Paternity and childcare leave in the civil service
Verified 17 July 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You are a public official and you are the second parent of a child (father or mother in case of early joint recognition) or you live as a couple with the mother of the child? You can benefit from paternity and childcare leave.
We present you the rules applicable to this leave depending on whether you are a civil servant or a contractor.
Public servant
You are entitled to paternity and foster care leave after the birth of a child in the following cases:
- You are the second parent of the child (father or mother in case of early joint recognition)
- You live as a couple with the mother.
You can benefit from paternity and childcare leave whether you are a trainee or permanent civil servant.
You can benefit from paternity and childcare leave if you are in position of activity or posting.
The duration of paternity and foster care leave is different in the case of the birth or foster care of a single child or in the case of the birth or foster care of several children.
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Birth or reception of a child
The duration of the leave shall be 25 calendar days maximum.
Of these 25 calendar days, 4 days must mandatory be taken consecutively and immediately after the 3-day birth leave.
You can choose to take the remaining 21 calendar days continuously or split into 2 periods of at least 5 days each.
These 21 days must be taken within 6 months of birth.
If the child is immediately hospitalized after birth in a specialized care unit, the period of leave of 4 consecutive days may be extended for the duration of the hospitalization, up to 30 consecutive days.
You have to apply for it.
Your employer administration cannot refuse this extension.
The specialized inpatient care units for the child eligible for this additional leave are:
- Neonatal Units
- Neonatal resuscitation units
- Pediatric Units for Newborns and Infants
- Undifferentiated pediatric and neonatal resuscitation units.
The 21 calendar day period must be taken within 6 months of the end of the hospitalization.
Birth or multiple reception
The duration of the leave shall be 32 calendar days maximum.
Of these 32 calendar days, 4 days must mandatory be taken consecutively and immediately after the 3-day birth leave.
You can choose to take the remaining 28 calendar days continuously or split into 2 periods of at least 5 days each.
These 28 days must be taken within 6 months of birth.
If the child is immediately hospitalized after birth in a specialized care unit, the period of leave of 4 consecutive days may be extended for the duration of the hospitalization, up to 30 consecutive days.
You have to apply for it.
Your employer administration cannot refuse this extension.
The specialized inpatient care units for the child eligible for this additional leave are:
- Neonatal Units
- Neonatal resuscitation units
- Pediatric Units for Newborns and Infants
- Undifferentiated pediatric and neonatal resuscitation units.
The 28 calendar day period must be taken within 6 months of the end of the hospitalization.
You must apply for paternity and foster care leave before the birth of the child.
The application for paternity and childcare leave may be postponed in the event ofhospitalization of the child or death of the mother.
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Before the birth of the child
You must submit your application for paternity and childcare leave to your head of department at least 1 month before the expected date of delivery.
You can write your leave request using the following template:
Apply for paternity and foster care leave
You must provide the following documents in support of your leave request:
- Copy of the pregnancy certificate issued by the doctor or midwife following the pregnancy
- Document proving that you are the second parent of the child (father or mother in case of early joint recognition) or person who lives with the mother (extract of marriage certificate or copy of Civil partnerships: titleContent or certificate of common life or cohabitation dated less than one year or certificate on the honor of marital life co-signed by the mother of the child)
Your application must indicate the expected date of delivery and the dates and durations of the leave period(s).
Within 8 days of giving birth, you must submit a document justifying the birth of the child:
- Full copy of birth certificate
- Or copy of the updated family record book
- Or copy of the child's act of recognition
- Or, in the case of the birth of a lifeless child, copy of the act of lifeless child and medical certificate of childbirth of a child born dead and viable.
One month before the second 21 or 28 day leave period, you must confirm to your department head your leave dates and, in case of splitting this period, the dates of each of the 2 periods.
If you are born prematurely, your leave starts immediately and you can take the second 21 or 28 day leave period in the month following the birth.
You must inform your administration without delay.
You must provide any evidence of the child's premature birth within 8 days of delivery.
If the child is hospitalized immediately after birth
In the event of hospitalization of the child after birth, you must send to your head of department, within 8 days of hospitalization, your request for postponement of leave and any document justifying the hospitalization of the child.
You can write your leave request using the following template:
In case of death of the mother during childbirth
If you are the second parent of the child (father or mother in case of early joint recognition), you can benefit from the maternity leave postnatal.
If the child's second parent does not apply for post-natal maternity leave, you may be eligible for this leave if you were living in a relationship with the mother.
You must send your request for postponement of paternity and childcare leave and any document justifying the death of the mother to your head of department within 8 days of the death.
The child's paternity and foster care leave must be taken within 6 months of the end of the postnatal leave.
You can write your leave request using the following template:
During your paternity and childcare leave, you continue to receive your full index treatment.
If you work part-time, you are automatically reinstated full-time during your paternity and childcare leave.
You also continue to collect in full the residence allowance and the New Index Subsidy (NBI) if you receive these top-ups.
If you already perceive the Family Treatment Supplement (FTS)However, the pension also continues to be paid to you in full during your leave.
The SFT for the new child is paid to you from 1er the day of the month following the month of his birth.
You continue to receive all your bonuses and allowances.
Paternity and childcare leave shall be considered as a period of activity for theadvancement of step and grade and retirement.
Paternity and childcare leave does not affect your entitlement to other leave (annual leave, sick leave, etc.).
If you are unable to take all or part of your annual leave before December 31 due to your paternity and childcare leave, you are entitled to the automatic carry-over of your annual leave outstanding over a period of 15 months.
You retain your acquired rights before the start of your paternity and childcare leave, including your training rights.
At the end of your paternity and foster leave, you are reassigned to your position.
If this is not possible, you are assigned to an equivalent job, the closest to your last place of work.
You can apply to be assigned to a job closer to your home, if the priorities for change granted to certain officials so permit.
FYI
If you are a civil servant on probation, paternity and childcare leave extends, under certain conditions, your internship duration without changing the date of your tenure.
Contractual
You are entitled to paternity and foster care leave after the birth of a child in the following cases:
- You are the second parent of the child (father or mother in case of early joint recognition)
- You live as a couple with the mother, without being the second parent of the child.
You can benefit from paternity and childcare leave whether you are in FIXED-TERM CONTRACT: titleContent or in DTA: titleContent.
You can benefit from paternity and childcare leave if you are working (i.e. if you are not on unpaid leave: parental leave, mobility leave, etc.).
The duration of paternity and foster care leave is different in the case of the birth or foster care of a single child or in the case of the birth or foster care of several children.
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Birth or reception of a child
The duration of the leave shall be 25 calendar days maximum.
Of these 25 calendar days, 4 days must mandatory be taken consecutively and immediately after the 3-day birth leave.
You can choose to take the remaining 21 calendar days continuously or split into 2 periods of at least 5 days each.
These 21 days must be taken within 6 months of birth.
If the child is immediately hospitalized after birth in a specialized care unit, the period of leave of 4 consecutive days may be extended for the duration of the hospitalization, up to 30 consecutive days.
You have to apply for it.
Your employer administration cannot refuse this extension.
The specialized inpatient care units for the child eligible for this additional leave are:
- Neonatal Units
- Neonatal resuscitation units
- Pediatric Units for Newborns and Infants
- Undifferentiated pediatric and neonatal resuscitation units.
The 21 calendar day period must be taken within 6 months of the end of the hospitalization.
Birth or multiple reception
The duration of the leave shall be 32 calendar days maximum.
Of these 32 calendar days, 4 days must mandatory be taken consecutively and immediately after the 3-day birth leave.
You can choose to take the remaining 28 calendar days continuously or split into 2 periods of at least 5 days each.
These 28 days must be taken within 6 months of birth.
If the child is immediately hospitalized after birth in a specialized care unit, the period of leave of 4 consecutive days may be extended for the duration of the hospitalization, up to 30 consecutive days.
You have to apply for it.
Your employer administration cannot refuse this extension.
The specialized inpatient care units for the child eligible for this additional leave are:
- Neonatal Units
- Neonatal resuscitation units
- Pediatric Units for Newborns and Infants
- Undifferentiated pediatric and neonatal resuscitation units.
The 28 calendar day period must be taken within 6 months of the end of the hospitalization.
You must apply for paternity and foster care leave before the birth of the child.
The application for paternity and childcare leave may be postponed in the event ofhospitalization of the child or death of the mother.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Before the birth of the child
You must submit your application for paternity and childcare leave to your head of department at least 1 month before the expected date of delivery.
You can write your leave request using the following template:
Apply for paternity and foster care leave
You must provide the following documents in support of your leave request:
- Copy of the pregnancy certificate issued by the doctor or midwife following the pregnancy
- Document proving that you are the second parent of the child (father or mother in case of early joint recognition) or person who lives with the mother (extract of marriage certificate or copy of Civil partnerships: titleContent or certificate of common life or cohabitation dated less than one year or certificate on the honor of marital life co-signed by the mother of the child)
Your application must indicate the expected date of delivery and the dates and durations of the leave period(s).
Within 8 days of giving birth, you must submit a document justifying the birth of the child:
- Full copy of birth certificate
- Or copy of the updated family record book
- Or copy of the child's act of recognition
- Or, in the case of the birth of a lifeless child, copy of the act of lifeless child and medical certificate of childbirth of a child born dead and viable.
One month before the second 21 or 28 day leave period, you must confirm to your department head your leave dates and, in case of splitting this period, the dates of each of the 2 periods.
If you are born prematurely, your leave starts immediately and you can take the second 21 or 28 day leave period in the month following the birth.
You must inform your administration without delay.
You must provide any evidence of the child's premature birth within 8 days of delivery.
If the child is hospitalized immediately after birth
In the event of hospitalization of the child after birth, you must send to your head of department, within 8 days of hospitalization, your request for postponement of leave and any document justifying the hospitalization of the child.
You can write your leave request using the following template:
In case of death of the mother during childbirth
If you are the second parent of the child (father or mother in case of early joint recognition), you can benefit from the maternity leave postnatal.
If the child's second parent does not apply for post-natal maternity leave, you may be eligible for this leave if you were living in a relationship with the mother.
You must send your request for postponement of paternity and childcare leave and any document justifying the death of the mother to your head of department within 8 days of the death.
The child's paternity and foster care leave must be taken within 6 months of the end of the postnatal leave.
You can write your leave request using the following template:
During your paternity and childcare leave, you continue to receive your full pay.
If you work part-time, you are automatically reinstated full-time during your paternity and childcare leave.
Paternity and childcare leave is considered to be a period of activity.
It is taken into account when calculating your length of service when a length of service condition is required to benefit from a right (for example, to apply for part-time work).
It does not reduce your entitlement to other leave (annual leave, sick leave, etc.).
If you are unable to take all or part of your annual leave before December 31 due to your paternity and childcare leave, you are entitled to the automatic carry-over of your annual leave outstanding over a period of 15 months.
You retain your acquired rights before the start of your paternity and childcare leave, including your training rights.
At the end of your leave, you are reassigned to your position.
If this is not possible, you have priority to be reemployed on a similar job with equivalent pay.
Leave related to the arrival of a child at home
Paternity and childcare leave (Article L631-9)
Articles 15, 16, 17, 32
Articles 10, 11, 12, 33
Articles 13, 14