Child leave
Child leave is granted to both employed parents separately and on a per-child basis: each parent will be entitled to a total of 10 days of parental leave per each child aged 14 and under (i.e. a total of 20 days for two parents). The more children under the age of 14 in the family, the more child leave days the parent is entitled to.
Parents now have more flexibility and independence in using the child leave – each parent has their own individual days of leave which they can use independently of the other parent. Moreover, parents also have the opportunity to plan their child leave together at the same time. Child leave does not expire each year, it is valid until the end of the calendar year in which the child reaches the age of 14.
- 10 working days for each parent per each child
- Can be used until the end of the calendar year when the child turns 14
- You can only plan for your actual working days! (incl. weekends)
- An applicant for child leave cannot receive parental benefits at the same time
- Apply for leave in self-service under "My services and benefits"
- Can be planned up to 2 months in advance
- The amount depends on the amount of social tax paid in the reference period
- From 01.01.2026 until 31.03.2026 the minimum amount was 42,19 EUR per day. Since 01.04.2026 the minimum amount is 45.05 EUR per day.
- The maximum amount is 63,44 euros per day
- Taxable with income tax
- Payout on the 8th for the previous month
Child leave for a parent of a disabled child
In the case of parents of a disabled child, they are entitled to one working day of child leave for parents of a disabled child each month per disabled child in addition to child leave.
Parents of a disabled child can use child leave, similarly to other parents, until the end of the calendar year in which the child reaches the age of 14, in the case of child leave for parents of a disabled child, they can use the leave until the end of the calendar year in which the child reaches the age of 18. Each parent is entitled to a maximum of 12 days of additional child leave per disabled child in one calendar year. In the year the disabled child turns 18 years of age, child leave is granted regardless of whether the birth date of the child falls before or after the child leave for parents of a disabled child.
Parents, caregivers and guardians who are employed under an employment contract or work in public services are entitled to receive child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child. Other forms of employment are excluded.
Blended families have flexibility in planning child leave – in the case of both child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child, the biological parent can give up their days of leave in favour of the spouse or registered domestic partner of the other parent.
Child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child can be applied for in our self-service portal. In the self-service portal, the parent can see the number of days which they can plan according to their needs.
- 12 extra working days per year for a disabled child (one extra day off every month for a disabled child)
- Additional leave days cannot be used in advance, but with the employer's agreement they can be combined retroactively, meaning they can be used consecutively
- You can only plan for working days!
- Can be used until the end of the calendar year when the child turns 18
- An applicant for child leave cannot receive parental benefits at the same time
- Apply for leave in self-service under "My services and benefits"
- Can be planned up to 2 months in advance
- From 01.01.2026 until 31.03.2026 the minimum amount was 42,19 EUR per day. Since 01.04.2026 the minimum amount is 45.05 EUR per day
- The maximum amount is 181,24 euros per day
- Taxable with income tax
- Payout on the 8th for the previous month
Unpaid child leave
In addition to these two types of leave, employed parents will still have the right to use child leave without pay. A mother and father who are raising a child of up to 14 years of age or a disabled child of up to 18 years of age have the right to child leave without pay of up to ten working days per calendar year. While parents can apply for child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child in our self-service portal and we will reimburse the pay for leave, then, in the case of child leave without pay, the employee must contact their employer.
How much child leave can be used in one calendar day?
It is important to note that it is not possible to use 10 working days of child leave per child each year, but these days are available to use until the end of the calendar year in which the child reaches the age of 14.
Child leave is paid for each child separately, however, one parent cannot take more than 30 days of child leave per year for all children combined. For example, if a parent has five children, they can use a maximum of 30 calendar days of child leave per calendar year, not 50 days.
How much child leave can a single parent take?
Single parents (i.e. if one of the parents is deceased or there is no record of a father in the population register) have the right to use up to 20 working days of child leave until the child reaches the age of 14.
How do I plan 10 working days of child leave in a row if I work from Monday to Friday?
Since child’s leave can only be planned for working days, and in this case weekends are rest days for a person, it is currently not technically possible to mark 10 working days in a row within one schedule.
If you want to rest for two weeks in a row, you must make two separate plannings, i.e. submit two five-day leave requests (from Monday to Friday). Weekends are not included in the plan in this case.
Example: Karl wants to take child’s leave from January 19, 2026 to January 30, 2026. There are exactly 10 working days in the given period, but when planning parental leave in self-service, he cannot select only weekdays separately, but the whole period also includes a weekend, which is not correct. Because of this, Karl should make two leave requests:
1) 19.01.2026–23.01.2026 (5 working days)
2) 26.01.2026–30.01.2026 (5 working days)
How can I take parental leave if I work in shifts, including on the weekends?
If you work in shifts according to a schedule and you also have working days on Saturday and Sunday, you can also take child’s leave on Saturday and Sunday. In this case, planning must be done for Saturday and Sunday, as they are working days for you.
Example: Karl works according to a schedule, four days on and four days off. According to the schedule, Karl should be at work from Thursday to Sunday. If he wants to take child’s leave for these days, Thursday-Sunday are working days for him, and he can plan child’s leave for this period.
If a parent is on child leave or child leave for parents of a disabled child, will the period of annual holiday be reduced?
If a parent is on child leave or child leave for parents of a disabled child, their period of annual holiday is not reduced. According to the Employment Contracts Act, child leave is a type of additional holiday. Neither us nor the employer will enter child leave or child leave for parents of a disabled child in the employment register, just as these holidays are also not entered in the register today.
Maternity leave, paternity leave, adoptive parent leave, child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child do not reduce the annual holiday of an employee. The only child-related leave that does count towards the calculation of annual holiday is parental leave.
Can parents take child leave at the same time?
Parents can plan their child leave both together at the same time or individually at different times. Each parent is entitled to individual child leave days and how or when they plan to use these days does not depend on when the other parent uses or plans to use theirs.
Can child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child also be used when the child is 14 years old?
Yes, child leave can also be used in the calendar year in which the child turns 14. For example, if the child turns 14 on 1 August 2025, the parent has the opportunity to use child leave in the same year both before and after the child’s 14th birthday until 31 December of the same year. Therefore, the parent has the right to use child leave until the end of the calendar year in which the child turns 14, regardless of whether the child’s 14th birthday is on 1 January or 31 December.
The same principle is also applied to child leave for a disabled child. In the case of child leave for a parent of a disabled child, the parent is entitled to a total of 12 days of child leave in the year in which the child reaches the age of 18.
Is it true that I am entitled to 10 working days of child leave per child until the end of the calendar year in which the child turns 14?
Yes, a parent has the right to use child leave until the end of the calendar year in which the child turns 14, regardless of whether the child’s 14th birthday is on 1 January or 31 December.
In such cases is the parent not entitled to child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child?
A parent does not have the right to child leave or child leave for parents of a disabled child if:
- the parent has been deprived of the right of custody or did not wish to have the right of custody of child;
- the parent has been partially deprived of the parental right of custody and the parent does not fulfil the obligation of caring for and raising the child;
- the parent is paid parental benefit pursuant to Family Benefits Act.
Is it possible to use child leave and parental benefit simultaneously?
According to the new system, a person who is paid parental benefit under the Family Benefits Act is not entitled to receive child leave benefit. This means that child leave can only be planned to be used on days on which parental benefit is not planned to be used. However, it should be noted that a parent who is receiving parental benefit can plan child leave only when they are not on parental leave.
At the same time, a situation where one parent is on parental leave while the other wants to plan child leave is not excluded – for example, the mother is on parental leave and receives parental benefit, but the father is working and wishes to plan child leave. In this case, the law does not prevent the father from scheduling child leave before the end of parental leave taken by the mother.
What is the amount of child leave benefit and how is it calculated?
Child leave benefit is linked to parental benefit. The amount of child leave benefit is 50% of the 12-month average income subject to social tax calculated from three calendar months preceding the date of taking child leave (i.e., three months will be counted back from taking the leave and the preceding 12 months will be taken into account for the calculation of the benefit). The income received during this period is added together, on the basis of which the daily rate is calculated. In the case of child leave, the income received is divided by 30 and, in the case of child leave for parents of a disabled child, the sum is divided by the average number of working days (in 2026, this number is 21). As for child leave, 50% of the resulting sum will make up the amount of child leave; however, 100% of the sum will be considered as the basis for amount of child leave for parents of a disabled child.
For example, if a parent wants to use child leave in June 2026, their child leave benefit will be calculated on the basis of their income subject to social tax for the period from 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026. Should the parent have other employers or other personal income subject to social tax, then these will also be taken into account when calculating the benefit. Furthermore, if the parent was on leave, for example, for temporary incapacity for work during this period, then this period will be deducted from the calculation period, so that the benefit would not be reduced by this period.
In order to ensure that the child leave benefit is not reduced for employees whose income subject to social tax was below the minimum wage set by the Government of the Republic in the period for which the parental benefit is calculated, an additional limitation is set regarding the benefit. In particular, the benefit cannot be less than the amount of the parental benefit per calendar day calculated on the basis of the minimum wage, which is 42,19 euros in 2026.
Example of calculation: Mati’s average income subject to social tax is 2000 euros gross per month. He wants to use one day of child leave. His daily rate is calculated as follows:
- 2000 euros gross / 30 days = 66.66 euros per day
- 50% of the daily rate is taken, so the child leave daily rate for Mati is 33.33 euros per day.
Since in 2026 the minimum daily rate for child leave is 42.19 euros and this is higher than the amount calculated for Mati (33.33 euros), he will receive compensation at the minimum rate allowed by law, i.e., 42.19 euros gross.
If your average income subject to social tax is less than or equal to 2541.60 euros gross per month, you will receive child leave pay at the minimum rate – 42.19 euros gross per day.
The maximum rate of child leave pay is linked to the maximum rate of parental benefit. In 2026, the maximum daily rate of child leave is 63,44 euros (3806,10/30 calendar days)/2) and the maximum daily rate of child leave for parents of a disabled child is 181,24 euros (3806,10/21 working days).
Example of calculating child leave pay for a parent of a child with a disability:
The parent's average income subject to social tax is 2000 euros gross per month.
They want to plan one day of child leave for caring for a child with a disability.
- 2000 euros / 20.9166 working days = 95.62 euros gross per day
Unlike the regular child leave calculation, for the parent of a child with a disability, 100% of the daily rate is paid.
In the calculation of holiday pay, all income subject to social tax for the respective period is taken into account, not only the income received from the employer from whom the employee is planning to take the leave. Therefore, if the employee had a different employer or several employers during the reference period, all income subject to social tax paid by them is taken into account in the calculation of holiday pay.
Child leave and child leave for parents of a disabled child are subject to income tax (22%) and exemption from income tax cannot be used.
When and how is holiday pay paid?
Holiday pay will be paid by the Social Insurance Board.
We pay the previous month’s holiday pay on the 8th day of the following month into the account specified by the parent. If the 8th day of the month falls on a weekend or public holiday, holiday pay will be paid on the preceding working day. For example, if the 8th day of the month is a Sunday, the payment will be made on the 6th day of the month, i.e. on Friday.
If the child leave period spans over two months, holiday pay will also be paid in two months, not as a lump sum for the entire leave. For example, if a parent takes child leave from 27 July to 7 August 2026, holiday pay for July (27–31 July 2026) will be paid on 7 August and for August (1–7 August 2025) on 8 September.
This means employees will receive child leave pay retrospectively, i.e. in the month following the month in which leave was used.
How to calculate baby feeding intervals?
A breastfeeding mother has the right to additional breaks for breastfeeding until the child is one and a half years old. An additional break is given every three hours with a duration of not less than 30 minutes each time. The duration of the break for feeding two or more children up to one and a half years old must be at least one hour.
Breaks for feeding the child are counted as working time and the average salary is maintained for them, except when the mother is paid parental allowance for raising the child.
How much is the allowance for paternity leave and can you get paternity leave from several employers at the same time?
Fathers are entitled to 30 days of paternity leave, in other words father's parental allowance. During paternity leave, you are not allowed to work at any employer. Non-working fathers are also entitled to compensation.
The allowance is calculated on the same basis as the shared parental allowance, the parental allowance calculator is helpful in calculating its amount.
Read more about father's parental benefit.
Does the employee have the right to child leave when the child turns 14?
Child leave days can be used until the end of the same calendar year when the child turns 14.
How many days of child leave the parent of disabled child is entitled to?
Parents of a disabled child can use 10 days of child leave until the end of the calendar year when the child turns 14, like other parents. They can use the days of child leave for the parent of a disabled child until the end of the calendar year when the child turns 18. In one calendar year, both parents combined have a maximum of 12 working days of leave for each disabled child. In the year when a disabled child turns 18, parental leave is granted regardless of whether the child's birthday is before or after the disabled child's parent's parental leave.
Does the employee have the right to use all the parental leave for a disabled child at once?
The parent of a disabled child has the right to receive one extra day off per month, and as a rule, the employment contract law does not provide the possibility to combine days. The employer may apply more favorable treatment to the employee. If the employee has an agreement with the employer, additional days of leave may be added retroactively, provided that the added leave days are necessary to take care of a disabled child.
Retroactive granting of additional vacation days is an agreement between the employee and the employer. The use of child leave days added as an advance is not allowed.
Can the parental leave of a disabled child be used after the end of the term of disability assigned to the child?
If the child has had a disability, the parent is provided with these leave days by law. Leave days can be used until the end of the calendar year.
An example. The child was diagnosed with a disability until the end of March, and in March the disability is no longer confirmed. However, his parent has been entitled to a total of 3 leave days for January, February and March. He can use them until the end of the calendar year.
What do I have to do if I have been on care or sick leave at the same time as child leave?
If you have planned a child's leave in self-service, but due to illness you have taken a sick or care leave for the same period, please let us know as soon as possible. We will review your situation and find the most suitable solution.
How does the information about canceling the leave period reach the employer?
A separate notification of leave cancellation is not sent to the employer. If an employee cancels leave days in Social Insurance Boards’ self-service or expresses a wish to cancel it, employee is obliged to inform the employer about it by him/herself. This information is also displayed to the customer at the time of cancellation.
Why the child leave notifications do not reach the employers’ email?
Automatic notifications will not reach the employer's e-mail if the employee has entered a wrong or incorrect e-mail address in self-service. We recommend sending information to employees through internal communication channels, which e-mail address should be indicated when planning leave days.
Is it possible for the employer to enter the Social Insurance Board self-service to get an overview of his employees' leave days?
There is no separate employer view in Social Insurance Board self-service. It is possible to get an overview of leave days based on the notification letters sent to the employer's e-mail. The employee is also obliged to notify the employer of his leave in advance by submitting an application for the desired leave.
Last updated: 30.03.2026
