Italy paternity leave 2023: changes by the Meloni government

Changes are on the way for parental leave in Italy thanks to the Meloni government. As announced by the prime minister herself during a press conference on the 2023 budget law, the move establishes an extra month of optional maternity leave starting in 2023 paid at 80 per cent. These are all the details about Italy paternity leave in 2023 and the changes made by the Meloni government.

Changes to parental leave in Italy 2023

"When it comes to parental leave," Meloni said, "I've always thought that many mothers could not afford it with 30 per cent pay. We have added a month of optional leave paid at 80 per cent which is usable until the child's sixth year of life. A kind of time bank without being in a difficult economic situation".

INPS parental leave in Italy

INPS parental leave in Italy is "a period of optional abstention from work granted to parents in order to take care of the child in its first years of life and meet its emotional and relational needs". Parents who work in Italy are entitled to the following: 

• an allowance equal to 30% of the average daily salary, calculated on the basis of the salary for the month preceding the start of the period of leave, within 12 years of the child's age (or from the child's entry into the family in the case of adoption or fostering) and for a maximum total period (mother and/or father) of nine months, of which;
• the mother shall be entitled to a compensated period of three months, non-transferable to the other parent, to be completed by the child's twelfth birthday or from the child's entry into the family in the case of adoption or fostering
• the father shall be entitled to a compensable period of three months, non-transferable to the other parent, up to the child's twelfth birthday or from the date of entry into the family in the case of adoption or fostering;
• both parents shall be entitled, alternatively, to an additional period of three months of compensation
• single parents are entitled to nine months of parental leave compensated at 30% of the salary;
• for periods of leave in addition to the nine months compensated, an allowance equal to 30% of the average daily wage is granted, only if the applicant parent's individual income is less than 2.5 times the annual amount of the minimum allowance.

More information on parental leave allowances in Italy can be found in our guide. 

How long is parental leave in Italy?

So, in summary, how much paternity leave are fathers entitled to in Italy? And how much maternity leave do you get in Italy? Parental leave is granted to natural parents, who are in an employment relationship, within the first 12 years of the child's life for a total period between the two parents not exceeding 10 months. The months increase to 11 if the working father abstains from work for a continuous or fractioned period of at least three months. This total period may also be taken by the parents at the same time. If the employment relationship ceases at the beginning or during the period of leave, the right to the leave itself ceases from the date of termination of employment.

Employees who are adoptive or foster parents are entitled to parental leave in the same way as natural parents, i.e. within the first 12 years of the child's entry into the family, regardless of the child's age at the time of adoption or foster care, and no later than the child reaching the ageo majority.