Before the due date

Fathers or co-mothers are not entitled to parental benefits before the baby is due.

After childbirth 

After the birth of the child, parents are entitled to stay at home with the child for up to 52 weeks altogether. They can claim parental allowance for 52 of those weeks. Of those weeks, 14 are reserved for the mother, 4 for the father or co-mother and the remaining 34 weeks the parents can divide between them.

The weeks that the parents can share, can only be used after the first 14 weeks following birth and can only be used by one parent at the time. However, there is nothing that prevents the parent, who is not on leave, from taking a holiday at the same time.

The parental allowance must be claimed within 52 weeks of childbirth

Before the due date

Fathers, co-mothers and caregivers are not entitled to parental benefits before the baby is due.

After childbirth 

After childbirth, parents are entitled to stay at home for up to 56 weeks altogether. Parents of multiple newborns (e.g. twins) can claim parental allowance for 56 of those weeks. Of those weeks, 14 are reserved for the mother, 4 for you and the remaining 38 weeks the parents can divide between them.

If you have multiple births, you are entitled to an additional 48 weeks of parental leave on top of the 4 weeks (applicable to everyone having children on or after 1 May, 2025).

The 48 weeks can be used simultaneously with the mother's parental leave and must be used within 52 weeks after childbirth.

Caregiver
If you are alone with the children, you may, upon application, transfer the 48 weeks to a caregiver (applies to parents who have children after the legislation comes into effect on May 1, 2025).

Premature births

Children born between 1 January, 2021, and 30 April, 2025
If a child is born before week 32 of pregnancy, the parents have a statutory right to stay at home with the child for a total of 60 weeks. They are entitled to parental allowance for all of these weeks. Of these, 4 weeks are for you (the other parent), 14 weeks for the mother, and 42 weeks are to be shared.

During the shared weeks, which may only be used after week 14 following birth, only one parent can receive parental allowance at a time. The parent not receiving allowance may, however, take paid vacation leave.

The weeks with parental allowance must be used within 60 weeks after birth.

Children born on or after 1 May, 2025
If a child or children are born before week 37 of pregnancy, the number of weeks between the birth date and the original due date can, upon application, be added to the 34 weeks that parents can share between them.

During the shared weeks, which may only be used after week 14 following birth, only one parent can receive parental allowance at a time. The parent not receiving allowance may still take paid vacation leave.

Hospitalizations

(effective from 1 May, 2025)

If a child is hospitalized within the first 52 weeks after birth or within the first 56 weeks after adoption, parental leave may be extended upon application. The number of weeks the child is hospitalized will be added to the 34 weeks that parents can share between them.

Parental leave must be extended by a minimum of 2 weeks at a time, and can be extended by a maximum of 26 weeks in total (only applicable to hospitalizations that occur after the law comes into effect on 1 May, 2025, and up to 52 weeks after birth or 56 weeks after adoption).

If the child dies during the parental leave period, the right to parental allowance ends on that day. If you are receiving parental allowance, it is important to notify Barsilsskipanin as soon as possible to stop the payments, so that you do not end up owing money.

You should then contact the Social Services to explore the possibility of receiving compensation for lost income instead. This applies if the child dies after week 22 of pregnancy. If the child dies before that, you should contact your general practitioner.

If the mother of the child dies, or a doctor's certificate confirms that she is too ill to care for the child, the father or co-mother is entitled to the 14 weeks otherwise reserved for the mother.

Before placement
Adoptive parents have a statutory right to take up to 4 weeks of parental leave with parental allowance in order to travel abroad to collect the child. This right applies only while the parent is actually abroad for that purpose.

After placement
Once the child has been received, adoptive parents have a statutory right to stay at home with the child for a total of 56 weeks. They are entitled to parental allowance for 52 of those weeks. Of these, they may receive allowance simultaneously for 4 weeks. From 1 May 2025 onward, they may receive allowances simultaneously for 8 weeks.

The weeks with parental allowance must be used within 56 weeks after placement.

Adopting two or more children (for children placed after 1 May 2025)
Parents who adopt two or more children at the same time are entitled to an additional 48 weeks of concurrent parental leave on top of the 8 weeks mentioned above.

Caregiver option (for children placed after 1 May 2025)
If you adopt two or more children at once and are the sole parent with the children, you may, upon application, transfer the 48 weeks that the mother would otherwise have received to a caregiver.

Temporary placement (after 1 May 2025)
When a child who is to be adopted without consent is temporarily placed with the applicant to whom the child has been assigned for adoption under § 39 a of the Adoption Act, that applicant is entitled to parental leave on the same terms as parents who adopt a child.

Then you receive all the weeks yourself, including the mother's weeks that she has not used. In terms of parental leave, you are considered to be alone with the child if the mother is not present.

Caregiver
If you have multiple births or adopt two or more children at the same time, you may, upon application, transfer the 48 weeks that the mother would otherwise have received to a caregiver (applicable to parents who have children after the legislation comes into effect on 1 May, 2025).