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Spain’s Parental Leave Reform: Summer 2025 Updates


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The Spanish government has approved a major expansion of parental leave, announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and passed in the Council of Ministers.


For working families - including expat parents in Spain - the summer 2025 reforms mean more time at home with their children and even more flexibility for balancing family care. Yay!


Key parental leave updates (as of 31 July 2025)

  • Birth leave extended to 17 weeks: Each parent is now entitled to 17 weeks of fully paid leave (up from 16 weeks) - for babies born, adopted or fostered on or after 31 July 2025.

  • Two additional weeks of parental leave: Parents can claim two extra paid weeks of care (at 100% of salary*) to use before the child's 8th birthday.

  • Single-parent families: Leave has doubled, from 16 weeks to 32 weeks of paid leave - - for births, adoptions, or fosterings on or after 31 July 2025, with an additional 4 weeks available to use until the child turns 8.

  • Eligibility note: These extra 2 (or 4) weeks only apply to children born, adopted or fostered on or after 2 August 2024, and can only be requested from 1 January 2026.

  • EU compliance: These changes were introduced to meet EU directives and avoid (even bigger) fines by ongoing non-compliance.


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What Parents in Spain Can Expect After Summer 2025


Here’s the full picture under the new system:

  • 17 weeks of paid birth leave per parent (or 28 weeks for single-parent families).

  • 2 extra flexible paid weeks per parent or 4 weeks for single-parent families.

  • 8 weeks of unpaid leave (Spanish Workers’ Statute) per parent.

  • Lactation leave provisions, which can be combined with the above.

Spain vs Other EU Countries: Where It Stands After the 2025 Reform Spain’s parental leave is now among one of the stronger systems in Europe - but it is still not the most generous.

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  • Spain: 17 weeks per parent, plus 2 flexible weeks = 133 days per parent, paid at 100% of salary.

  • Sweden: 480 days per child, with 390 days paid at 80% of salary.

  • Norway & Iceland: Offering similar longer and flexible parental leave systems.




So while Spain has made enormous progress over the years (in 2017, when my son was born it was 16 weeks for mums and 4 weeks for dads, while the year before dads only got just 2 weeks!), Spain is still trailing behind the Nordic countries.

Why the Summer 2025 Parental Leave Changes Matter for Expat Families

The 2025 reform is going some way towards recognising the needs of modern families:

  • More flexibility for school-age children.

  • Fairer support for single parents.

  • Better steps toward gender equality in caregiving.

Prime Minister Sánchez described the reform as a “historic expansion of rights.” For every-day families, it means more time, more options, and a better balance between work and childcare responsibilities.


Final Word on Spain's Parental Leave Changes in 2025

In less than a decade, Spain has transformed parental leave from unequal and limited (just 2 weeks for fathers in 2016, and previously no extra allowance for single-parent families) into one of Europe’s more progressive systems.


And while it doesn’t yet rival Sweden or Norway, the new rights mark a huge step forward for expat families in Spain.

* For 2025, the maximum monthly contribution base is €4,909.50.

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