applications, it is now possible to apply for parental leave through the Directorate of Labour’s website or on Ísland.is after identifying yourself with electronic ID. There, expectant parents can now fill out an application for parental leave and everything related to it in digital form, such as the arrangements for parental leave and the division of parental leave. This is a great development for the users of the service and will undoubtedly be of great benefit to all who seek out this important service.

Unnur Sverrisdóttir, Director of the Directorate of Labour, welcomes this step and says that the digital application for moving leave is a big step towards digital administration. “The application process is much simpler and for example, the process automatically retrieves the documents that must accompany the application and automatically forwards them to the spouse and employer for approval. This is a great benefit for all those who apply for this service. A digital application for parental leave is one part of the digital journey we are on.”

The digital application for parental leave has played a key role in the development of the application system on Ísland.is and has removed barriers that will benefit all institutions that wish to use the system. The application was quietly launched on Ísland.is at the beginning of the year and on the website of the Directorate of Labour in the following years. It is clear that the demand was strong, as in nine months the proportion of digital applications had exceeded 50% even though the service was not introduced specifically. The total number of applications in May was 576, 311 of which were digital. The digital application represents a huge time saving for individuals who no longer need to gather information and send it to the parental leave fund, but the application automatically retrieves the information needed and returns it to the fund's work system.

Approximately 14 thousand people apply for parental leave annually and it is clear that there is a great deal of time saving for individuals, employers and employees of the Parental Leave Fund, not to mention paper savings. Expecting parents now apply digitally and can follow the status of an application in the Ísland.is app.

Parents on the labour market and self-employed can apply without paperwork, save time in gathering data and can easily monitor the status of their application. A digital application for parental leave is constantly being developed so that it will be accessible to everyone who wants to use their right to parental leave.