Absence permits and time adjustments related to parenthood and family events in the public service
Verified 09 July 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
Officials and contract staff shall be entitled tospecial absence authorizations related to parenting and certain family events. They can also benefit of timetable arrangements for the same reasons. We detail their conditions of attribution.
Warning
The provisions described on this page are applicable from 1er January 2027.
Until 31 December 2026, the provisions described on the following pages shall apply:
Special absence authorizations
You may be granted special leave of absence for the following reasons:
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Medical monitoring of pregnancy: mandatory medical examinations
You have a special leave of absence to attend the compulsory medical examinations as part of the medical supervision of pregnancy and the aftermath of childbirth in the event that these examinations must take place during working time.
Every pregnant woman shall be provided with medical supervision of pregnancy and the aftermath of childbirth, which shall include, in particular, compulsory prenatal and postnatal examinations carried out or prescribed by a doctor or midwife.
Mandatory medical examinations of pregnant women are 7 for a pregnancy progressing to its end.
The 1er examination prenatal medical must take place before the end of the 3e month of pregnancy.
The other examinations must take place every month from 1er day of 4e month and until delivery.
One postnatal medical examination must be carried out within 8 weeks of delivery.
If it is public official or employee, the person who lives with you also benefits from a special leave of absence to attend 3 of these examinations compulsory medical care.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Authorization of absence during pregnancy
If you are pregnant, you can benefit, subject to service requirements, a special authorization for the absence ofone hour per day from 1er day of your 3e month of pregnancy and until the start date of your maternity leave.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
If your application is rejected due to service requirements, your employer administration must provide reasons for its decision.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Childcare or sick child
You can benefit from special absence permissions, subject to service requirements, if you are required to take time off work to care for or provide temporary care for one or more children under the age of 16 for whom you are effectively responsible.
The cumulative duration of these special absence authorizations shall be equal to 6 days a year for a full-time and full-time staff member.
In the case of part-time or incomplete or incomplete employment, this period shall be reduced in proportion to the working time.
No age limit is set when the child is disabled.
The duration 6 days is doubled if you are the sole caregiver of the child(ren).
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
If your application is rejected due to service requirements, your employer administration must provide reasons for its decision.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Marriage or Civil partnerships
You benefit from a special authorization of absence of 5 days on the occasion of your marriage or the conclusion of a Civil partnerships: titleContent.
The duration of these special absence authorizations may be increased by a maximum of 2 days when your wedding or Civil partnership involves a trip:
- Outside the country of your administrative residence
- In a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia when you do not have your administrative residence there.
- In metropolitan France when you have your administrative residence in a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
Special leave of absence must begin within one month from the date of your marriage or Civil partnership.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Occurrence of a disability, chronic disease or cancer in a child
You benefit from a special authorization of absence of 5 days on the occasion of your child's announcement:
- The occurrence of a disability
- Of a chronic pathology requiring therapeutic learning
- From cancer.
Chronic diseases requiring therapeutic learning are the following chronic diseases:
- Disabling stroke
- Bone marrow failure and other chronic cytopenias
- Chronic arteriopathies with ischemic manifestations
- Complicated Bilharzia
- Severe heart failure, severe arrhythmias, severe valvular heart disease severe congenital heart disease
- Active chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis
- Severe primary immunodeficiency requiring prolonged treatment, human immunodeficiency virus infection
- Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes
- Severe forms of neurological and muscular disorders (including myopathy), severe epilepsy
- Hemoglobinopathies, hemolysis, chronic constitutional and acquired severe
- Serious hemophilia and constitutional disorders of hemostasis
- Coronary heart disease
- Severe chronic respiratory failure
- Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
- Parkinson's disease
- Inherited metabolic diseases requiring prolonged specialized treatment
- Cystic fibrosis
- Severe chronic nephropathy and primary nephrotic syndrome
- Paraplegia
- Vasculitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis
- Progressive rheumatoid arthritis
- Long-term psychiatric disorders
- Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Progressive structural idiopathic scoliosis
- Severe spondylitis
- Organ Transplant Suites
- Active tuberculosis, leprosy
- Malignant neoplasm, malignant disease of lymphatic or hematopoietic tissue.
Chronic conditions requiring therapeutic learning also include:
- The rare diseases listed in the Orphanet nomenclature
- Severe allergies resulting in the prescription of an injectable treatment.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Death of your spouse
You benefit from a special authorization of absence of 5 days upon the death of your spouse or partner Civil partnerships: titleContent or the person with whom you live in a marriage.
The duration of these special absence authorizations may be increased by a maximum of 2 days where the death for which they are granted involves displacement:
- Outside the country of your administrative residence
- In a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia when you do not have your administrative residence there
- In metropolitan France when you have your administrative residence in a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
Special leave of absence must begin within one month of the date of death.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Death of a parent, brother or sister
You benefit from a special authorization of absence of 3 days in the event of death:
- From your father or mother
- From the person who lives with your father or mother
- From a brother or sister.
The duration of these special absence authorizations may be increased by 2 days maximum where the death for which they are granted involves displacement:
- Outside the country of your administrative residence
- In a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia when you do not have your administrative residence there.
- In metropolitan France when you have your administrative residence in a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
Special leave of absence must begin within one month of the date of death.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Death of a child
You have a special leave of absence when a child dies.
The duration of the special leave of absence is as follows:
Situation of the child | Duration of the special leave of absence | |
|---|---|---|
Elderly child 25 years of age or older of which you are the parent | 12 working days | |
Child aged of under 25 of which you are the parent | 14 working days | + 8 additional days that can be taken in one or more times within 1 year from death |
Child of which you are the parent and himself a parent | ||
Child under 25 years old for which you had the effective and permanent charge | ||
The duration of these special absence authorizations may be increased by a maximum of 2 days where the death for which they are granted involves displacement:
- Outside the country of your administrative residence
- In a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia when you do not have your administrative residence there.
- In metropolitan France when you have your administrative residence in a French overseas territory or in New Caledonia.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
Special leave of absence must begin within one month of the date of death.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
If you benefit from a medical assistance for procreation, you have a special leave of absence for necessary medical procedures in the event that such medical procedures are to take place during working time.
If it is public official or employee, the person who lives with you also benefits from a special leave of absence to attend 3 of these medical procedures required for each protocol of the medical assistance pathway.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Adoption procedure
If you are involved in an adoption procedure, you have special leave of absence to report to the mandatory interviews necessary to obtain approval in the event that such interviews are to take place during working time.
The maximum number of absence authorizations shall be 5 days per approval procedure.
These absence authorizations are granted ex officio, i.e. your employer administration cannot refuse them.
How to apply for leave of absence?
In order to obtain a special leave of absence, you must send a written request to your line manager.
You must provide the necessary supporting documents in good time to support your application.
How are absence permits granted?
Special leave of absence may be granted by day or half day.
They must be taken at the event justifying them.
What are the effects of absence authorizations on the administrative situation of the staff member?
The period of absence resulting from special leave authorizations shall be treated as a period of activity. It does not affect your annual leave entitlements and, if you are a civil servant, your promotion entitlements (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the period during which you have a special leave of absence does not entitle you to RTT.
Hourly arrangements
Hourly arrangements may be granted, subject to service requirements, to enable the deferral of working hours within minimum working hours working time, except in the case of arrangements for breastfeeding.
Hours carried forward do not constitute overtime.
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Back to school
Hourly adjustments can be granted to you during the start of the school year if you have the care of one or more children enrolled in a kindergarten or elementary school.
Birth and Parenting Preparation Sessions
During your pregnancy, you can take advantage of time adjustments to attend the birth and parenting preparation sessions.
If it is public official, the person who lives with you can also benefit from scheduling arrangements to attend birth and parenting preparation sessions.
Agent representing or delegating parents of pupils
If you are elected as a parent representative or delegate, you may benefit from time adjustments to attend the following meetings:
- School councils in nursery and elementary schools
- Standing committees, class councils and boards of directors in colleges, high schools and special education institutions.
Time adjustments may also be granted if you are appointed to ensure, within the framework of a special commission under the authority of a school principal, the organization and proper conduct of the elections of representatives of parents of pupils to school boards.
Breastfeeding a child
If you are breastfeeding your child, you can benefit from a schedule that allows you to interrupt your work during a maximum total duration of one hour per day during one year from the day of birth of your child.
The conditions of such interruption, which may be divided into several periods during the working day, shall be determined by mutual agreement between the official and his line manager.
The time corresponding to the periods of interruption shall not give rise to any postponement.
This time is considered as a period of activity. It does not affect your entitlement to annual leave and advancement (step and grade).
This time of absence is also taken into account for retirement.
However, the time corresponding to the periods of interruption does not entitle you to RTT.
If you benefit from a medical assistance for procreation, you can benefit from time adjustments for the medical procedures necessary for each protocol of the medical assistance pathway.
If it is public official, the person who lives with you may also benefit from scheduling arrangements to attend these medical procedures necessary for each protocol of the medical assistance pathway.
National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)