- The amount of the benefit depends on the recipient’s previously earned income.
- The duration is 475–515 days, which can be used until the child turns 3 years old.
- The recipient is covered by state health insurance.
- It is permitted to work and earn income while receiving the benefit.
- The recipient may take parental leave from their employer.
- Parents may switch the recipient of the benefit on a monthly basis if necessary.
- Parents may receive the benefit simultaneously for a limited period.
- The benefit is subject to income tax.
- Payments are made monthly on the 8th day of the month for the planned days of the previous month.
- During the period of receiving the benefit and/or being on parental leave, it is not possible to take child leave or leave for parents of a child with a disability.
- Estonian family benefits are residence-based. To receive them, both the applicant and the child must reside in Estonia. Merely having an address registered in the Population Register and/or Estonian citizenship does not automatically create entitlement to family benefits.
NB! Foreign nationals living in Estonia on the basis of a temporary residence permit and persons with undetermined citizenship are granted family benefits until the expiry of their residence permit. If the residence permit is extended, a new application for family benefits must be submitted.
With the shared parental benefit, parents can decide which of them will receive the benefit. This differs from the mother’s parental benefit and the father’s parental benefit, which are individual rights of the mother or the father respectively.
The shared parental benefit provides families with greater flexibility in planning their family life.
From the 31st day of the child’s life, either parent may begin using the days allocated to the family under the shared parental benefit. These days may be used until the child turns 3 years old. The recipient may be changed monthly if needed. The days can be planned according to the family’s needs, and payments are made accordingly.
If they wish, both parents may receive the parental benefit simultaneously for a limited period — up to 60 days.
During the period of receiving the shared parental benefit, a parent may take parental leave from their employer, but this is not mandatory. If one of the parents is on parental leave from their employer, that parent must be the recipient of the parental benefit. If neither parent is on parental leave from their employer, the parents may choose which of them will receive the benefit.
How do you apply for shared parental benefit?
After the birth of the child and the registration of the birth in the population register, we send the parents a family benefits offer with the types of family benefits they are entitled to in the self-service portal of the Social Insurance Board.
The family benefits offer includes exactly the types of family benefits the parents are entitled to, which may be as follows:
- maternity benefit
- paternity benefit
- shared parental benefit
- childbirth allowance
- child allowance
- single parent's child allowance
- allowance for a family with many children
- supplementary contributions to funded pension
- and other family benefits
It is up to the parents to decide who will receive which benefits. Moreover, the parent can notify us immediately if they do not wish to start using the days of shared parental benefit consecutively.
If a parent wants to leave the right to use family benefits to another parent, it is not necessary to notify the Social Insurance Board about it. It is sufficient if the other parent confirms the family benefits’ offers sent to him in the self-service. However, if the father wants to receive the shared parental benefit then he must first use the paternity benefit in full.
If a parent has not received an offer from us, but they find that they have a right to receive family benefits, we kindly ask them to contact us. If a parent is unable to use our self-service portal they can contact us by e-mail [email protected] or post Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn or visit one of the client service offices of the Social Insurance Board.
How can the shared parental benefit be used?
Shared parental benefit be used either:
- consecutively, from the beginning of entitlement to benefit
- by planning on a day-by-day basis
This means that parental benefit can be used consecutively as one long period or as needed by choosing specific days on which it will be used. Using the parental benefit by days extends the period of use of benefit.
How can the recipient of parental benefit be changed?
If you wish to change the recipient of the parental benefit, please notify us in advance because only then can we ensure that the recipient of the parental benefit is changed on time. The parent who wants to start receiving the parental benefit can initiate the change of recipient in the self-service under the „My benefits and services“ menu.
As is already the case today, the recipient of shared parental benefit can be changed starting from the following calendar month. The recipient cannot be changed halfway through the month.
When changing the recipient of the parental benefit, it is important to bear in mind that the current recipient of the benefit must give their consent to the changing of the recipient.
NB! When second parent confirms the change of recipient, the new recipient must plan the period of shared parental benefit in self-service. If the period is not planned, the benefit would not be paid out!
The father can only use shared parental benefit if he has used all days of paternity benefit or waived the use of the paternity benefit.
If the current recipient of the parental benefit is on parental leave, they must end their leave. This is due to the fact that, if one of the parents is on child care leave (parental leave), that parent is entitled to receive parental benefit.
The new recipient of parental benefit may take parental leave, but they are not required to do so. This depends on whether the parent wishes to continue to work while receiving the benefit or not.
Parents have the right to various parental benefits; they can be used together at the same time for no more than 60 calendar days.
An exception is the adoption allowance, which can be used by both parents simultaneously for no more than 35 calendar days.
Parental benefits can be divided into two groups:
Individual parental benefits, applied separately to the mother or father:
1) Maternity benefit
2) Paternity benefit
Shared parental benefits, which can be shared between parents and, if necessary, the recipient of the benefit can be changed:
1) Shared parental benefit
2) Adoption allowance
All these types of benefits can be received by both parents at the same time, and it does not matter what types of parental benefits are paid to both parents at the same time. In any combination benefits can be received simultaneously for no more than 60 days (except for adoption allowance, which can be received simultaneously by both parents for no more than 35 calendar days) .
In other words, the limit of 60 calendar days applies not only to shared parental benefit, but to all types of parental benefits together and in various combinations.
Both parents can simultaneously receive parental benefits in four different ways:
1. The father receives paternity benefit, and the mother receives maternity benefit.
A mother goes on maternity leave and begins receiving maternity benefit 70 calendar days before the expected date of birth of the child. The father goes on paternity leave 30 calendar days before the expected date of birth of the child and begins to receive paternity benefit. The father and mother are on vacation together and receive benefits simultaneously for 30 calendar days. After the end of paternity benefit and paternity leave, parents have another 30 calendar days that they can use together to receive benefits simultaneously.
2. The father receives shared parental benefit, and the mother receives maternity benefit.
The father received paternity benefit in full (30 days) before the birth of the child. At the same time, the mother received maternity benefit, and a total of 30 days were used together. Parents still have the opportunity to receive parental benefits for another 30 days at the same time (example 1)
As soon as the child was born, the father began to receive shared parental benefit, and the child's mother received maternity benefit at the same time. In total, they can receive maternity and shared parental benefits for another 30 days. When this period ends, the parents can no longer receive parental benefits together because all 60 days of shared use have been used up.
3. The father receives paternity benefit, and the mother receives shared parental benefit.
The mother is on maternity leave and receives shared parental benefit and the parents decide to travel. The father has 30 calendar days of paternity leave and compensation remaining unused, of which he uses 15 calendar days to travel and begins to receive paternity benefit. Thus, both parents simultaneously receive parental benefits for 15 calendar days. At the end of the leave, parents will have another 45 calendar days that they can use together to receive benefits at the same time.
4. The father receives shared parental benefit, and the mother receives shared parental benefit.
The father did not want to quit his job and receive paternity benefit and paternity leave, and therefore waived paternity benefit. In this case, the father has the right to receive shared parental benefit immediately after the birth of the child. One day the father decides that he wants to receive a shared parental benefit, but the mother already receives it. In this case, the father and mother can apply for joint receipt of shared parental benefit for up to 60 calendar days.
But then we must remember that the entire period of payment of shared parental benefit is reduced by the number of days when the father and mother received shared parental benefit simultaneously, since the benefit was paid to two parents at the same time.
In this example, the main recipient of the shared parental benefit, which also includes state health insurance, is the mother. The secondary recipient of shared parental benefit is the father.
The overall period of the shared parental benefit for the mother is reduced by 60 calendar days during which the parents jointly received the shared parental benefit. For example, if the mother is assigned shared parental benefit until 31st December 2023, then the end of the payment of shared parental benefit will be moved 60 calendar days back, which means the period will be shortened until 2nd November 2023.
Options for receiving parental benefits simultaneously
Father receives |
Mother receiver |
Maximum number of days allowed for shared use (60 calendar days) “remaining” is reduced |
The period for receiving shared parental benefit is reduced by the number of days of simultaneous use of parental benefits. |
|
Paternity benefit |
Maternity benefit |
Yes |
Not reduced |
|
Paternity benefit |
Shared parental benefit |
Yes |
Not reduced |
|
Shared parental benefit |
Maternity benefit |
Yes |
Not reduced |
|
Shared parental benefit |
Shared parental benefit |
Yes |
Yes, reduced |
|
Shared parental benefit related to child’s premature birth |
Shared parental benefit related to child’s premature birth |
Yes |
Yes, reduced but not more than 30 days |
All options combined can be used in total for no more than 60 calendar days.
Exception: For parents of prematurely born children, as well as parents of triplets or twins, an exception is made: if the parents take the opportunity to receive parental benefits jointly within 60 days, the total period for receiving shared parental benefit will not be reduced by more than 30 days.
The table shows four possible combinations of how parents can receive parental benefits at the same time. It is possible to use various combinations, for example, for 30 days you can simultaneously receive maternity benefit and paternity benefit (Option 1), and later you can simultaneously receive shared parental benefit for another 30 days (Option 4), etc.
Regardless of which and how many different combinations parents decide to use together, this can be done for a maximum of 60 calendar days.
FAQ
1) How can I find out how many more days parents can receive parental benefits at the same time?
As already mentioned, two parents can receive parental benefits at the same time for a maximum of 60 calendar days.
If you and your spouse received any parental benefits at the same time, these days must be subtracted from the total period.
For example, if you received paternity and maternity benefits simultaneously for 25 calendar days, you only have 35 days left that you can use together at the same time.
(60 days total – 25 days used = 35 days left)
2) Is health insurance included in shared parental benefit?
If two parents simultaneously receive shared parental benefit, health insurance applies only to one parent, who is the main recipient of the benefit.
3) How do I apply for simultaneous use of parental benefits?
If the father and mother wish to receive paternity and maternity benefits at the same time, they do not need to submit a separate application for simultaneous use, the system automatically counts these days as used together.
If parents want to receive shared parental benefit at the same time, then an application must be submitted. A parent who does not receive shared parental benefit but wants to do so at the same time as the other parent, must submit an application to the Social Insurance Board through the self-service system. The application can also be submitted to our customer service offices all around Estonia or by writing to our email address.
You can watch the video below for detailed instructions on how to submit a self-service application. (In Estonian)
4) Is it possible to plan the period of simultaneous receipt of parental benefits for short periods?
Yes, it is not necessary to receive parental benefits simultaneously for one long period and, if necessary, they can be planned for shorter periods.
5) Do parental benefits also include parental leave?
If you receive paternity and maternity benefits, leave is included automatically, since it is prohibited to work while receiving these two benefits.
While receiving shared parental benefit you have the right for parental leave, however it is not mandatory. In order to get parental leave, please submit parental leave application directly to your employer.
6) How to apply for parental leave and who provides information to the employer?
The employee must submit an application for parental leave to the employer 30 calendar days before the start of the leave in accordance with the Employment Contract Law. The employee’s work with the employer is suspended due to parental leave.
In what amount is the shared parental benefit paid?
The amount of parental benefit is calculated for each recipient on the basis of their previous income subject to social tax. To get the base period, we will always first subtract the nine full calendar months (i.e. the average length of pregnancy, regardless of whether the child was premature, full-term or post-term) from the month of birth of the child, and base the calculation of parental benefit on the income of the preceding 12 calendar months.
If the parent had no income subject to social tax during the 12-month base period, the parental benefit is granted at the minimum rate.
If the income subject to social tax during the base period was equal to or lower than the minimum wage, the parental benefit is paid at the level of the minimum wage.
If the income subject to social tax during the base period exceeded the established maximum limit (twice the average salary of the year before last), the parental benefit is paid at the maximum rate.
Link to the Parental Benefit Rates page
NB! All amounts of parental benefit are gross as all types of parental benefits are subject to income tax.
How is shared benefit calculated when several children are born in close succession?
If several children are born in close succession and the age gap between children is less than three years, we look at the parental benefit paid for the previous child – if it exceeds the new planned parental benefit, the mother will receive parental benefit in the same amount as before.
What does it mean that benefits are calculated according to the daily rate?
The daily rate of parental benefit is a new and significant change which does not exist in the current system. The calculation of daily rate of benefit is important because parents will be able to plan on which days of the month they wish to use the benefit.
NB! In the case of an employed mother, there is an exception: the maternity benefit is calculated on the basis of the estimated date of birth of the child. For an employed mother, this may mean that they receive maternity benefit in one amount and shared parental benefit in another. This is due to the fact that maternity benefit is calculated on the basis of the estimated date of birth of the child, while the shared parental benefit is calculated on the basis of the actual date of birth of the child.
If the benefit is calculated according to the daily rate, does it mean that the parent no longer receives the same amount of benefit each month?
Yes, it could mean that. As of 1 April 2022, the benefit will no longer be paid in the same amount each month for the following two reasons:
- The parent has wanted and planned to use the benefit in different ways in different months. For instance, the parent wishes to receive benefit for 20 days in May and for 30 days in June.
- Calendar months have a different number of days: if there are 31 days in a month, the benefit is higher by one day compared to a 30-day month.
When is the shared parental benefit paid?
Parental benefits are paid on a monthly basis for the previous calendar month.
This means that shared parental benefit for the previous month is paid on the 8th day of the following month. If the 8th day of the month falls on a weekend or public holiday, the parental benefit will be paid on the preceding working day. For example, if the 8th day of the month is a Sunday, the benefit will be paid on the 6th day of the month, i.e. on Friday.
For example, if the parent has been granted the right to 475 days of shared parental benefit, as the parent has previously expressed their wish to use the benefit consecutively from 15 September 2024 to 2 January 2026. In this case, we pay the shared parental benefit to the parent on a monthly basis for the previous month as follows:
- payment for the period 15–30 September 2026 on 8 October 2026;
- payment for the period 1–31 October 2026 on 6 November 2026;
- payment for the period 1–30 November 2026 on 8 December 2026, and so on.
Is the shared parental benefit subject to income tax?
Yes, shared parental benefit, like other types of parental benefits, is subject to income tax, however, you are entitled to exemption from income tax.
You can notify us of your wish to use the exemption from income tax when you approve the family benefits offer or at a later date upon request in the self-service portal.
What income is taken into account when calculating parental benefit?
The amount of the parental benefit depends on the income taxable with social tax earned during the reference period, but the parental allowance cannot be higher than the maximum amount established by law (in 2026 - EUR 3806,10 per month).
When calculating the parental benefit, the following is taken into account:
- Salary income
- Bonus
- Business income on which social tax has been paid
- Sickness benefit paid by the Health Insurance Fund to an employee who is on a long-term sick leave and at the same time performs lighter tasks or works part-time due to a health condition* (applies to parents whose child's expected delivery date is from 01.02.2026)
Not taken into account:
- Unemployment insurance benefit
- Sickness benefit
- Allowance for creative activity
And other incomes that are not subject to social tax (e.g. family allowances, pensions, parental benefits, dividend income, etc.)
*NB! Usually, sickness benefit and the period of incapacity for work are not taken into account when calculating the parental benefit, i.e. the period of sick leave is subtracted from the reference period if the person was temporarily freed from work.
From 15.05.2024, the employer can offer an employee on a long-term sick leave easier work or part-time work for a lower salary, and the Health Insurance Fund will cover the remaining part of the salary in the form of sickness benefits. In this way, the employee maintains his income that he received before sickness, but executes lighter work tasks. (More information available on Health Insurance Fund webpage)
If you worked and at the same time received sickness benefit in connection with the transfer to lighter work, the given period together with all earned income (including sickness benefit) is included in the calculation of parental benefit.
How is the upper limit of parental benefit determined?
The upper limit of parental benefit is equal to two times the average taxable income subject to social tax in Estonia for one calendar month from the year preceding the year of the child's birth.
To determine the average taxable income subject to social tax in Estonia, the average amount of the pension insurance part of individually registered social tax for the previous calendar year, as approved by the Government of the Republic, is multiplied by five and then divided by 12.
Formula:
|
The average amount of the pension insurance part of individually registered social tax for the previous calendar year (NUMBER "A") x 5 / 12 = Average taxable income subject to social tax in Estonia (NUMBER "B") |
|
Average taxable income subject to social tax in Estonia (NUMBER "B") x 2 = Upper limit of parental benefit |
(Amount A x 5) / 12 = Amount B
Amount B x 3 = upper limit of parental benefit for the next calendar year
4567,33 x 5 / 12 = 1903,05 EUR
1903,05 x 2 = 3806,10 EUR
Am I entitled to shared parental benefit if my child dies early?
If a child dies before reaching the age of three, but later than 70 days after birth, both parents of the child are entitled to shared parental benefit for 30 consecutive calendar days from the day following the child’s death. It does not matter whether the family has already used up the shared parental benefit in full.
In order to receive the shared parental benefit, you generally do not need to contact us and submit relevant applications. The Social Insurance Board automatically receives information about the death of a child through the data exchange between the health care information system and the social protection information system in order to enable a proactive offer through the Social Insurance Board’s self-service of family benefits to parents who have lost a child. If you have not received an offer within 14 working days, please contact us via self-service.
Last updated: 17.03.2026
