How long is parental leave and how much does Sodra pay?
The leave is for everyone, but the benefit amount is not: every working parent has the right to childcare leave until the child turns 3, while the benefit paid by Sodra depends on your insurance record and the length you choose. The benefit can be drawn for 18 or 24 months; the shorter option pays about 60% of pay, the longer one 45% in the first year and 30% in the second. Each parent gets 2 non-transferable months paid at 78% of the reference pay; if not used, they are lost. The benefit cannot be lower than 8 basic social benefits (in 2026, 592 EUR). Most importantly, and often overlooked: from 1 June 2026, even parents with no social-insurance record receive a new 444 EUR a month childcare benefit, paid until the child turns 2. Separately, the father is entitled to 30 days of paternity leave, paid at 77.58% of pay.
📋 The rules
- Childcare leave runs until the child turns 3; parents, grandparents or a guardian can share it
- Sodra pays the benefit for 18 or 24 months: about 60% or 45% / 30% of pay
- Each parent gets 2 non-transferable months at 78% of pay; unused ones vanish
- The benefit is no less than 8 basic social benefits (in 2026, 592 EUR)
- From June 2026, parents with no record get 444 EUR until the child turns 2
🔓 Exceptions
- The father separately gets 30 calendar days of paternity leave, paid at 77.58% of pay
- A parent raising a child alone can also receive the benefit for the other parent's unused non-transferable months
- Grandparents and guardians may take the leave, but the non-transferable-month benefit is not paid to them
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The risk here is not a fine but lost money and unused rights. The chosen benefit duration (18 or 24 months) can later be changed only in a limited way, so an ill-considered choice can cost hundreds of euros a month. Often overlooked: the 2 non-transferable months are lost — if the second parent does not use them, that money is gone for good, because it cannot be transferred to the other. Working and earning insured income during childcare leave can reduce or suspend the benefit, and concealing such income means repaying the overpayment. On return from leave the employer must reinstate you to the same or an equivalent job; failing to do so is a violation. Without the required 12 months of record in the last 24, the Sodra benefit is not due — but from June 2026 you can instead receive the 444 EUR childcare benefit.
📎 Official sources
- Sodra · childcare benefit →
- Ministry of Social Security and Labour · childcare benefit (from 2026-06-01) →
- e-seimas · Labour Code (childcare leave) →
❓ Frequently asked
How long can you stay on parental leave?
Childcare leave is granted until the child turns three, and it can be used in turn by the mother, father, a grandparent or a guardian. The benefit paid by Sodra is shorter — it can be drawn by choosing a duration of 18 or 24 months.
What percentage of pay does Sodra pay?
If you choose the benefit until the child is 18 months, it pays about 60% of the reference pay, and if you choose 24 months, 45% in the first year and 30% in the second. For the two non-transferable months each parent is paid a higher benefit, at 78%.
What are the 2 non-transferable months?
These are two childcare months that belong separately to each parent and cannot be handed over to the other. If one parent does not use them, those months are simply lost, and the benefit for them is paid at 78% of the reference pay.
What do parents with no insurance record get?
From 1 June 2026, parents or guardians with no right to the Sodra childcare benefit receive a new 444 EUR a month childcare benefit. It is paid until the child turns two and is not increased for twins or several children.
Does the father have separate leave?
Yes, the father is entitled to 30 calendar days of paternity leave, paid at 77.58% of the reference pay and separate from childcare leave. It can be used right after the birth or in parts while the child is still small.
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