Can I get the birth grant after having a child?
Yes, if your income and the other conditions are within the limits. The birth grant (becikowe) is a one-off grant on a child's birth of 1,000 zł per child. It's due to the mother, father, or legal or actual guardian, if the family's income per person doesn't exceed 1,922 zł net a month. Extra conditions: the mother must be under medical care no later than from the 10th week of pregnancy to the birth (confirmed by a medical certificate), and the application must be filed within 12 months of the birth. The grant is due to people residing in Poland (not those living abroad). It's paid by the municipality (social welfare centre), and you apply at the office or online.
📋 The rules
- One-off 1,000 zł per child
- Income criterion: 1,922 zł net per person
- Mother under medical care from the 10th week of pregnancy
- Application within 12 months of the birth
- Only for people residing in Poland
🔓 Exceptions
- No medical care from the 10th week of pregnancy: the grant isn't due
- Exceeding the income threshold of 1,922 zł net/person: no grant
- Some municipalities pay an additional, local birth grant (no criterion)
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The grant is not due if you exceed the income criterion (1,922 zł net per person), don't meet the medical-care requirement from the 10th week of pregnancy, or miss the deadline — an application filed after 12 months of the birth is left unexamined, and the grant lapses. Giving false data (e.g. understating income) results in an obligation to repay the wrongly drawn amount. To get the grant: ensure medical care from early pregnancy and obtain the right certificate, calculate the family's income per person, and file the application at the municipality (or online) with the birth certificate and required documents within 12 months. Also check whether your municipality pays an additional, local birth grant on its own terms.
📎 Official sources
- ISAP · Act on family benefits →
- Gov.pl · Birth grant (one-off grant) →
- Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy →
❓ Frequently asked
How much is the birth grant in 2026?
A one-off grant of 1,000 zł per child born. The amount is fixed. The grant is paid by the municipality (social welfare centre) on an application, after meeting the income criterion and the other statutory conditions.
What's the income criterion for the birth grant?
The family's income per person can't exceed 1,922 zł net a month. If the threshold is exceeded, the grant isn't due. Income is calculated under the family-benefits rules, for the year before the period in which you apply.
By when must I apply for the birth grant?
Within 12 months of the child's birth. An application filed after that is left unexamined, and the right to the grant lapses. So it's worth applying suitably early, with the birth certificate, the medical certificate and the other required documents.
Is a medical certificate needed?
Yes. A condition of the grant is the mother being under medical care no later than from the 10th week of pregnancy to the birth. This is confirmed by a certificate from a doctor or midwife, attached to the application. Without meeting this requirement the grant isn't due.
Can the municipality pay an additional birth grant?
Yes. Some municipalities, separately from the statutory grant, pay their own local birth grant — often with no income criterion and on different terms. It's worth checking with your municipal or city office whether such an extra birth grant applies there.
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