The Five Most Frequently Asked Questions About Maternity Leave

Quick Overview

• Maternity leave begins 6 to 8 weeks before the due date.
• Maternity leave lasts 28 weeks, or 37 weeks in the case of multiple births.
• Maternity benefits amount to 70% of the reduced daily assessment base.
• Self-employed individuals must have voluntary sickness insurance.
• You must request regular vacation following maternity leave in writing and in a timely manner.

Not sure if you’re eligible for maternity leave, how to apply for it, or how to proceed in a dispute with your employer? Describe your situation to us, and our attorney will suggest the next steps within 24 hours.

How do I apply for maternity leave?

Maternity benefits are paid by the Czech Social Security Administration. You submit your application for maternity leave using a form provided by your attending physician —a gynecologist. The physician will also fill in the expected date of delivery in Part A of the form, which determines the possible start date of your maternity leave. You then fill in the required information in Part B.

Afterward, simply submit the form to your employer, who will forward it to the relevant district Social Security Administration office. Self-employed individuals can apply for maternity leave at the relevant district Social Security Administration office, either in person or electronically.
The application for benefits is submitted using the prescribed form, “Application for Maternity Benefits.” However, do not look for a template online. The form is available only in printed form at the district social security office.

We know from experience that problems most often arise not because of the application itself, but due to poor timing or unclear communication with the employer. Expectant mothers often confuse maternity leave, maternity benefits, and parental leave. However, each of these terms means something different and is governed by different rules.

How much is maternity leave pay, and can you influence the amount?

While caring for your baby, you are entitled to 70% of the reduced daily assessment base per calendar day. The daily assessment base is calculated as the sum of your gross income divided by the number of calendar days (the calculation is usually based on income from the past 12 months, taking into account excluded days, such as periods of illness, etc.). Similar to regular sick pay, the income is then reduced using three reduction thresholds.

In 2026, maternity benefits are calculated based on the reduced daily assessment base. The reduction thresholds for 2026 are:

• up to 1,633 Kč is counted at 100%,
• 60% is counted for amounts from 1,633 Kč to 2,449 Kč,
• 30% is counted for amounts from 2,449 Kč to 4,897 Kč,
• amounts above 4,897 Kč are not taken into account.

The benefit itself is then 70% of this reduced daily assessment base per calendar day.

You caninfluence the amount of your maternity leave provided that you are able to influence the amount of your income. Theoretically, you could ask for a raise before or during your pregnancy, or accept a different, well-paid position that you’ve avoided until now for whatever reason. In reality, however, it’s probably not that easy to deliberately influence your salary—and thus the amount of your maternity benefits—so this tends to remain just a theoretical possibility.

When should you start your maternity leave, and how long does it last?

The start of maternity leave depends on the due date determined by your doctor. You can begin maternity leave six to eight weeks before this due date. Within this timeframe, you can choose when to start your maternity leave.

The duration of maternity leave has remained unchanged for years, so even in 2026, it will still be 28 weeks for the birth of one child. Only mothers of two or more children are eligible for an extension of maternity leave. In such cases, maternity leave lasts 37 weeks. To determine the end date of maternity leave, simply add the appropriate number of weeks to the start date of your maternity leave.

If a child is born prematurely, before the official start date permitted by law, maternity leave begins at that moment. The start of maternity leave marks the beginning of the so-called support period, during which you are also entitled to financial assistance.

Given the frequent confusion between the terms “maternity leave ” and “parental leave,” we also receive questions about “three-year maternity leave” and “extending maternity leave to four years.” In this case, however, it refers exclusively to parental leave, which follows maternity leave. With parental leave, you can indeed choose how long you’ll stay home with your child—either one, two, three, or four years.

After a certain period has elapsed, the child’s father may take maternity leave. The child’s father may assume care of the child and receive maternity benefits starting from the beginning of the seventh week after birth, provided he enters into a written agreement with the child’s mother regarding the assumption of care. However, do not confuse this option with so-called “paternity leave,” which is a legal entitlement to time off for fathers following the birth of their child.

A common mistake among fathers is confusing paternity leave with maternity benefits. Paternity leave is a short-term benefit following the birth of a child, whereas a father can receive maternity benefits only starting from the beginning of the seventh week after childbirth and only if he meets the legal requirements.

Regular Vacation Following the End of Maternity Leave

Maternity leave (unlike parental leave) is considered time worked for the purposes of annual leave entitlement. If you are employed before taking your vacation, your maternity leave counts toward your days worked, and you also become entitled to regular vacation. You can take this vacation before starting parental leave if that is your plan.

A necessary condition is that you must request it yourself. You do not need to find a specific template for the request. You simply need to follow a few requirements. The request must be submitted in writing, addressed to your employer, and must include the date, location, and your signature.

The request must be submitted before you start your regular vacation, i.e., no later than the end date of your maternity leave. In this case, your employer is required to grant your request. However, if you do not submit your request on time, you will not lose your vacation entitlement, but you will not be able to choose when to take it.

In labor law practice, we often encounter situations where an employee requests vacation too late or only verbally. This unnecessarily complicates the situation. The ideal approach is to submit a simple written request before the end of your maternity leave and have the employer confirm receipt.

Is your employer refusing to allow you to take vacation after maternity leave, or claiming that you’re not entitled to it? Contact us—we’ll protect your rights.

Are self-employed individuals entitled to maternity leave?

Maternity leave falls under sickness insurance benefits. However, payment of sickness insurance is not mandatory for self-employed individuals. Nevertheless, any self-employed person may voluntarily enroll in sickness insurance.

Self-employed mothers are eligible for maternity leave if they have paid sickness insurance for at least 270 days (i.e., nine months) during the two years prior to the start of maternity leave, including at least 180 days (six months) in the last year. This requirement is intended to prevent an expectant mother from starting to pay into sickness insurance specifically for this purpose only after she discovers she is pregnant. Of course, she may do so out of concern for a common illness, but even in such a case, she will not be eligible for sick pay until at least three months after she begins making contributions.

A self-employed woman who meets the above condition for sickness benefit payments may receive financial assistance, just like an employee, no earlier than the eighth week (and no later than the sixth week) before her due date. Here, too, the entitlement to benefits lasts for 28 weeks (or 37 weeks in the case of multiple births).

Are you self-employed and unsure whether you meet the eligibility requirements for maternity benefits? For self-employed individuals, the specific dates of sickness insurance payments are decisive, so it’s worth verifying your eligibility in advance.

Summary

Maternity leave in 2026 lasts 28 weeks, or 37 weeks in the case of the birth of two or more children. It generally begins 6 to 8 weeks before the expected date of delivery. During this period, a woman may be eligible for maternity benefits, which amount to 70% of the reduced daily assessment base and are paid by the Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ). Employees submit their application to their employer; self-employed individuals handle it directly with the relevant social security office and must meet the conditions for voluntary health insurance. After maternity leave ends, an employee may request regular vacation time before starting parental leave. The child’s father may receive maternity benefits starting from the beginning of the seventh week after childbirth, provided he meets the legal requirements and enters into a written agreement with the mother regarding the assumption of care.