Paternity Allowance during the paternity leave
Fathers can take between 1 and 18 days of paternity leave after childbirth in order to look after their child at home together with the mother. You can take a paternity leave at any time after the birth of your child while Maternity or Parental Allowance is being paid. The paternity leave can be taken in up to 4 separate periods.
Kela will pay you a Paternity Allowance during your leave. To qualify for the Paternity Allowance, you may not work or study full time during the leave. If you are a student and receive Study Grant payments, you can be paid Paternity Allowance if you study part time in order to have time to look after your child. To qualify for the Paternity Allowance, you must have lived in Finland for at least 180 days immediately before the calculated due date of your child.
As a general rule, you and the mother of your child must be living in the same household. However, you can be paid Paternity Allowance even if you live at a different address if the two of you are married and you must live away from your family because of your job or for some other acceptable reason. Fathers who live away from their family due to marital breakdown are not eligible for Paternity Allowance.
Paternity Allowance can be paid also to adoptive fathers. Persons in a registered partnership, regardless of their gender, are also eligible for paternity allowance if they adopt their partner’s biological or adopted child. Paternity allowance can be granted to just one of the partners and not both at the same time.
Notify your employer at least 2 months before taking a paternity leave. If you will be taking 12 or less working days off, the pre-notification period is just one month.
Amount
For details about the amount of the Paternity Allowance, see Amount. If you take a paternity leave while performing conscript or non-military service, you will be paid Paternity Allowance at a rate of 22.04 euros per working day. This rate of payment applies also if you attend school during your paternity leave and receive Study Grant payments along with the Paternity Allowance. Please note that while a student, you will be eligible for the Paternity Allowance only if you actually look after your child. If you do not take out a Study Grant to which you would be entitled, the Paternity Allowance can be paid at a rate proportional to your earnings.
Extended paternity leave (’daddy month’)
In addition to a paternity leave of 18 working days, you are eligible for a full month's leave (referred to as the "daddy month") if you take the last 12 days or more of the Parental Allowance entitlement.