Croatia recently enhanced government-paid parental benefits by increasing paternity leave and parental leave allowances from 1 March 2025.
Background
The bill to amend the Act on Maternity and Parental Benefits (the “Bill”) was passed by Parliament on 21 February 2025.
Key details
The most relevant changes for employers to note include the following:
Increase in paternity leave
Paid paternity leave for employed or self-employed fathers (and equivalent second parents, regardless of gender, marital or family status) has increased from 10 to 20 working days for one child, and from 15 to 30 working days for twins or another multiple birth.
Paternity leave may only be taken as a single uninterrupted period from the child’s birth until the child reaches the age of six months. During such leave, fathers and equivalent second parents are entitled to their full salary paid directly by the government, without limit.
An employee must provide notice in writing to their employer at least 15 days before taking paternity leave. The employer cannot reject the request but is not required to provide written consent.
Increases in parental leave allowances
Under the Bill, the government has implemented increases in government-paid parental leave allowances, which are set out in the table below. There have been no changes to the length of parental leave or how parental leave may be used.
Parental leave may be used from the time the child is six months old until the child turns eight years old, taken in one period or two periods per year of at least 30 days each, or used as the right to work half-time for double the duration of unused parental leave.
If both parents take parental leave, they are entitled to:
four months each (eight months shared; a parent may transfer up to two months to the other parent) for a first or second child
15 months each (30 months shared; a parent may transfer up to 13 months to the other parent) for twins, a third or subsequent child
If only one parent takes parental leave, the parent is entitled to six months for a first or second child, or 28 months for twins, a third or subsequent child.
The increases in government-paid parental leave allowances from 1 March 2025 are as follows:
Previous salary limit (per month) | New salary limit (per month) | ||
First or second child | Full-time working parents | EUR 995 | EUR 3,000 |
Half-time working parents | EUR 485 | EUR 971 | |
Twins, a third or subsequent child | Full-time working parents during the first combined eight months where both parents take parental leave OR the first six months where only one parent takes parental leave | EUR 995 | EUR 3,000 |
Full-time working parents for subsequent months of parental leave | EUR 552 | EUR 803 | |
Half-time working parents for subsequent months of parental leave | EUR 485 | EUR 600 |
Parents who are already exercising their rights to parental leave under the previous legislation on 1 March 2025 shall also be entitled to the new increased allowances.
Employed and self-employed parents are entitled to parental leave, regardless of gender, marital or family status, provided that the mother is employed or self-employed at the time of the child’s birth. If she is not, an employed or self-employed father (or qualifying second parent) can only take parental leave if the mother has not used other maternity or parental benefits available to her as an unemployed mother.
Extension of right to parental leave to foster parents
The Bill also extends the abovementioned right to parental leave, including the right to work half-time in lieu of unused parental leave, to an employed or self-employed foster parent.
Under previous legislation, foster parents only had a right to unpaid foster leave. Foster leave is a continuous period of six months for a child up to seven years of age or a continuous period of one month for a child up to 14 years of age. It is extended by 60 days for the simultaneous adoption of two or more children.
Increase in parental benefit financial allowance for workers not eligible for full salary compensation
The full-time parental benefit financial allowance for workers who are not eligible for salary compensation for parental benefits such as maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave has increased from EUR 552 to EUR 702 per month.
A minimum service requirement applies before employed or self-employed parents are eligible for full salary compensation (up to the prescribed limits). The requirement is six months continuously or nine months with interruptions in the two years preceding the commencement of the relevant benefit. If they do not meet this requirement, they may still exercise rights to parental benefits but are only entitled to the lower full-time financial allowance.
Employers should review the changes and update their internal family-related benefits and policies as needed.
As the increase in the salary compensation limit for parental leave is significant and now covers full-time salaries up to EUR 3,000, employers should expect more employees to take advantage of the entitlement. This may have an impact on employers’ operational and manpower arrangements.
For employees whose salaries exceed the parental leave salary compensation limits and whose employers voluntarily pay the difference in respect of parental leave, employers will bear less costs as a result of the additional financial support by the government.
Further information
Maternity and parental benefits | HZZO (opens a new window)
Act on Maternity and Parental Benefits (OG 152/2022) (opens a new window)
Act on Amendments to the Act on Maternity and Parental Benefits (OG 034/2025) (opens a new window)
