France launches two‑month paid birth leave for parents on 1 July 2026

Effective 1 July 2026, France will introduce a new supplemental birth leave (CSN) for parents of children born or adopted from 1 January 2026. Each parent may take one to two months of additional paid leave after maternity, paternity or adoption leave. The indemnity is 70 % of the net salary for the first month and 60 % for the second, calculated on the average of the three previous months but capped at the social‑security ceiling of €4 005.

The leave can be taken by one or both parents, simultaneously or in succession, and may be split into two one‑month periods. It must be used within nine months of the birth or adoption and is granted automatically – the employer cannot refuse it, though employees must inform the employer at least one month in advance (15 days if taken immediately after paternity leave).

Employers are preparing payroll systems and internal procedures; small firms warn of staffing challenges during the summer period. Independent workers receive a flat‑rate indemnity of €46 per day in the first month and €39.5 per day in the second, provided they have at least six months of contributions. High‑earners will see reduced payments because of the €4 005 cap, resulting in a loss of up to several thousand euros over the two months.

The measure is presented by the government as a way to strengthen gender equality and counter the recent decline in French birth rates, which fell to 645 000 in 2025 – the lowest since World War I. Citizens interviewed expressed relief, e.g., Quentin said the reform was “an immense relief and an excellent idea”.