Parental leave
Both parents are entitled to take parental leave up to the child’s fifth birthday providing they have worked for their employer, without a break, for at least one year. Leave can be taken either as 6 months full-time or 12 months part-time, i.e. 20 hours per week, (with employer’s agreement) per child and to qualify the first part of parental leave must start as soon as maternity leave ends. Parents cannot take parental leave simultaneously, e.g. if they both take part-time leave one parent must work in the morning and the other in the afternoon.
Since December 2006 a new law was passed that gave parents the right to unpaid parental leave up to the child’s fifth birthday should parental leave not have been taken immediately after maternity or adoption or adoption leave.
Monthly parental leave allowance:
| Full-time allowance: | Part-time allowance: | |
| Gross allowance | 1,778.31 € | 889,15 € |
| Social security charges | 67.41€ | 33.71 € |
| Net allowance | 1,710.90 € | 855.44 € |
Please note: Parental leave and education allowance cannot be taken together.
You can obtain an application form for parental leave by clicking here.