Maternity rights in Spain entitle a woman to take a total of 16 weeks to leave from work (with additional 2 weeks for every child if multiple births). These 16 weeks can be taken either before or after birth although a minimum of 6 weeks must be taken after the birth of your child.
The number of social security contributions a woman has made into the system (Seguridad Social) will determine if she is entitled to maternity benefit.
The current conditions to claim maternity benefit are:
- Women under 21: No social security contribution period necessary.
- Women 21 – 26: Minimum social security contribution of 90 days over the previous 7 years or 180 days overwork lifetime.
- Women over 26: Minimum social security contribution of 180 days over the previous 7 years or 360 overwork lifetime.
Maternity benefit starts on the same day the maternity leave begins.
The application for maternity benefit is made through your local Social Security office. The application form can be found here.
Paternity leave for the father is currently 15 days but due to being increased.
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