This chapter contains what you need to know about maternity benefits in Cyprus.

It covers the following:

• maternity allowance;
• paternity allowance;
• parental leave allowance;
• childbirth grant;
• special childbirth grant for unmarried mothers.

In what situation can I claim?

Maternity allowance is paid to insured employees, self-employed and voluntarily insured women working for a Cypriot employer overseas who are expecting a child or who, with their husband, have adopted a child, for the first 12 years after the child's birth or who have got a child through surrogacy. The benefit is paid for a period of 18 weeks starting between the ninth and second weeks preceding the week of the expected birth or for a period of 16 weeks in the case of adoption or for a period of 14 weeks in the case of surrogate mothers starting 2 weeks before the expected week of confinement. In the case of a second or subsequent child, the period of 18 weeks is increased by 4 or 8 weeks respectively. In the case of a multiple birth, the period of 18 weeks is increased by 4 weeks for each child. In the case of getting a child through surrogacy, the benefit is paid for a period of 18 weeks starting 2 weeks before the expected week of confinement or from the week of the real confinement, according to the choice of the claimant.

Paternity allowance is paid to all insured employees and self-employed as well as voluntarily insured men working for a Cypriot employer overseas, who had a child or adopted a child or got a child through surrogacy. The benefit is paid for a period of 2 consecutive weeks within the time period beginning the week of the child's birth/adoption and ending after two  weeks from the end date of the maternity leave period. Ιn the event of the mother's death before or during childbirth or during maternity leave, the paternity allowance is increased by as many weeks as the remaining weeks of maternity benefit to which the mother would have been entitled,  for the purposes of taking care of the child.

Parental leave allowance is paid to insured employed parents who are on parental leave. The benefit is paid for a maximum of 6 weeks to each parent for each child. The benefit is paid between the period end of maternity/paternity leave until the child reaches the age of 8 years old or in the case of a child with disability until the age of 18 years old.

The childbirth grant is paid in addition after the birth of each child if the mother or her husband meets the insurance conditions or any other conditions that may exist in relation to the Special maternity benefit for unmarried mothers.

The Special maternity grant to unmarried mothers is granted, under specific conditions, to applicants who have not received the corresponding aid provided by the Social Insurance Services.

What conditions do I need to meet?

The conditions for the payment of maternity/paternity allowance, childbirth grant and parental leave allowance are:

• to have actual insurance equal to at least 0.50 insurance points and for at least 26 weeks to have elapsed since the insurance commenced, and
• to have actual or assimilated insurance equal to at least 0.39 insurance points in the relevant contribution year;
• in the case of the childbirth grant, the grant is paid if either the mother or her husband meets the above insurance conditions.

In addition, for parental leave allowance the claimant must also:

• have been employed for a period of twelve months within the twenty-four month period preceding the start date of the period for which they are applying for parental leave allowance
• have completed six months of continuous employment with the same employer.

What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Maternity allowance

Maternity allowance is paid to natural mothers for a period of 18 weeks starting between the ninth and second weeks before the week of the expected birth.

In the case of a second or subsequent child, the maternity allowance is extended by 4 or 8 weeks.

In the case of multiple births, the maternity allowance is extended by 4 more weeks for the second and subsequent child.

If the infant is treated in an incubator because of premature birth or receives treatment because of another health problem, the maternity benefit may be extended by an additional week for each 21 days of treatment for a maximum of 6 weeks.

Adoptive mothers receive the allowance for 16 weeks from the week of the adoption if the child is less than 12 years old.

Surrogate mothers receive the allowance for 14 weeks starting 2 weeks before the expected week of confinement. The maternity allowance cannot be extended for surrogate mothers.

 In the case of getting a child through surrogacy, the benefit is paid for a period of 18 weeks starting 2 weeks before the expected week of confinement or from the week of the real confinement, according to the choice of the claimant.

Paternity allowance

Paternity allowance is paid to insured fathers for a period of 2 consecutive weeks between the week of confinement within the time period beginning the week of the child's birth/adoption and ending after two weeks from the end date of the maternity leave period.

In the event of death of the mother before or during childbirth or during maternity leave, the right to paternity allowance is increased by as many weeks as the remaining weeks of maternity benefit to which the mother would have been entitled.

Adoptive fathers receive the allowance for a period of 2 consecutive weeks between the week of adoption and the following 16 weeks.

Maternity/Paternity allowance:

The maternity/paternity benefit is not paid if the person concerned receives their full remuneration during the period in which maternity/paternity allowance is granted. If they receive a reduced remuneration, the sum of that remuneration and the allowance must not exceed the full wage.

Parental leave allowance

Parental leave allowance is paid to insured employed parents who are on parental leave. The benefit is paid for a maximum of 6 weeks to each parent for each child. The benefit is paid between the period end of maternity/paternity leave until the child reaches the age of 8 years old or in the case of a child with disability until the age of 18 years old.

In the case of a child with a disability, the duration of parental leave allowance is extended by:

• Four  weeks provided that the child has been certified by the Disability Assessment System of the Department of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities, as a person with a severe disability or with a moderate mental disability.
• Six  weeks provided that the child has been certified by the Disability Assessment System of the Department of Social Integration of Persons with Disabilities, as a person with a total disability.

The parental leave allowance can be taken from a minimum of one day and a maximum period  is as follows:

from 16/12/2022 - 31/12/2023 three weeks a year

• from 01/01/2024 - 31/12/2024 four (4) weeks a year
• from 01/01/2025 five (5) weeks a year

Parental leave allowance:

Childbirth grant

A lump sum of € 580.92 per child (for the year 2022) is paid to the mother if she or her husband are insured for the birth of a live child or a stillbirth after a pregnancy of at least 28 weeks.

To be awarded the childbirth grant, an application form has to be submitted accompanied by the required certificates within one year of the birth, whereas the maternity allowance to be granted the application form and the required certificates may be submitted after the end of the 25th week of pregnancy and must be submitted within 21 days from the day on which the benefit is required.

Special maternity benefit for unmarried mothers

Women who have given birth and have resided in Cyprus for the last 12 consecutive months are entitled to the special childbirth grant (a lump sum of €580.92 which is paid at the time of the birth) if they are not entitled to the childbirth grant from the Social Insurance Services.

To be awarded the childbirth grant, an application form has to be submitted accompanied by the required certificates within one year from the birth. The application is submitted at the Welfare Benefits Administration Service.

Jargon busters

• Basic insurance: includes the insurable earnings for each year up to the amount of the basic insurable earnings i.e. up to one point.
• Supplementary insurance: includes insurable earnings for each year above the amount of the basic insurable earnings.
• Insurance points: the result arrived at by converting actual and assimilated insurable earnings to insurance points.
• Relevant contribution year: in relation to benefits, this means the last contribution year before the benefit year which includes the date on which the insurance conditions attached to the benefit must be satisfied (i.e. the relevant contribution year is 2021 for the first half of 2023 and 2022 for the second half of 2023).
• Benefit year: the period of time which commences on the first Monday of July each year and ends on the last Sunday before the first Monday of July in the following year.

Forms you may need to fill in

• Application for maternity allowance
• Application for paternity allowance
• Application for childbirth grant
• Application for childbirth allowance for unmarried mothers
• Application for Benefit/Assimilated Period of insurance for parental leave

Know your rights

The links below define your rights legally. They are not European Commission websites and they do not represent the Commission's views:

• Social insurance legislation;
• Guide to childbirth grant and maternity allowance.

European Commission publication and website:

• http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=849&langId=en.

Who do you need to contact?

Social Insurance Services

• Headquarters
• Leoforos Vyronos 7
• 1465 Nicosia
• CYPRUS
• http://www.mlsi.gov.cy/sid

Welfare Benefits Administration Service

• Themistokli Dervi 46
• MEDCON Tower
• 1066 Nicosia
• CYPRUS
• Tel.: 22803030