Granting and disbursement of Parental benefit

Parental benefit may be received by a socially insured person who is caring for a child or several children born in the same confinement, provided that on the day the benefit is granted the person is an employee or a self-employed person.

Parental benefit consists of:

• the basic part of the parental benefit, which may be received by one of the parents;
• the non-transferable part of the parental benefit, which each parent of the child is entitled to receive. The non-transferable part of the parental benefit for each parent is two calendar months, and it may be chosen to be received up to the day the child reaches eight years of age. Each parent has their own non-transferable part of the benefit, and it may not be used by the other parent.

The right to receive the parental benefit shall be granted to persons for whom mandatory contributions for parental insurance have been made or were required to be made:

• for not less than three months during the last six-month period prior to the month in which the insured event occurred (the date from which the parental benefit is granted), or
• for not less than six months during the last 24 months.

A woman who is not employed on the day the benefit is granted may receive the basic part of the parental benefit, if maternity benefit has been granted to her in respect of the same child:

• as a woman who lost the status of an employee or a self-employed person not earlier than 60 days before the start date of maternity leave;
• as a woman who lost the status of an employee due to liquidation of the undertaking not earlier than 210 days before the start date of maternity leave;
• or who lost the status of an employee or a self-employed person during pregnancy or maternity leave (during the period of receipt of maternity benefit).

If a woman was entitled to and was granted a maternity benefit in respect of the relevant child, she shall also be entitled to the parental benefit for that child, even if mandatory contributions were made for a shorter period than prescribed.

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Parental benefit shall not be granted for a child in respect of whose birth maternity benefit has been granted for the same period. That is, maternity benefit and the basic part of the parental benefit may not be received simultaneously.
At the same time, the non-transferable part of the parental benefit may be received by the child’s father during the period when maternity benefit is granted to the child’s mother.

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

When determining the amount of the parental benefit main portion and the non-transferable portion, the following are taken into account:

• the total period chosen for receiving the parental benefit;
• the average insured earnings calculated for the applicant.

For care of the same child, the total period for receiving parental benefit can be chosen as follows:

 19 months from the child’s birth:

• 15 months main portion for one parent must be used by the child’s 1.5 years of age. This 15-month period includes any maternity leave period granted in connection with the birth of this child.
• 2 months non-transferable portion for the mother can be used until the child reaches 8 years of age.
• 2 months non-transferable portion for the father can be used until the child reaches 8 years of age.

If this option is chosen, the parental benefit amount is 43.75% of the average insured earnings.

13 months from the child’s birth:

• 9 months main portion for one parent must be used by the child’s 1 year of age. This 9-month period includes any maternity leave period granted in connection with the birth of this child.
• 2 months non-transferable portion for the mother can be used until the child reaches 8 years of age.
• 2 months non-transferable portion for the father can be used until the child reaches 8 years of age.

If this option is chosen, the parental benefit amount is 60% of the average insured earnings.

Additional rules:

• To receive the non-transferable portion, parents must first choose the total parental benefit period, which determines the amount of the non-transferable portion.
• The non-transferable portion is part of the parental benefit (it is one benefit), so selecting the total period sets the amount for both the main portion and the non-transferable portion.
• The chosen parental benefit period cannot be changed, except if the child, for whom the benefit was already granted, is placed in out-of-family care. In that case, a guardian, foster parent, or adopter may adjust the duration of the parental benefit for the previous recipient.

The average daily insurance contribution salary is calculated

For an employee, based on a 12-month period ending two months before the month from which the benefit is granted.

For self-employed persons, the average daily insurance contribution wage is calculated based on the actual contributions made during the 12-month period ending one quarter (three months) before the quarter in which the parental benefit is granted.

The average daily insurance contribution wage is calculated using the following formula:

Vd = (A₁ + A₂ + … + A₁₂) ÷ D

 Where:

• Vd – average daily insurance contribution wage;
• A₁, A₂, … A₁₂ – monthly insurance contribution wages;
• D – number of calendar days in the calculation period.

If, during the 12-month period for which the average insurance contribution salary is to be calculated, the person was:

• on childcare leave,
• on unpaid leave granted due to the need to care for a child,
• on paternity leave granted to the child’s father,
• on pregnancy and maternity leave,
• temporarily incapacitated, or
• receiving unemployment benefit, unemployment assistance, or continuation of parental benefit,

then the days of the aforementioned periods are excluded from the calendar days count when calculating the average salary.

If, during the entire 12-month period, no income was received due to the reasons listed above, the average salary is calculated for the 12 calendar months preceding the periods of leave or temporary incapacity, i.e., based on the income earned before such periods while employed or making mandatory contributions as self-employed.

However, if, during the 12-month period, some months had no employment income because the person was not employed, did not make mandatory contributions as self-employed, or was on unpaid leave, the average salary for that period is determined at 40% of the country’s average insurance contribution salary.

The salary calculation does not include bonuses, premiums, benefits, or other types of remuneration paid by the employer during temporary incapacity, pregnancy/maternity, childcare leave, or unpaid leave granted for child care.

When calculating the average insurance contribution salary for the purpose of determining the benefit amount, severance pay and compensation for unused leave are also excluded.

If a woman gives birth to another child while caring for a child under three years of age, the parental benefit for caring for the next child must not be lower than the parental benefit granted for the previous child.

 The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.

The basic part of the parental benefit shall be paid in the amount granted if the benefit recipient is on childcare-related leave, or in the amount of 50% of the granted benefit if the benefit recipient is working or earning income as a self-employed person.

For the period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026, parental benefit recipients who are employed and are not on childcare leave, or who earn income as self-employed persons during the childcare period, shall receive the parental benefit in the amount of 75% of the granted benefit.
This condition applies both to parents to whom the benefit was granted in 2024 or 2025 and whose payments continue in 2026, as well as to those to whom the benefit will be granted in 2026.

The non-transferable part may be received only while being on child-care-related leave; therefore, the non-transferable part is paid in the amount granted, depending on the selected parental benefit payment period.

The benefit is paid for the previous month, proportionally to the number of calendar days for which the benefit is payable.

The benefit is transferred to the benefit recipient’s account with a credit institution of the Republic of Latvia or to an account in the postal settlement system.

If the benefit is granted in accordance with an international social security agreement concluded by Latvia or pursuant to the provisions of the EU Regulations, and the benefit recipient’s place of residence is in an EU/EEA Member State or a contracting state, the benefit may be transferred to an account with the relevant foreign credit institution.

Payment of the parental benefit is suspended for the period during which unemployment benefit is received.

The parental benefit and the child care benefit for the care of one child are granted and paid to one of the parents (both benefits to the same person).

The translation has been prepared using a machine translation tool.