French parents are gaining access to a major lifestyle upgrade from 1st July 2026, with a new two-month paid birth leave that puts France firmly ahead of Monaco and most European neighbours in family support.

The reform allows each parent to take up to two months of additional paid leave after having or adopting a child, compensated at 70% of net salary for the first month and 60% for the second. Both parents get this entitlement individually, meaning couples could collectively take up to four additional months beyond their existing maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

For families planning a baby in 2026, it’s a substantial financial cushion during those precious —and expensive — early months. But it also significantly widens the parental leave gap between France and Monaco, despite the Principality’s recent efforts to modernise its own provisions.

What French parents now get

The new policy stacks on top of France’s already generous baseline. New mothers receive four months of paid maternity leave (rising to six months for a third child) at 90% salary, while fathers get one month of paternity leave.

With the additional birth leave, a French father can now take one month of standard paternity leave plus two months of additional birth leave — a total of nearly three and a half months of paid leave.

French mothers can take their four months of maternity leave plus the additional two months, giving them over six months of paid time with their newborn.

The flexibility is impressive too. Parents can take the additional leave as one two-month block, a single month, or split it into two separate one-month periods. A father might take his one month of paternity leave immediately after birth, then save the two months of additional birth leave for when his partner returns to work, providing continuous parental care.

How Monaco now compares

Monaco made significant progress with reforms passed in December 2023, expanding paternity leave from just seven days to 21 days (three weeks) for a single birth, or 28 days (four weeks) for multiple births or families with two or more dependent children.

That reform put Monaco roughly on par with France’s standard one-month paternity leave. Combined with Monaco’s full salary replacement during the four-month maternity leave — better than France’s 90% rate — the Principality could claim competitive family policies.

But France’s new additional birth leave changes the equation entirely.

Monaco fathers now get three weeks of paid leave. French fathers get nearly three and a half months. That’s more than quadruple the time off.

Monaco’s paternity leave also lacks flexibility — it must be taken within four months of birth and cannot be split into separate periods. France’s new leave can be divided and taken at different times during the first year, allowing families to adapt arrangements to their specific needs.

For mothers, the gap is less dramatic but still significant. Mothers under the Monaco regime receive four months at full salary but no additional birth leave provision, while those in France get four months plus two additional months, totaling over six months of paid leave.

Why France pulled ahead

The additional birth leave addresses France’s declining birth rates while promoting gender equality. By giving both parents substantial paid time off — not just mothers — the reform encourages fathers to take on more caregiving responsibilities, which research shows benefits child development and women’s career progression.

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Photo credit: Taylor Gray, Unsplash