Cyprus maternity and paternity leave 2026: your full legal entitlements

Cyprus family leave law is more generous than many employees — and many employers — realise. The maternity leave entitlement exceeds the EU minimum, paid paternity leave exists as a statutory right, and both parents are entitled to unpaid parental leave for each child. This guide sets out the 2026 position precisely, including how pay is calculated, who funds it, and what protections apply against dismissal.

Legislative basis: Maternity leave is governed by the Maternity Protection Law (Law 100(I)/1997), as significantly amended by Laws 3(I)/2018 and 125(I)/2023. Paternity and parental leave are governed by the Parental Leave and Leave on Grounds of Force Majeure Law (Law 69(I)/2012), as amended by Law 50(I)/2023 implementing EU Directive 2019/1158. All references below are to the 2026 consolidated position.

Maternity leave

Duration

When leave can start: Maternity leave can start any time from the 11th week before the expected due date. At least 11 weeks must be taken after the birth. The compulsory post-birth period cannot be waived or deferred.

If the child is hospitalised at birth, the mother may return to work and pause unused leave, then resume it when the child is discharged — subject to providing a medical certificate. This flexibility was introduced by the 2023 amendment.

Who is entitled

All employed women who have at least 6 months of insured employment under the Social Insurance Law immediately before the commencement of leave. Self-employed women who have been insured with the Social Insurance Services for at least 6 months also qualify for the maternity benefit.

How maternity pay is calculated

Maternity pay in Cyprus is paid by the Social Insurance Fund — not by the employer. This is a critical distinction: employers do not directly fund maternity pay.

The Maternity Allowance paid by the Social Insurance Services (SIS) is calculated at:

• 72% of insurable earnings for the first 2 weeks of leave
• 72% of insurable earnings for the remaining leave period

In practice: 72% of the average weekly insurable earnings over the last 26 contribution weeks before leave starts.

For 2026, the maximum insurable earnings cap is €5,742 per month (revised upward from 2025 by ministerial announcement dated 22 December 2025). The maximum monthly maternity allowance is therefore approximately:

€5,742 × 72% ≈ €4,134/month maximum

The actual amount for most workers will be calculated on their real salary up to the cap. A woman earning €2,500 gross/month on maternity leave would receive:

€2,500 × 72% ≈ €1,800/month from SIS

Top-up by employer: The law does not require employers to top up the SIS maternity allowance to full salary. However, many collective agreements — particularly in banking, professional services and public companies — include a contractual top-up. Always check your employment contract.

Employment protection during maternity leave

Under Maternity Protection Law (Law 100(I)/1997 as amended), dismissal of a pregnant employee or an employee on maternity leave is unlawful unless the employer can demonstrate specific grounds entirely unrelated to the pregnancy or maternity (for example, the closure of the specific business unit). The burden of proof rests with the employer.

Protection extends from the start of pregnancy until 12 weeks after the end of maternity leave.

A woman who is dismissed in violation of this protection can apply to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal (IDT) for reinstatement or compensation.

Paternity leave

Duration and entitlement

Fathers (or second parents in same-sex couples) are entitled to 2 weeks of paid paternity leave immediately surrounding the birth. The leave must be taken within 8 weeks of the birth.

This right applies to all employed fathers who have at least 6 months of insured employment immediately before the birth. It cannot be transferred to the mother.

Paternity pay

Paternity allowance is paid by the Social Insurance Fund at the same rate as maternity allowance: 72% of average weekly insurable earnings calculated over the reference period.

Parental leave

Both parents are entitled to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child, up to the child's eighth birthday. This can be taken in blocks or, where the employer agrees, in a flexible reduced-hours pattern.

Key conditions:

• The employee must have completed at least 6 months with the same employer before taking parental leave
• A minimum of 2 weeks' notice must be given to the employer (4 weeks' notice for leave of more than 4 weeks)
• The employer may postpone (for up to 4 weeks) parental leave if it would "seriously disrupt the operation of the business" — but cannot refuse it outright

Parental leave is unpaid unless the employment contract or collective agreement provides otherwise. Some large employers in the banking and professional services sectors offer paid parental leave beyond the statutory 18 weeks as a recruitment and retention benefit.

Force majeure leave

Under the same 2023 legislation, employees are entitled to take up to 5 days per year of emergency leave (force majeure) for urgent family reasons — a sick child, a domestic emergency. This leave is paid at 50% of salary. No prior notice is required; the employer must be notified as soon as practicable.

Adoption leave

Adoptive parents are entitled to maternity-equivalent leave (18 weeks, compared to 22 weeks for birth mothers) from the day the adoption is finalised, subject to the same insured employment conditions. Adoption leave pay is paid by the Social Insurance Fund on the same 72% basis.

What employers cannot do

Under the 2023 revised legislation (implementing Directive 2019/1158 into Cyprus law):

• An employer cannot deny parental leave entitlement on grounds of operational disruption — they can only postpone it
• An employer cannot treat a request for parental leave as a negative factor in performance review or promotion decisions
• An employee returning from parental leave is entitled to return to the same role or an equivalent role at the same or better conditions

For a full picture of employee rights in Cyprus, see our employee rights guide. For how social insurance contributions are calculated, see the Cyprus social insurance guide.