Right to parental leave 2021 and later
The independent right of each parent is 6 months, with the permission to assign up to 6 weeks to the other parent. Collectively, parents therefore have 12 months parental leave. This applies to children born, adopted, or permanently fostered in 2021.
It is recommended to start the application process two months before the expected due date.
Right to parental leave 2020
The right to parental leave of parents of children born, adopted, or permanently fostered 1 January 2020 and later is:
4 months independent right of each parent
2 months collectively between parents
Start and division of parental leave
The right to parental leave lapses after the first 24 months of the child's life.
The following rules apply for division of the parental leave between parents:
Parental leave can start up to one month before the expected due date.
The mother is required to be on leave for the first two weeks after the child's birth.
Parental leave can be taken uniformly, divided over shorter periods, or in the form of reduced employment ratio in agreement with employer. If the employer does not agree with the employee's suggestion for the arrangement of parental leave, they can suggest another arrangement, specifying their reasons, to the employee within a week. If an agreement can not be reached the employee can always take their parental leave uniformly from a date of their choosing.
Each parental leave period shall be at least 2 weeks.
When adopting or fostering a child permanently:
Parental leave is relative to the day the child enters the home. It is necessary to submit a confirmation from a child protection committee or other competent entities when applying for parental leave.
When a child is adopted from a foreign country and the parents need to travel to that country the parental leave can begin on the first day of travel as long as the foreign government or agency have confirmed the adoption.
Parental leave for single parents
A single parent has the whole parental leave (12 months) when:
a single mother has a child after undergoing IVF
single parent adopts or permanently fosters a child
the other parent passes away during the pregnancy
Parental leave extension due to multiples delivery
Parental leave can be extended three months for:
each additional child born alive or stillborn after 22 weeks of pregnancy
each additional child adopted or permanently fostered at the same time
Parental leave extension due to serious illness or disability of the child
Parents of seriously ill or disabled children may be eligible for an extended parental leave of up to 7 months.
Serious illness or disability is defined by:
the level of care is more than normal for newborns. The minimum stay at a hospital is 7 days. This also applies when hospitalisation is directly after the child's birth.
Chronic illness due to chicken pox, ear infections, or for similar health issues are not considered serious illness.
Documents required:
It is important that the doctor writing the certificate emphasises on supporting the claim for the special care the serious illness or disability requires and how long special care is needed. The certificate must also contain the results of a medical examination.
Rights of parents giving up children for adoption or foster
The right to parental leave lapses the day a child is given up for foster or adoption. However, birth parents have a mutual right to two months parental leave after the birth of the child.
Service provider
Directorate of Labor