Paternity and childcare leave in the civil service

Verified 01 June 2026 - Public Service / 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 contract employee.

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 civil servant trainee or holder.

You can benefit from paternity and childcare leave if you are in position of activity or secondment.

The duration of paternity and care leave for the child is different in the case of the birth or care of a single child or in the case of the birth or 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 obligatory 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 4 consecutive days of leave 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 period of 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 obligatory 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 4 consecutive days of leave 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 period of 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.

You must apply for paternity and childcare 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 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:

Applying for paternity and childcare 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 request must indicate the expected date of delivery and the dates and duration 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 the birth certificate
  • Or copy of the updated family record book
  • Or copy of the child's acknowledgement
  • Or, in the case of the birth of a lifeless child, copy of the act of lifeless child and medical certificate of delivery of a dead and viable born child.

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 immediately.

You must provide any evidence of the premature birth of the child 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:

Request postponement of paternity and foster care leave in the event of hospitalization of the child

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 postnatal maternity leave, you can take it if you were living 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:

Applying for paternity and childcare leave

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 for the duration of your paternity and childcare leave.

You also continue to collect in full the residence allowance and the new index increase (NBI) if you receive these top-ups.

If you already perceive the family treatment supplement (FTS), it 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 perceive your bonuses and allowances.

Paternity and childcare leave is considered as a period of activity for the child.step and grade advancement and retirement.

Paternity and childcare leave does not affect your entitlement to other leave (annual leave, sick leave, etc.).

If you cannot take all or part of your annual leave before December 31 because of 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 rights to training.

At the end of your paternity and foster care leave, you can apply for additional birth leave.

If you do not wish to benefit from this additional leave or if you do not wish to benefit from it immediately after your paternity and host 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 public servants 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: 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 care leave for the child is different in the case of the birth or care of a single child or in the case of the birth or 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 obligatory 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 4 consecutive days of leave 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 period of 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 obligatory 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 4 consecutive days of leave 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 period of 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.

You must apply for paternity and childcare 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 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:

Applying for paternity and childcare 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 request must indicate the expected date of delivery and the dates and duration 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 the birth certificate
  • Or copy of the updated family record book
  • Or copy of the child's acknowledgement
  • Or, in the case of the birth of a lifeless child, copy of the act of lifeless child and medical certificate of delivery of a dead and viable born child.

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 immediately.

You must provide any evidence of the premature birth of the child 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:

Request postponement of paternity and foster care leave in the event of hospitalization of the child

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 can take it if you were living 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:

Applying for paternity and childcare leave

During your paternity and childcare leave, you continue to receive your full remuneration.

If you work part-time, you are automatically reinstated full-time for the duration of your paternity and childcare leave.

Paternity and childcare leave is considered to be a period of activity.

It is taken into account in the calculation of your length of service when a length of service condition is required to benefit from a right (for example, to request part-time work).

It does not reduce your entitlement to other leave (annual leave, sick leave, etc.).

If you cannot take all or part of your annual leave before December 31 because of 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 rights to training.

At the end of your paternity and foster care leave, you can apply for additional birth leave.

If you do not wish to benefit from this additional leave or if you do not wish to benefit from it immediately after your paternity and host leave, you are reassigned to your position.

If this is not possible, you have priority to be re-employed on a similar job with equivalent pay.

FAQ