Maternity and Paternity Rights in Finland: Parental Leave, Pay & Benefits Guide (2027)
Finland no longer has separate maternity and paternity leave for babies due on or after 4 September 2022. The birthing parent receives 40 working days of pregnancy allowance, and each parent then has their own 160-day quota of parental allowance. Knowing this before you accept a job matters, because the length of leave, the amount you receive and the protection you have depend on your contract, your residence status and your earnings in Finland.
Kela, Finland’s social insurance institution, pays the allowances. Your employer decides whether salary continues, and employment law protects your right to be absent and to return. This guide separates those three layers, explains how international employees fit in, and links to official sources for every key rule.
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Understanding maternity and paternity rights in Finland
Three different things are easy to confuse:
- Your right to time off. Employment law lets you take leave for the period in which you receive pregnancy, special pregnancy or parental allowance (Finnish Government summary; IWF).
- Kela’s allowance. A taxable, earnings-related payment for working days (Kela).
- Salary from your employer. Not required by law. Some collective agreements provide paid days (ytkpalvelut.fi).
The system is gender-neutral. Pregnancy leave belongs to the parent giving birth, because that parent is physically pregnant. Parental leave is an equal quota for both parents, regardless of gender or family structure. The older word “paternity leave” now describes only the pre-September 2022 rules (Kela).
| What | Detail (2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy allowance | 40 working days, birthing parent only | Kela |
| Parental allowance | 160 working days per parent, 320 per child | Kela |
| Days you can give away | Up to 63 per parent | Kela |
| Time limit | The child’s 2nd birthday | Kela |
| Parents at home together | Up to 18 working days | Kela |
| Minimum daily rate | €31.99 per working day | Kela |
| Maternity grant | €210 (due date 1 April 2026 or later) | Kela |
Working days in Finland run Monday to Saturday, excluding holidays that fall on a weekday (Kela).
How long is maternity leave in Finland?
The parent giving birth gets 40 working days of pregnancy allowance. Kela pays it in one unbroken block, whatever the actual birth date, and the days cannot be postponed. After that comes parental allowance, so a birthing parent can have up to 200 allowance days in total, plus any days the other parent gives them (Kela).
When can pregnancy leave begin?
You choose a start date 14–30 working days before the due date. If the baby is born before your leave starts, payment begins on the next working day. You must tell your employer at least two months before your leave starts, and you should agree the start date with them.
Pregnancy certificate and application
Ask your maternity clinic (neuvola) for a pregnancy certificate once the pregnancy has lasted 154 days (22 weeks). You can then apply to Kela in OmaKela or on a paper form, within two months of your leave starting at the latest. If your employer pays you during leave, they must submit a separate application (Kela).
Special pregnancy allowance for workplace risks
If your work exposes you or the pregnancy to a recognised risk and you must stay off work before pregnancy leave begins, you can apply for special pregnancy allowance. Taito.ai’s summary of the rules says occupational health assesses the risk, Kela decides on the allowance, and it applies only where no alternative work can be arranged (Taito.ai).
Leave and allowance are separate
Pregnancy leave is your time away from work. Pregnancy allowance is Kela’s payment for that time. You can be on leave while your employer keeps paying your salary, in which case Kela pays the allowance to the employer. You cannot receive the allowance for days of paid annual leave or days you work (Kela).
Maternity grant and baby box
The maternity grant is tax-free. If your due date is 1 April 2026 or later it is €210 in cash, or the maternity package plus €40. Apply at least two months before the due date; applications open after roughly five months of pregnancy (Kela; Yle). Kela says you must be permanently resident in Finland and cannot get it if you came to study. If you are working but not yet a permanent resident, ask Kela first.
Paternity leave and parental leave in Finland
Search results often still mention “paternity allowance” and a fixed number of paternity days. That terminology belongs to the pre-September 2022 system and can mislead you (Kela). Under today’s rules, a family with two parents can receive parental allowance for 320 working days, and each parent has their own 160 days.
Transferring days
Each parent can give up to 63 working days of their own quota to the other parent or to another person caring for the child. A single parent, or a parent whose child’s other parent has no entitlement, can use all 320 days and give away up to 126. Kela also pays the higher first-16-days rate to people who use days given to them (Kela).
Taking leave at the same time
Both parents can receive allowance together for up to 18 working days. If twins are born, parents can take 90 additional shared days for each additional child, 108 in total (Kela).
Flexible periods and the age limit
The birthing parent’s parental allowance starts after pregnancy allowance. The other parent can start from the birth date. All days must be used before the child’s 2nd birthday, and they can be taken in separate periods or even single days. Your employer may limit you to four periods of at least 12 working days each, unless your contract allows more. You can start leave once you agree it with your employer; you do not need to wait for Kela’s decision.
Parents working part-time can claim partial parental allowance if the daily working time is no more than five hours and part-time work has been agreed with the employer. Each partial day uses half a day from your quota and pays half the allowance. Twins add 84 allowance days (404 in total), and premature births add extra days.
Is maternity or parental leave paid in Finland?
Yes, through Kela, but not at full salary. Kela pays pregnancy allowance and parental allowance for working days, based on your annual income. The allowance is taxable (Kela).
How income affects the amount
- Minimum rate: €31.99 per working day if you had no income, or annual income of €13,712 or less.
- First 16 working days: an increased rate, up to 90% of annual earnings, if your annual income is above €10,664. Pregnancy allowance is paid at this increased rate throughout.
- After that: a lower earnings-related rate, tapering for higher incomes.
| Annual wage income | Pregnancy allowance (€/working day) | Parental allowance after first 16 days (€/working day) |
|---|---|---|
| €20,000 | 54.63 | 42.66 |
| €30,000 | 81.95 | 63.99 |
| €40,000 | 109.26 | 85.33 |
| €50,000 | 136.58 | 105.65 |
Source: Kela’s 2026 examples (pregnancy allowance, parental allowance). They come out lower than applying Kela’s published formula directly to gross pay, so use the official calculator below for a personal estimate.
Tax and payment timing
Kela withholds tax at set rates, and you can ask the tax authority for a tax card for benefits if the rate looks wrong. Allowances are paid in arrears in batches of up to 25 working days (Kela).
When employers pay salary during leave
The law does not require it, but many collective agreements provide some paid days, so check the one covering your job. If your employer pays salary during leave, Kela pays the allowance to the employer for that period. You and your employer must each apply, and Kela will not decide until it has both applications (Kela). In practice, ask the employer in writing which days are paid and whether your Kela payments will go to you or to them.
Estimate your own amount
Use Kela’s daily allowance calculator, its payment-period calculator, and the family income comparison tool.
Are foreign workers eligible for parental benefits in Finland?
Often yes, but it depends on your circumstances, so treat this section as a map, not a decision. Kela says you can get parental allowance if you live in Finland permanently or work in Finland. Citizens of countries outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland also need a residence permit (Kela).
Residence, employment and social security
Kela decides whether you are treated as permanently resident or covered through work. A work permit alone does not settle the question, and Kela describes entitlement based only on employment as more restricted than entitlement based on permanent residence (Kela). If you are applying for a Kela benefit for the first time after moving, report your move in OmaKela or on form Y 77e (Kela).
The amount is usually calculated from annual income you earned in Finland. People with no Finnish earnings and no qualifying foreign wage income receive the minimum rate (Kela). A newcomer who started work shortly before the birth may therefore receive less than a long-term employee on the same salary.
Benefits from another country and international moves
If you move from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the UK while receiving parental allowance, that country usually keeps paying until its period ends. Finland cannot pay for the same time. Afterwards, Finland can pay if it offers more days than you used abroad. Kela’s example: parents who received 100 and 30 days in Sweden each have 160 days in Finland, so they can receive 60 and 130 more.
If you move to Finland with a child over one year old, the family total drops to 160 working days (80 each, with up to 32 given away). If the child is under one, up to 320 days are available. Leaving Finland also matters: for EU/EEA stays Kela pays if the stay is temporary and you are not working abroad; outside the EU/EEA it generally pays only if you are away six months or less, with exceptions for posted workers, students and researchers (Kela).
Confirm with Kela
Because eligibility is decided case by case, confirm your position with Kela before you plan finances. Kela’s phone line for parental allowance is 020 634 2550, and it has English-language customer service numbers.
Employment rights for pregnant workers and new parents
Pregnancy-related protections and workplace safety
If a chemical agent, infectious disease or similar factor endangers you or the pregnancy, the route is special pregnancy allowance. According to Taito.ai’s summary, you must be fit for work, the employer must be unable to arrange other work for you, and occupational health assesses the risk while Kela decides the allowance (Taito.ai; Kela). Raise any hazard with your employer as early as possible so alternative work can be arranged.
Protection against pregnancy and family-leave discrimination
An employer may not dismiss you because you are pregnant or are using pregnancy or parental leave. This sits in the Employment Contracts Act (Taito.ai summary). A law-firm briefing reports that the Government proposed on 26 March 2026 to add parenthood and family care obligations to the grounds of discrimination in the Act on Equality between Women and Men, and that protection for fixed-term employees who are pregnant or on family leave took effect on 1 October 2026 (DLA Piper). That is a secondary source, so confirm the current law before relying on it.
Telling your employer
Tell your employer at least two months before pregnancy or parental leave starts, in writing, and keep a copy (Kela).
Contracts and collective agreements
Your contract and any collective agreement decide whether salary continues, for how many days, and what notice the employer expects. Ask for the agreement’s name before you sign. Leave also keeps counting towards annual leave, but only up to a cap, such as 160 days per parent under the 14-day accrual rule (Taito.ai).
Returning to work
You generally have the right to return to your previous duties on the same terms. If that job is gone, the employer must offer duties as similar as possible, and may not hire new permanent staff for your tasks while you are away (ytkpalvelut.fi, June 2025).
If you think your rights were violated
- Write down what happened, with dates, and keep emails, contracts and payslips.
- Raise it in writing with your employer or HR.
- Contact your trade union or shop steward, if you have one.
- Read the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s family leave guidance and ask for advice from the authorities listed there.
- Consider a labour-law adviser. Time limits can apply to claims, so do not wait.
I could not verify the exact complaint procedures from an official English source; see the fact-check flags.
How to apply for pregnancy and parental allowance in Finland
- Check eligibility and deadlines. You must live or work in Finland, plus hold a residence permit if you are a non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen. Apply within two months of each leave period starting (Kela).
- Get the pregnancy certificate. Ask the neuvola once you are 154 days pregnant; it is needed for pregnancy allowance and can also support the maternity grant application (Kela).
- Notify your employer at least two months before leave starts.
- Apply to Kela. Use OmaKela (Finnish and Swedish only, with online banking credentials or a mobile ID) or print and post form SV 15e, which is available in English. Each parent applies separately.
- Provide documents and income information. The application tells you which documents to attach. If you use OmaKela, you can photograph them and upload them there.
- Confirm whether your employer pays salary. If so, Kela pays the allowance to the employer, who must make a separate application.
- Check the decision and payment dates in OmaKela. Decisions arrive in Finnish or Swedish. Allowances are paid in arrears in batches of up to 25 working days.
Practical examples for international employees
These are illustrations, not predictions. Real outcomes depend on your contract, income and residence status.
Example 1: an employed parent planning pregnancy leave
A parent on a permanent €30,000 salary gets a pregnancy certificate at week 22, tells the employer two months ahead, and starts leave 30 working days before the due date. Using Kela’s example rates, pregnancy allowance would be about €81.95 per working day for 40 days (€3,278.00). Parental allowance then pays €81.95 for the first 16 days (€1,311.20) and €63.99 for the remaining 144 days (€9,214.56). That is about €13,804 for the birthing parent’s 200 allowance days before tax. This is my arithmetic from Kela’s €30,000 example rates, so use Kela’s calculator for a real estimate.
Example 2: two parents dividing leave
Kela’s own example: two parents share their days equally. One takes 130 working days and returns to work while the other stays home. When the second parent’s leave ends, the first uses her remaining 30 days as one day a week before the child turns two, working a four-day week by agreement with her employer (Kela). They could also use up to 18 days at home together.
Example 3: a foreign employee checking eligibility after moving
A non-EU citizen with a valid residence permit starts a job in Finland four months before the due date. They live and work in Finland, so they can apply for allowance, and the amount rests on Finnish income, which may be modest after only a few months. They cannot yet use OmaKela, so they post form SV 15e and call Kela’s English-language line to check the income used. If the family had arrived from another EU country mid-leave, the days already paid there would be deducted from the 160 available in Finland.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming full salary. Kela pays a reduced allowance, and employers are not obliged to top it up.
- Treating a work permit as automatic Kela eligibility. Kela decides your status case by case.
- Using outdated paternity rules. Pages that talk about 54 paternity days or €29.05 minimums describe the old system.
- Missing deadlines. Tell your employer two months ahead and apply to Kela within two months of each period starting.
- Relying on unverified amounts. Check Kela’s calculator and its current rates.
- Skipping the collective agreement. It may give paid days or notice rules that the law does not.
Frequently asked questions
How long is maternity leave in Finland?
The birthing parent has 40 working days of pregnancy allowance, then up to 160 days of parental allowance, plus any days the other parent gives them.
Is maternity leave paid in Finland?
Yes, through Kela, but at a rate below your salary. The minimum is €31.99 per working day in 2026. Employer pay depends on your contract or collective agreement.
How much parental leave can fathers take in Finland?
A father, or the second parent, has 160 working days of their own, and can use up to 63 more if the other parent gives them away. The days must be used before the child turns two.
Can foreign workers receive parental allowance in Finland?
Yes, if they live or work in Finland. Non-EU, EEA and Swiss citizens also need a residence permit. Kela assesses each case.
Can both parents take parental leave at the same time?
Yes, for up to 18 working days. Parents of twins can take 90 additional shared days for each additional child, 108 in total.
Does an employer have to pay salary during parental leave?
No. Many collective agreements include some paid days, so check yours. If salary continues, Kela pays the allowance to the employer.
How do I apply for Kela parental allowance?
Apply through OmaKela or on form SV 15e, within two months of each leave period starting. Each parent applies separately, and your employer must also apply if it pays salary.
Can I receive parental benefits if I move to Finland while caring for a child?
Possibly. If another EU or EEA country is already paying, it usually continues first. Finland can then pay the remaining difference in days, up to 160 per parent for a child under one.
Final thoughts
Finland’s system gives both parents an equal quota, but what you actually receive depends on three separate things: Kela eligibility, your employer’s pay terms, and your protection under employment law. Read your contract and any collective agreement before you accept an offer, and confirm your own position with Kela, because rules and amounts change.
If you are looking for work in Finland, browse current job openings on Jobspointer.com and build your resume before you apply. Listings change often and Jobspointer cannot guarantee any job or visa outcome, so check each employer and offer independently.
Last verified against Kela on 24 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.