At the end of July 2025, the government approved a three-week extension of maternity and childcare leave, from 16 weeks to 19 weeks, and increased and doubled it from 16 weeks to 32 weeks for single-parent families.
Following this extension, the 19 weeks of birth and childcare leave are structured as follows:
- The birth and childcare leave is increased by one week, to a total of 17 weeks, of equal duration and non-transferable between both parents, and 28 weeks in the case of single-parent families, during the first 12 months of the baby’s life, or, in the case of adoption, guardianship, or foster care, during the first year, from the date of the judicial or administrative decision; in weekly periods or cumulatively.
As established by law, the first 6 weeks must be taken continuously, full-time, and immediately after birth or adoption, foster care, or guardianship. These changes take effect immediately:
- In addition, families will also be able to enjoy two additional weeks of childcare leave, four in the case of single parents, which can be taken flexibly until the child reaches the age of 8. Families whose children were born on or after August 2, 2024, will be able to take advantage of this retroactively.
- These measures complete the transposition of the Work-Life Balance Directive adopted in 2019.
If the birth, adoption, fostering, or guardianship took place on or after July 31, 2025, the 19 weeks can already be requested from the INSS. For those born between August 2, 2024, and July 31, 2025, the two additional weeks may be requested retroactively from January 2026.
For further information, please consult our Labour Consulting.
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