The right to parental leave is applied for at the social work centre at the same time when applying for the right to the maternity leave or paternity leave.

Parental leave may be taken by one of the child's parents and also by both parents for the same child. The parents agree on the exercise of the parental leave in writing no later than 30 days before the end of the maternity leave.

In the agreement, they precisely define the period and manner of the use of the leave. They submit the agreement, together with the application for exercising the right to parental leave, to the social work centre and notify the employer. If the parents cannot agree on who will benefit from the right to the parental leave, the decision is made by the social work centre.

Each parent exercises their right to the parental leave by an independent application. The agreement of parents and employers must be submitted together with the application.

The mother may take 260 days of parental leave if the father transfers all 130 days of the parental leave to her. The father can take at most 230 days if the mother transfers 100 days of the parental leave to him. Parents must make an agreement about the transfer of the parental leave at the social work centre.

The leave may be extended:

• upon the birth of twins for additional 90 days;

• upon the birth of more children, the parental leave is extended for additional 90 days for each further child;
• upon the birth of a pre-term infant - for so many days as the pregnancy was shorter than 260 days;
• upon the birth of a child who needs special care - the parental leave is extended for additional 90 days (based on the opinion of the competent medical board);
• upon childbirth, when parents care for and raise at least two children until the end of the first grade of primary school - the parental leave is extended for 30 days, for three children for 60 days and for four or more children for 90 days.

The rights listed above are not cumulative.

The extension of the leave must be exercised by the application to exercise the right to the parental leave.

Until April 2014, the parental leave was called the leave for child care while the term maternity leave was used for the maternity leave.