Spain approves new parental leave scheme: 17 weeks paid and more support for families

As of 31 July 2025, Spain has officially expanded its parental leave policies, offering more generous support to working families. The changes, approved in the Council of Ministers and announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, include an increase in paid birth leave and new provisions for flexible, partially paid parental care leave.

Key updates to Spain’s parental leave in 2025

• Birth leave extended to 17 weeks:
  Paid birth leave has increased from 16 to 17 weeks per parent. This extra week is effective immediately and aligns with Spain’s commitment to improving work-life balance and gender equality in caregiving.
• Two additional paid parental care weeks:
  Parents now have two extra weeks of paid leave (at 100% salary) to care for children up to the age of 8. These weeks are flexible and can be taken at any time before the child turns 8. Importantly, this leave applies retroactively to families whose children were born on or after 2 August 2024.
• Special provisions for single-parent families:
  Single-parent households, 80% of which are led by women, will now be entitled to 32 weeks of paid leave, doubling the previous allowance of 16 weeks. Four of these weeks may be taken flexibly until the child is 8 years old.
• Avoiding EU penalties:
  The changes were pushed through urgently to comply with European Union directives. Spain had been facing a fine of €9,000 per day for non-compliance, which would have risen to €43,000 per day from 1 August 2025. By implementing the new policy before the deadline, Spain has avoided potentially wasting €10 million in public funds.
• Towards 20 weeks of paid leave:
  The government has also expressed a political commitment to increase total birth and parental leave to 20 weeks per parent, although the exact timeline for this change has not yet been confirmed.

What this means for working parents in Spain

Under the revised system, working parents are now entitled to:

• 17 weeks of fully paid leave per parent following the birth of a child.
• 2 additional flexible weeks of paid parental care leave before the child turns 8.
• 8 weeks of unpaid parental leave, as outlined in the Spanish Workers’ Statute.
• The option to combine this with the existing paid lactation leave provisions.

Single-parent families can access up to 32 weeks of paid leave, recognising the additional caregiving responsibilities they face.

A step forward for work-life balance in Spain

Prime Minister Sánchez described the reform as a “historic expansion of rights” aimed at strengthening the Spanish welfare state and supporting modern family needs. Vice President and Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz reinforced the urgency of the measure, stating that delaying the reform would have been a “serious irresponsibility”.

Spain's new parental leave rules position it among the most progressive in Europe, offering increased flexibility, equality, and support for working parents.