Supplementary Birth Leave: Answers to all your questions

General presentation of supplementary birth leave

1. Where can I find information on supplementary birth leave?

The institutional sites and the sites of the national health insurance funds are regularly updated: service-public.gouv.fr, ameli.fr and msa.fr.

2. What is Supplementary Birth Leave?

Created by Article 99 of the Social Security Financing Act for 2026, supplementary birth leave allows insured persons who have previously benefited from maternity, paternity or childcare leave and adoption leave to benefit from a period of 1 or 2 months of supplementary compensated leave.

This new leave, the application of which has been specified by the decrees on supplementary birth leave published on May 31, 2026, is for a period of 1 or 2 months for each parent and can be divided into 2 periods of 1 month each at the request of the insured. This leave can be taken simultaneously by each parent or alternatively with the other parent, which allows for the addition of up to 4 months of parental care with the child for a couple, subject to any additional extensions through social dialog.

Compensation for additional birth leave benefits all active insured persons who meet the conditions for entitlement and membership, as a result of birth or adoption from 1^er January 2026 or if the child was born before that date but the date of birth was scheduled to start on 1^er January 2026.

Supplementary birth leave is created to promote the reconciliation of parental and professional life times, to allow the care of infants or children welcomed at home by their parents and to promote the sharing of parental tasks between men and women as soon as their child arrives.

3. Who is eligible for supplementary birth leave?

Supplementary birth leave benefits all insured persons who meet the conditions for entitlement and membership⁽¹⁾, following a birth or adoption from 1^er January 2026 (or, if the child was born before that date if the date of birth was scheduled to begin on 1^er January 2026) and who cease their activity during the period of the leave.

It is open to insured persons who are entitled to maternity, paternity and childcare leave or adoption leave and who have previously exhausted these leave entitlements.

It is also open to insured persons who did not meet the conditions for entitlement to maternity, paternity and childcare leave or adoption leave but who meet the conditions for entitlement to supplementary birth leave on the requested leave start date.

These insured persons must have the legal status of mother, father, spouse of the mother, person linked to the mother by a civil solidarity pact, cohabiting partner of the mother and adoptive parents.

^{(1)The employee cannot take additional birth leave without having taken maternity, adoption or paternity leave beforehand, as the case may be: the additional birth leave necessarily follows one of these leaves.However, there is a derogation: the condition of having exhausted his right to maternity, adoption or paternity leave and to receive the child does not apply to an employee who has not exercised all or part of this right because he has not fulfilled the conditions for receiving the daily social security allowance during this leave.}

^{(2) The amount of the contributions due for sickness, maternity, invalidity, death and other forms of insurance based on the remuneration received during the preceding six calendar months must be at least equal to the amount of the same contributions due for a salary equal to 1 015 times the value of Smic or the person concerned has worked at least 150 hours of salaried or equivalent work during the preceding three calendar months or 90 days.}

4. When can I apply for additional birth leave?

Supplementary birth leave is available from 1^er July 2026. The decrees on supplementary birth leave, published on 31 May 2026, specify the arrangements for taking the leave and its compensation.

The time limit for starting the supplementary birth leave, or the second month of leave if the leave is taken in a divided manner, is 9 months from the birth of the child or, for the adoptive parents, following the arrival of the child at home.

By way of derogation, if you are parents of children born or arrived at home between 1^er January and June 30, 2026 or whose date of birth was scheduled to start on June 1^er in january 2026, your additional birth leave must start within a maximum of 9 months from 1^er July 2026, before 1^er  April 2027. If you split your leave, the second part of the leave must also start within 9 months, i.e. before 1^er April 2027.

However, extended deadlines are allowed in some cases (see question 5).

5. Can the nine-month period for starting my additional birth leave be extended?

The 9-month period for starting the leave may be extended if maternity, paternity and childcare or adoption leave are themselves extended.

The deadline is extended if you are in one of the following cases:

• you have multiple births or already have dependent children;
• your prenatal leave has been partially postponed until after birth;
• you are an insured mother of the self-employed or PAMC scheme and have been granted 15 days of pathological leave during the postnatal period;
• in the event of the father taking maternity leave because of the mother's death following childbirth;
• your child has been hospitalized since birth;
• pursuant to a collective or branch decision, agreement or agreement for employees.

In these cases, the 9-month period will be increased by the extension of the duration of maternity, paternity and post-natal or adoption leave. However, the duration of the additional birth leave remains fixed at 1 or 2 months.

6. Is it necessary to have taken all of my maternity, paternity and foster care or adoption leave in order to receive the additional birth leave?

If you are an employee and you meet the conditions for entitlement to compensation for maternity, paternity and childcare leave or adoption leave, you must have taken one of these leaves in full to be eligible for the supplementary birth leave allowance.

If you are self-employed, you must have taken at least the compulsory period of maternity leave (8 weeks) or paternity and reception leave (7 days) if you met the conditions for entitlement to compensation for such leave.

You are an employee: what steps should you take with your employer?

7. How do I apply for additional birth leave from my employer?

If you wish to benefit from the supplementary birth leave, you must inform your employer, at least one month before the start of the leave, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or hand delivery against receipt specifying:

• the start date of the leave;
• its duration;
• its possible splitting (in the case of a duration of 2 months).

The 1-month notice period is reduced to 15 days when the leave is taken immediately after the child's paternity and care leave or adoption leave to avoid any formality impossible in the event of birth before the expected end (the duration of the paternity and care leave is 25 days for the birth of a child^4., which is therefore less than the one-month notice period; adoption leave, when shared between the two parents, may be divided for each parent into two periods, each lasting at least 25 days⁽⁵⁾).

^{(4) C. trav., art. L. 1225-35.}

^{(5) C. trav., art. D. 1225-11-1.}

8. Can the employer refuse or postpone my leave?

Supplementary birth leave is a right. Your employer cannot refuse leave or require it to be postponed if you meet all the requirements.

You cannot take additional birth leave without having taken maternity, adoption or paternity leave beforehand, as the case may be: the additional birth leave must therefore follow one of these leaves (immediately or begins within the period of 9 months following the birth of the child).

However, there is a derogation: the condition of having exhausted the right to maternity, adoption or paternity leave and childcare does not apply to an employee who has not exercised all or part of this right because he or she has not fulfilled the conditions for receiving daily social security allowances during this leave.

9. During my supplementary birth leave, what is the protection against dismissal in the event of CDI?

During the additional birth leave, the employer cannot terminate your employment contract unless it justifies gross negligence against you or its inability to keep this contract for a foreigner reason at the birth or arrival of the child.

However, such leave does not preclude the expiry of the term of a CDD.

In the event of a change of employer, if you have not exhausted your rights to additional birth leave, you are required to inform your new employer of the dates on which you wish to take the remaining fraction, under the same conditions as mentioned above.

10. How is the period of supplementary birth leave taken into account for the calculation of my company entitlements and pension entitlements?

The duration of the leave is treated as a period of actual work for the purpose of determining the rights which the employee derives from his seniority and the latter retains the benefit of all the advantages which he had acquired before the start of that leave.

The period of absence of the employee for additional birth leave is fully taken into account for the calculation of the personal training account.

In the case of pension rights: a quarter will be validated under pension insurance as long as the duration of the additional birth leave is at least 58 days.

11. What are my rights in the company after the additional birth leave?

At the end of the additional birth leave, you must return to your previous job or a similar job with at least equivalent pay.

You are also entitled to a career interview, if this interview has not already been carried out at the end of maternity, paternity and foster or adoption leave.

12. Under what circumstances can I terminate my additional birth leave early?

In the event of the death of your child or a significant decrease in the resources of your household, you have the right (without obligation) to resume your activity before the planned end of the additional birth leave.

In such a situation, if you wish to resume your activity, you must notify your employer, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or delivery against receipt at least eight days before the desired resumption date. You must attach the supporting documents to your application.

Compensation by the health insurance fund will end on the date of return to work. The health insurance fund must be informed by the employer. You can also inform your health insurance fund of this change.

You are an employee: how is your additional birth leave compensated?

13. What are the conditions for entitlement to receive compensation for supplementary birth leave from social security?

Supplementary birth leave is compensated by the health insurance fund, which verifies, after receiving the request transmitted by the employer, that the insured person meets the conditions for entitlement, on the date of commencement of the supplementary birth leave.

If you are an employee, the right to compensation is open if you meet one of the following conditions:

(a) Either the amount of contributions due for sickness, maternity, invalidity and death insurance based on the earnings you have received during the previous six calendar months is at least equal to the amount of the same contributions due for a salary equal to 1,015 times the value of the minimum growth wage on the first day of the reference period;

b) Either you have worked at least 150 hours of salaried or similar work in the 3 calendar months or the previous 90.

You must also have at least six months of compulsory social security coverage at the start date of the leave.

Finally, if you meet the conditions for entitlement to compensation for maternity, paternity and childcare leave or adoption leave, you must have taken one of these leave in full in order to be eligible for compensation for additional birth leave (see question 6).

14. If I am an employee but have not been able to take my maternity, paternity and foster care or adoption leave because I did not meet the conditions for entitlement, can I still take supplementary birth leave?

If you are an employee and do not meet the conditions for entitlement to maternity, paternity and foster care leave and adoption leave, you can still apply for additional birth leave if you meet the conditions. The conditions for entitlement to supplementary birth leave are checked by your health insurance fund according to your situation at the start date of this leave. In the case of splitting, these conditions shall be examined only on the start date of the first period.

15. How much is the additional birth leave compensated?

If you are an employee, the additional birth leave is compensated at 70% of the net salary in the first month and 60% of the salary in the second month. The salary used by the health insurance fund to calculate the daily allowance paid is limited to the monthly social security ceiling, the monthly value of which is €4,005 at 1^er January 2026.

This is the gross salary of the last 3 months preceding the start of the leave, declared by the employer and reduced by the rate of 21% (flat rate representative of the wage share of contributions and contributions of legal or conventional origin made mandatory by law), provided for by the decree of 28 March 2013.

In order to calculate the daily allowance of the insured employee, the health insurance fund proceeds in several stages.

For example, for an insured employee with a gross salary of €2,000 per month:

• The daily allowance is calculated by adding the gross salaries of the last three months preceding the leave: 2 000 € X 3 = 6 000 €.
• This amount is multiplied by 0.79 to deduct employee contributions: €6,000 X 0.79 = €4,740.
• The result is divided by 91,25 to get the amount per day: 4 740 X 91,25 = 51,95 €.

For the first month:

• The amount of the daily allowance is then multiplied by 0,7 in the first month with the degressivity of 70 %: 51,95 € X 0,7 = 36,365 €.
• Finally, the amount of CSG and CRDS is deducted (6.7%): €36.365 X €0.933 = €33.92. Thus, the daily allowance paid by the health insurance fund during the first month will be € 33.92.

For the second month:

• The amount of the daily allowance is multiplied by 0,6 in the second month with the degressivity of 60 %: 51,95 € X 0,6 = 31,17 €.
• Finally, the amount of CSG and CRDS is deducted (6.7%): €31.17 X €0.933 = €29.08. Thus, the daily allowance paid by the health insurance fund during the second month will be € 29.08.

The employer has no legal obligation to pay additional wages during the additional birth leave. However, a collective agreement or arrangement may provide for more favorable provisions.

16. Do I have to contact my health insurance fund to receive compensation?

If you are an employee, no procedure is required with your health insurance fund. Your fund is informed by your employer of the leave request you have made to it.

However, it is possible that your health insurance fund will ask you for additional documents, such as a birth certificate for example.

• In case of payment of the supplementary birth leave compensation: the health insurance fund will not send you a letter if the conditions for a supplementary birth leave compensation are met. You will receive your compensation at the end of each month of leave taken. After payment, a statement of daily allowances or benefits will be sent to you.
• In case of inability to pay: the health insurance fund will send you a letter if the conditions for compensation of additional birth leave are not met.

17. If I am insured as an employee with more than one employer (multi-employer), should I be on supplementary birth leave with all my employers at the same time?

Yes, if you are a multi-employer employee insured, you must be on additional birth leave with all your employers at the same time. Supplementary birth leave is an employee's right. It is for a period of 1 month or 2 months (see question 2) that the employee has one or more employment contracts.

In addition, the insured person must cease all paid work and, more generally, all professional activity during his supplementary birth leave. A multi-employer insured person cannot therefore be on supplementary birth leave with employer A and continue to work with employer B.

The employee must therefore declare the same dates of supplementary birth leave with all his employers. Otherwise, the health insurance fund will compensate the first period declared but will not compensate other periods if the insured has already received two months of additional birth leave.

18. If I am an insured person who has several paid and self-employed (multi-active) professional activities, do I have to interrupt all my professional activities at the same time in order to benefit from the additional birth leave?

Yes, if you are a multi-active insured, you must stop all your professional activities on the same dates to benefit from the additional birth leave. Supplementary birth leave is for a period of one month or two months (see question 2) regardless of the insured person's situation (employee, multi-employer employee, self-employed worker, or multi-active worker).

You must declare the same dates of supplementary birth leave to your employer for paid work and to the health insurance fund for a temporary cessation of activity as a self-employed person.

At the same time, if you wish to interrupt your supplementary birth leave and you meet the conditions (see question 12), you will have to resume all your activities (paid work and self-employment) on the same date.

Procedures and compensation for self-employed workers

19. As a self-employed worker, what steps do I need to take in order to receive the supplementary daily birth allowance?

As a self-employed worker who wishes to receive additional daily birth benefits, you must submit your request to your health insurance fund, via my simplified procedures (https://demarche.numerique.gouv.fr).

In the form, you will specify the dates of cessation of activity^6., any splitting, and send a certificate of temporary cessation of activity and any other additional documents necessary to prove your status.

No notice period is provided for a self-employed worker, the health insurance fund will therefore accept applications until the start date of the cessation period.

^{(6) The self-employed person must temporarily cease his activity during the period during which he receives the supplementary daily birth allowance (1 month or 2 months).}

20. What are the conditions for entitlement to additional daily birth allowances when I cease to work?

You must prove that you have ceased to work and that you have been in the labor force for at least six months at the start date of the supplementary birth leave.

In addition, you must have taken, at a minimum, the mandatory period of maternity leave (8 weeks) or paternity and host leave (7 days) when you met the conditions for entitlement to compensation for such leave.

21. If I have not been able to receive maternity, paternity and foster care or adoption allowances because I did not meet the eligibility requirements, can I claim additional daily birth allowances?

If you do not meet the conditions for entitlement to maternity, paternity and care leave and adoption leave, you can nevertheless apply for additional daily birth allowances. In this case, it is therefore not necessary to have exhausted her rights to maternity, paternity and foster and adoption leave. The conditions for entitlement will be verified by the health insurance fund on the date of cessation of activity (date of the first period in case of splitting).

22. How much will my additional birth leave be compensated?

The amount of your fixed daily allowance is equal to 1/730^e the annual value of the annual social security ceiling, prorated to 70 % in the first month and 60 % in the second month.

To calculate your daily allowance, the health insurance fund carries out several calculation steps:

For a self-employed person with an average annual activity income above the minimum threshold, set at 10 % of the average of the three annual social security ceilings:

Annual social security threshold (PAS) = €48,060

Gross JI amount before degressivity (PAS/730) = €65.84

> Degressivity 1^er month = 65,84 x 0,7 = 46,08 €

Net YI amount 1^er month = 46,08 € - 6,7 % = 43 €

> Degressivity 2^e month = 65,84 x 0,6 = 39,50 €

Amount of net YI 2^e month 39,50 - 6,7 % = 36,85 €

For self-employed workers whose average annual activity income (AAAR) is less than 10% of the average of the three annual social security ceilings, their flat-rate daily allowance will be equal to 10% of the standard flat-rate daily allowance and will not be reduced to 70% and 60% of this value.

For a self-employed person with an average annual activity income below the annual value of the last three annual social security ceilings:

• Annual social security threshold (PAS)= 48 060 €
• Contribution threshold (average of the last 3 PAS) = €4,582

> Gross YI amount (10 % of full YI) = €6.58

> Amount of net YI (10 % of full YI) = 6,58 - 6,7 % = 6,14 €

23. Under what circumstances can I terminate my additional birth leave early?

In the event of the child's death or a significant decrease in the household's resources, you have the right to resume your activity before the planned end of the supplementary birth leave.

You inform your health insurance fund by any means of the resumption of activity. You must attach the supporting documents to your application. The compensation will end on the day of resumption of activity.

Procedures and compensation for job seekers

24. Can I benefit from additional birth leave as a jobseeker? What are the steps?

If you are a jobseeker who is unemployed and is receiving a return-to-work (ARE) allowance, you may be entitled to the supplementary birth leave as a continuation of entitlement. However, if you do not meet the conditions for entitlement in the period prior to unemployment, you will not be able to benefit from the additional paid birth leave.

You must send your request for additional birth leave to your health insurance fund and inform France Travail at the same time.

As the return-to-work allowance cannot be cumulated with that received during the additional birth leave, my unemployment benefits will be suspended during this period.

Rules on non-cumulation of daily allowances paid during supplementary birth leave

25. Can I combine additional birth leave with other benefits?

Whether your child was born in the first semester of 2026 or after 1^er in july 2026, you cannot take your additional birth leave at the same time as your parental education leave when it is compensated by the shared child-rearing benefit. However, you can take advantage of these two benefits one after the other, in any order.

Similarly, regardless of your child's date of birth or adoption, compensation for additional birth leave cannot be combined with:

• Additional freedom to choose the method of custody for the same child (except for a specific derogation for children born or adopted in the first half of 2026);
• The daily allowance for parental presence;
• The daily caregiver allowance;
• Daily sickness allowances;
• Daily maternity, paternity or adoption allowances;
• Daily accident at work or occupational sickness allowances or unemployment benefits.

26. Does the fact that it is impossible to combine the free choice of custody (CMG) with the supplementary birth leave concern the same child or does that rule also apply where the two arrangements concern different children within the same household?

You cannot receive the GMC and the Supplementary Birth Leave allowance at the same time for the same child unless your child was born or adopted between 1^er January 2026 and June 30, 2026 or that his birth was scheduled to begin on June 1^er January 2026. In this case, you can combine these 2 benefits.

27. What happens if, during my birth leave, I relapse after an accident at work or occupational disease?

If a relapse of an accident at work or occupational disease occurs during a additional birth leave and that the professional nature is recognized, since the daily allowances cannot be cumulated, AT-MP daily allowances shall be paid during the supplementary birth leave for the entire period of incapacity for work prior to recovery/consolidation in place of the daily birth allowance, where applicable with differential supplement.