Maternity benefits in Croatia are regulated by the Act on Maternity and Parental Benefits (Official Gazette nos. 85/08, 110/08, 34/11, 54/13, 152/14 and 59/17).
The right to maternity and parental benefits can only be realised if you have compulsory health insurance regulated by the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO) and if you also meet other prescribed conditions.
Benefits are provided to the mother and the father of the child, adoptive parent, guardian, foster parent or other physical person to whom guardianship and upbringing of a minor child is entrusted by the decision of the competent authority.
Maternity benefits
Employed and self-employed parents
An employed or self-employed pregnant woman, that is the mother, may use the maternity leave from the 28th, or at the earliest 45th day before the day of expected birth (in case of complications during pregnancy) until the 70th day after the child’s birth. This is the compulsory part of the maternity leave used by the mother of a child and, in certain circumstances, it may be used by the father (for example, in case of mother’s death).
An additional maternity leave lasts until the child reaches 6 months. During that period, the mother can return to work and transfer the leave to the father of the child.
The financial support for a maternity leave for employed or self-employed parent who meets the requirement regarding insurance periods is 100% of the basis for salary compensation calculated in accordance with compulsory health insurance regulations. If the requirement regarding the insurance periods is not met, the financial support amounts to 70% of the budget basis (HRK 2,328.20).
Beneficiaries who receive other income, farmers outside the income tax or revenue tax system, unemployed beneficiaries
These parents are entitled to maternity exemption from work until the child reaches 6 months.
Beneficiaries outside the work system
These parents are entitled to maternity care for a child in the same duration.
Financial support for maternity exemption from work and maternity care for the child amounts to HRK 2,328.20 per month.
Parental benefits Employed and self-employed parents
An employed or self-employed parent has the right to parental leave after the child is 6 months old and can use it until the child is 8 years old. The right to parental leave is the personal right of both employed or self-employed parents, usually used by the parents in duration of 8 (for the first, second born child) or 30 months (for born twins, third born child and each subsequent child).
Salary compensation during parental leave in duration of the first 6 months, or 8 months of parental leave cannot, for full time work, be more than 120% of the budget basis per month (HRK 3,991.20). In the remaining part of parental leave, salary compensation amounts to HRK 2,328.20.
Beneficiaries who receive other income, farmers outside the income tax or revenue tax system, unemployed beneficiaries
Upon expiration of the right to maternity exemption from work, this category of parents is entitled to a parental exemption from work until the child is one year old for the first and second born child, i.e. up to the child’s 3rd year (depending on the number of born children).
Beneficiaries outside the work system
Beneficiaries outside the work system are entitled to parental care for the child in the same duration.
Financial support for parental exemption from work and parental care for the child amounts to HRK 2,328.20 per month.
Parental exemption from work and parental care for the child must be used continuously after the maternity exemption from work and maternity care for the child.
Beneficiaries of the right to maternity and parental benefits are divided into three categories, depending on their legal (labour) status:
• Employed and self-employed parents (including parents caretakers, parents on vocational training, persons providing care and assistance to Croatian disabled war veterans)
• Unemployed parents, farmers who are not taxpayers of income and income tax, parents who generate other income and
• Parents outside the work system (pensioners, regular students and pupils, persons unable to work and others).
Employed beneficiaries are persons who have a recognised status of an insured person in the compulsory health care and pension insurance on the basis of their employment according to labour regulations.
Self-employed beneficiaries are persons who have a recognised status of an insured person in the compulsory health care and pension insurance on the basis of their self-employment.
Yes. The right to maternity and parental benefits may also be exercised by foreigners who, according to regulations on asylum, have obtained the status of asylum holders or persons under subsidiary protection. Appropriate provisions of the Act on Maternity and Parental Benefits shall be applied to such persons, according to their legal (labour) status, without the application of the terms regarding nationality and the length of their temporary or permanent residence in the territory of the Republic of Croatia.
The right to maternity leave is realised based on the Report on temporary disability/incapacity for work issued by an elected gynaecologist, in which the expected term of birth is indicated.
For other rights, it is necessary to submit an application to the regional service or branch office of the Croatian Health Insurance Fund.
