Finland - Maternity and paternity
When a baby is born, the mother and father are entitled to benefits to help look after the baby.
What benefits can the mother and father claim?
Mothers receive a maternity grant (äitiysavustus) when they are pregnant either in the form of a maternity package or as a tax-free lump sum of EUR 170.
With the entry into force of the Family leave reform on 1 August 2022, the previous maternity allowance (äitiysraha) and paternity allowance (isyysraha) have been replaced by the parental allowance (vanhempainraha) and pregnancy allowance (raskausraha) for the parent giving birth. A transitory period will be in place with both old and new benefits that will be applied according to the conditions specified below.
Parental allowances before the Family leave reform i.e. when the estimated birth date is before 4 September 2022:
Mothers are entitled to a maternity leave (äitiysvapaa), and fathers to paternity leave (isyysvapaa). In addition to these, either parent can take parental leave (vanhempainvapaa).
Maternity leave begins at the earliest 50 working days, and at the latest 30 working days, before the estimated due date. When maternity leave begins, Kela (Finnish Social Insurance Institution) will pay maternity allowance (äitiysraha) for a duration of 105 working days.
Mothers can claim a special maternity allowance (erityisäitiysraha) if, during the pregnancy, they have had to be absent from work before the actual maternity allowance period if:
- their work involves exposure to chemical substances, radiation or infectious diseases
- risk factors are unavoidable at work, and
- the employer cannot organise any other duties during the pregnancy.
Special maternity allowance does not reduce actual maternity allowance. It is paid until the maternity allowance period begins.
Fathers can, after the birth of the child, take paternity leave for a maximum of 54 working days. Of this, the father can be at home at the same time as the mother for a maximum of 18 working days, i.e. approximately three weeks. During paternity leave Kela pays a paternity allowance (isyysraha).
Parental leave begins after maternity leave. Parental leave can be taken by either the mother or the father. Kela pays parental allowance (vanhempainraha) for 158 working days. If you receive pay during maternity, paternity or parental leave, Kela will pay a daily allowance for this time to your employer. Mothers who raise a child on their own can receive parental allowance for additional 54 working days. The extension is available only if paternity has not been confirmed and the mother does not have a spouse or partner who is entitled to paternity allowance.
Parental allowances after the Family leave reform i.e. when the estimated birth date is on or after 4 September 2022):
Pregnancy leave (raskausvapaa) usually starts 30 working days before the estimated due date of the baby. When your pregnancy leave starts, you will get pregnancy allowance (raskausraha) from Kela for 40 working days.
If, at your workplace, you are exposed to radiation, chemical agents or infectious disease, and you cannot be reassigned to other duties, you can stay away from work as soon as your pregnancy has been confirmed. During that period, you will get special pregnancy allowance (erityisraskausraha).
You can start taking out parental leave (vanhempainvapaa) after the baby is born. Parental allowance is paid by Kela for a total of 320 working days. If a child has two parents, the days are divided equally between them. If you wish, you can transfer some of your parental allowance days to the other parent, other custodian, your spouse or the spouse of the other parent.
You can also work part-time and apply for partial parental allowance (osittainen vanhempainraha) for the same period.
You can claim special care allowance (erityishoitoraha) if you, as the parent of a seriously ill or disabled child under the age of 16, have to be temporarily absent from work without pay to take part in treatment or rehabilitation arranged for your child.
If you adopt a child from abroad, you can claim an adoption grant (adoptiotuki) from Kela to meet some of the cost of the adoption. You can make the claim as soon as the international adoption agency has identified a child under 18 years of age for placement in your care and the Finnish Board of Inter-Country Adoption Affairs has authorised the adoption.
To qualify for the adoption grant, you must be covered by the Finnish social security system. The adoption grant is a tax-free lump sum payment.
What conditions do I need to meet in order to receive the benefits?
In order to be able to receive the benefits, you must live in Finland or be covered by the Finnish social security system.
The right to the maternity allowance begins when the pregnancy reaches 154 days in duration.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
The amount for parental allowances is calculated in the same way, but the size of the daily allowance varies according to the period.
Parental allowances are determined on the basis of the annual income which is calculated for a reference period of 12 calendar months prior to the calendar month that precedes the start of the entitlement to parental allowance.
The daily allowance can be paid according to the preceding benefit if you have been in rehabilitation, studying, ill or unemployed. The daily allowance can, in certain situations, be paid at the same level as previous parental daily allowance.
If the claimant does not have any working income, the daily allowances will be paid at the minimum levels. Daily allowance amounts can be found on Kela's website.
The maternity grant is non-taxable income. Parental allowances are taxable income.
Jargon busters
Kela: Finnish Social Insurance Institution.
Useful forms and links
- Parental allowances
- Application, Parental benefits
- Parental allowance calculator (in Finnish only)
Know your rights
The Commission's publication and website:
Who should I contact?
You can apply for parental benefits online: https://www.kela.fi/web/en/e-services
You can also contact Kela's customer services: