What Are the Paternity and Carer's Leaves' Rules in Europe 2026?

Family-related leave entitlements in Europe vary from nation to another, reflecting the diverse legal frameworks and cultural norms within the continent. However, most European legislations require employers to participate in these entitlements regardless of the employees' contracts.

Such family-related entitlements include parental leave, paternity leave, carer's leave, and maternity leave. This blog will focus on the Paternity and Carer's leaves' regulations across 19 European countries. Both carer's and paternity's leaves' rules vary per country in terms of duration, eligibility, and entitlements.

What Are Paternity and Carer's Leaves?

Paternity and carer's leaves are policies that reshape traditional family care dynamics, not only recognising the role of fathers and caregivers but also promoting gender equality, encouraging active involvement in childcare. 

Paternity leaves offer fathers and non-birthing parents the opportunity to take time off work after childbirth, enabling them to bond with their newborn, to participate in childcare, and to support their partners.

Austria

Paternity Leave 

In Austria, employed fathers are allowed one month of unpaid paternity leave until the child is 2 years old.

Carer's Leave

In case an immediate family member requires help, employees are allowed up to 6 months of unpaid leave to provide care.

Belgium

Paternity Leave

In Belgium, employed fathers are given 20 days of paid paternity leave, either in a row or split up into 40 half days. Additionally, the employees get paid full salary during the first 3 days, then their public health insurance covers 82% of their salary during the remainder.

Carer's Leave

In case an immediate family member requires help, there are two options:

• Employees are allowed to take a minimum of 1 up to 3 months' full leave, capped at 1 year per patient.
• Employees may instead reduce their benefits (hence their work hours) by a fifth or half for a minimum of 1 to 3 months, capped at 2 years per patient.
  
  

Finland

Paternity Leave

In Finland, employed fathers are allowed 54 days of paternity leave, 18 days of which are allowed to be simultaneous with the mother's leave. The whole 54-day period is capped when the child becomes two years old.

Carer's Leave

Germany

Paternity Leave

In Germany, employed parents are allowed 36 months of unpaid leave with certain rules:

• 12 months which must be consumed within the initial 3 years of the child's birth.
• The remaining 24 months may be consumed anytime until the child is seven years old, with the permission of the employer.
• Parents may work part-time up to 30 hours per week, with the permission of their employers.

Carer's Leave

The carer's leave also follows certain criteria:

• If a child is sick, parents may take up to 15 fully paid days per sick child.
• Employees are allowed 10 days of unpaid leave for family emergencies (Pflegezeitgesetz).

Hungary

Paternity Leave

In Hungary, employed fathers are allowed 10 days of paid paternity leave within the initial 2 months of the child's birth.

Carer's Leave

Ireland

Paternity Leave

In Ireland, employed fathers are allowed 2 weeks of paternity leave, used within the initial six months of the child's birth.

Note: If the employee has contributed enough PRSI to the Social Protection Department previously, he/she may qualify to be paid by the department during this leave.

Carer's Leave

5 Days time off work can be taken anytime within 12 consecutive months period to provide care to child emergencies.

Italy

Paternity Leave

In Italy, employed fathers may receive 10 fully paid paternity leave days within the initial five months of the child's birth.

Carer's Leave

The Netherlands

Paternity Leave

In the Netherlands, employed fathers are allowed to have 1 week full paid leave within the initial 4 weeks of the child's birth, used in one block or split over the duration. 

Note: partners are eligible for extended partner leave for up to 5 weeks within the initial 6 months of childbirth. This extended time is unpaid, yet employees may claim 70% of their official pay from the UWV. 

Carer's Leave

Employees in the Netherlands are permitted short-term care if immediate family or other dependents are ill. Such leave must adhere to the following conditions:

• 70% paid short-term leave,
• Unpaid long-term leave, and this leave must be registered two weeks in advance.

The United Kingdom

Paternity Leave

In the United Kingdom, employed fathers are allowed up to two weeks of paternity leave, which can be split into two separate weeks, over 52 week period from child's birth. 

Carer's Leave

Portugal

Paternity Leave

In Portugal, employed fathers must take a minimum of 28 days of paternity leave within the initial 6 weeks of childbirth. Five days must be consumed immediately after birth. This leave is paid for by Social Security if the employee meets requirements. 

Carer's Leave

Employees in Poland are allowed:

• Up to five days -unpaid- carer's leave annually to care for an immediate family emergency,
• Up to three years -unpaid- carer's leave annually to provide care if they worked for six months and the child is under 5 or is disabled.

Spain

Paternity Leave

In Spain, employed fathers are allowed paternity leave of 16 weeks, paid for by the social security system and used within the initial 12 months of the child's birth; six weeks, however, must be used immediately after the child's birth.

Note: Extension to the paternity leave may be applied for and may last for as long as the child is under 3 years old, yet it is unpaid, and the employer may hold the exact position for a maximum of 1 year.

Carer's Leave

In case an immediate family member becomes ill, employees are allowed to take two days' leave. Otherwise, employees may always request an unpaid absence of up to five years for personal circumstances.

Slovenia

Paternity Leave

In Slovenia, employed fathers are allowed 30 days of paternity leave, fully paid, yet cannot exceed 2.5 times the average wages.

Carer's Leave

Sweden

Paternity Leave

In Sweden, employed parents are entitled to parental leave of 240 days each, eligible to transfer; however, one parent can transfer more than 150 days to the other. Only up to 30 days can be taken simultaneously by both parents.

Note: a total of 384 days must be used by both parents until the child is 4 years old, after that, the remaining 96 days may be used before the child turns 12. 

Switzerland

Paternity Leave

In Switzerland, employed partners are allowed paternity leave of 2 weeks, paid for by the mandatory loss of earnings insurance.

Carer's Leave

Norway

Paternity Leave

In Norway, employed parents are allowed to share 12 months leave, 12 of which can be taken before the child's birth, and 6 must be taken immediately after birth. 

Carer's Leave

Final Remarks

Paternity and carer's leave across Europe demonstrates the continent's commitment to supporting families, yet the various regulations and cultural values also matter. From extensive paid benefits in nations such as Sweden and Spain to unpaid leaves in Germany and Austria, such regulations require organisations to support caregiving.

How can EuroDev help as your Employer of Record Partner?

If you hire employees across several European nations and need to manage not only local expectations, but also payroll, benefits and employment contracts, then that is where we can come in.

Amongst other services, EuroDev's EOR partnership offers these benefits, without the need to set up a local entity.

Contact our HR experts to get tailored support for your needs.

Written by Sven Brands, HR Outsourcing International Account Manager at EuroDev.