Maternity benefits in France: leave, pay and what to claim
Maternity benefits in France come from 3 offices: Assurance Maladie for your leave, the CAF for the birth grant, your employer for the partner's leave. They have different rules, different deadlines and different offices, and nobody joins them up for you. Checked 22 September 2026.
The CAF also pays the childcare supplement (CMG), and a supplementary birth leave arrived on 1 July 2026 that most guides have not caught up with.
Arrange your maternity leave (congé maternité)
For a first baby the legal maternity leave is 16 weeks: 6 before the due date and 10 after. You can move up to 3 weeks of the prenatal part to after the birth, but only on medical advice — it is not simply your choice. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Applies to people who are employed (salarié). Paperbump schedules this usually between week 28 and week 32 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
Birth grant (prime à la naissance)
A one-off CAF payment of 1 093,11 €, paid before the last day of the month following your sixth month of pregnancy. It is means-tested on your household income from 2 years earlier. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this usually between week 26 and week 28 of the pregnancy. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
Partner's leave (congé paternité et d'accueil de l'enfant)
3 days of birth leave from the employer, then 25 calendar days of paternity leave — 28 in all for a single birth, and more for multiples. The first part is compulsory: the 3 days of birth leave, plus 4 calendar days of paternity leave straight after them. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Applies to people who have a partner going through it with them and are employed (salarié). Paperbump schedules this within 6 months of the birth. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
Supplementary birth leave (congé supplémentaire de naissance)
A right that only came in on 1 July 2026, so most guides — and plenty of employers — have not caught up. Each parent, separately, can take 1 or 2 months on top of the maternity and paternity leave, in one block or split into two non-consecutive months. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Applies to people who are employed (salarié). Paperbump schedules this within 9 months of the birth. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
Claim help with childcare costs (CMG)
The complément de libre choix du mode de garde is the CAF's contribution to what childcare costs you, whether that is an assistante maternelle, a micro-crèche or care at home. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this between 4 weeks and 6 months after the birth. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
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