Maternity and paternity leave in Switzerland in 2026: how long, how much and the return to work

In Switzerland in 2026, a working mother is entitled to 14 weeks of maternity leave paid at 80% of her earnings, up to CHF 220 a day, and the other parent to two weeks, to be taken within six months. This guide covers the federal rules, which also apply in Ticino, labour-law protections, cantonal benefits and a timeline for planning your return to work and nursery. It is written for families in Ticino, including recent arrivals from abroad, and is up to date as of October 2026.

How long is maternity leave in Switzerland?

Paid maternity leave lasts 14 weeks, or 98 days, and starts on the day of birth. It is funded by the federal loss of earnings scheme (indennità di perdita di guadagno, IPG; EO in German, APG in French), is the same in every canton and must be taken in one block straight after the birth.

The entitlement ends early if the mother goes back to work, even part-time, and the remaining allowances are lost. You do not, however, have to return to work afterwards to receive it.

There are two extensions. If the newborn has to stay in hospital for two weeks or more straight after the birth, payment is extended by the length of the stay, up to 56 days, provided the mother then returns to work. If the mother dies within 97 days of the birth, the other parent receives 98 additional daily allowances.

How much is maternity pay?

The maternity allowance (indennità di maternità) is 80% of average earnings before the birth, up to CHF 220 a day in 2026. The maximum is reached with a salary of CHF 8,250 a month or, for self-employed mothers, annual income of CHF 99,000.

An example from the federal leaflet: with a salary of CHF 5,250 a month, the allowance is CHF 140 a day, or CHF 13,720 over the 98 days. This is a gross amount, from which social insurance contributions are deducted.

Reducing your working hours or taking unpaid leave before the birth can lower the allowance. Some contracts, collective agreements and staff regulations offer more than the legal minimum, so ask your employer early.

Who is entitled to maternity pay?

A mother is entitled if, at the time of the birth, she is employed or self-employed, or works in her husband's business for a cash salary. Two further conditions apply:

• she must have been insured under the Swiss old-age and survivors' insurance (AHV in German, AVS in Italian) for the 9 months before the birth (6, 7 or 8 months for a premature birth);
• she must have worked for at least 5 months in that period, at any level of employment.

Unemployed mothers who receive unemployment benefit, or have enough contributions to receive it, are also covered, as are mothers unable to work who receive daily allowances based on a previous salary. If you have recently moved to Switzerland, insurance and employment periods in an EU or EFTA country or the UK also count.

Employees apply through their employer, which confirms employment and salary and sends the form to its compensation fund (cassa di compensazione, the office that runs AHV/AVS). Self-employed mothers apply directly to their own fund. Claims can be made up to five years after the leave ends. A mother who does not meet the conditions keeps her right to salary under the Swiss Code of Obligations.

Paternity leave: two weeks within six months

A working father is entitled to two weeks of paid leave, which is 10 working days for a full-time job, to be taken within six months of the birth in one block, in weeks or as single days. Official documents now call it leave for the other parent (congedo dell'altro genitore), because the same right applies to the mother's wife, if they were married at the time of the birth and the child was conceived through sperm donation.

The allowance follows the maternity rules: 80% of average earnings, up to CHF 220 a day, with the same insurance and employment conditions. A parent who takes all 10 days receives 14 daily allowances, which also cover the weekends: CHF 3,080 at most. The allowance is paid after the last day of leave.

The leave does not reduce your holidays. If your employer gives notice before you have taken it, the notice period is extended by the days not yet used. Since it can be taken as single days, some can be kept for your baby's settling-in period at nursery.

Adoption and sick children

Adoption. Parents who adopt a child under four are entitled to two weeks of leave with the same allowance, to be taken within 12 months and shared as they wish. Claims go to the Federal Compensation Fund.

A seriously ill child. Parents who stop working to care for a child under 18 who is seriously ill or injured are entitled to care leave of up to 14 weeks, to be used within 18 months. The criteria are specific, so check them with your compensation fund.

Less serious illness. On presentation of a medical certificate, your employer must give you the time needed to care for a sick child, up to three days per case. The limit of ten days a year that applies to other family members does not apply to children.

What does Swiss labour law protect?

The Labour Act and the Code of Obligations also protect mothers before and after the birth:

• No work after the birth. A mother may not be employed in the 8 weeks after the birth. Until the 16th week she may only work if she agrees, so weeks 15 and 16 can be taken as leave, but without pay unless agreed otherwise.
• Protection against dismissal. In open-ended contracts, after the probation period, the employer may not give notice during pregnancy or in the 16 weeks after the birth. Notice given before the pregnancy is suspended and resumes after the 16 weeks.
• Breastfeeding. In the child's first year, time spent breastfeeding or expressing milk is paid working time: at least 30 minutes for a working day of up to 4 hours, 60 minutes for more than 4 hours and 90 minutes for more than 7 hours. A mother may breastfeed at work or at home, her working day may not exceed 9 hours and, while breastfeeding, she may only be employed with her consent.
• Holidays. The employer may not reduce your holidays because of the 14-week maternity leave.
• Before the birth. In the 8 weeks before the birth, a pregnant woman may not work between 8 pm and 6 am.

What does Ticino add?

Ticino applies the federal rules on maternity and paternity leave, with the same length and amounts as the rest of Switzerland. The federal leaflet mentions additional cantonal benefits only for women who worked in the Canton of Geneva. Ticino instead offers its own benefits linked to birth and adoption:

• Parental allowance (assegno parentale). A one-off payment of CHF 3,000 for each child born or placed with a view to adoption. It is available to parents who have lived in Ticino for at least 3 years if Swiss, or 5 years if foreign, with gross family income up to CHF 110,000 and net assets up to CHF 400,000, assessed six months after the birth. You must apply within one year to the cantonal family allowance compensation fund.
• Cantonal adoption allowance. After the two federal weeks, working adoptive parents who welcome a child under 18 can receive up to 98 additional daily allowances, at 80% of earnings and up to CHF 220 a day, to be used within six months.

If you have only just moved to Ticino, note the minimum residence periods for the parental allowance. Monthly family allowances and support for families on modest incomes are covered in our guide to family allowances in Ticino. At federal level, in 2025 both chambers of Parliament rejected an initiative from the Canton of Ticino for parental leave of at least 20 weeks, so the rules described here remain in force in 2026.

Going back to work: when should you look for a nursery?

As early as possible, ideally during pregnancy. The Canton notes that places for babies in their first year are more limited than for older children and advises contacting nurseries well in advance, so you can choose calmly and possibly reserve a place for the period you need. If a nursery has a waiting list, ask how it works and when you will hear back.

In Ticino, nurseries (nidi dell'infanzia) usually take children from 3 months, when maternity leave ends. Before regular attendance, there is a settling-in period (ambientamento or inserimento): the Canton advises keeping at least two weeks free, which may be extended depending on how it goes. If you return at the end of the 14 weeks, settling in falls in the last weeks of your leave; otherwise you can use days of the other parent's leave, holidays or the unpaid weeks 15 and 16.

Check the annual closure weeks too, which according to the Canton range from 0 to 4, and budget for the fees, which we explain in our guide to childcare costs in Ticino. For questions to ask on a visit, see how to choose a nursery in Lugano; if you are relocating, see moving to Lugano with children.

A simple timeline

If you are thinking about nursery from the first months, Honeycomb School, a bilingual Italian-English centre for children aged 0 to 6 in Muzzano, near Lugano, has a dedicated space for babies from 0 to 12 months, the Little Bees, designed as an extension of home: few children per educator and separate areas for sleep, care and free movement. Settling in is gradual, with a structured conversation about sleep, feeding and separation, and we support parents on sleep, crying and the return to work. You can find out more about our nursery and book a visit.