Family benifits and income: Paternity leave
Paternity leave is intended for fathers to be with the child in its early age and cooperate with the mother in child care.
The father is entitled to paternity leave of 30 calendar days.
Application for and duration of paternity leave
The father is entitled to paternity leave of 30 calendar day for which the state provides paternity benefit.
The first 15 days of the leave must be taken until the child is six months old. With January 1st 2018, for the rest 15 days of paid paternity leave the father can claim any time from the end of parental leave up until the end of the child's first grade of primary school.
This new arrangement is applicable for all fathers, who are claiming their right for paternity leave for the first time (applications submitted after January 1st 2018).
Paternity leave is applied for at the social work centre where the mother (expectant mother) has registered permanent residence. It is applied for 30 days before the expected date of delivery and not later than 30 days after childbirth, to be recognised from the birth of the child.