Parliament approves longer parental leave, but the change is not law yet
The final parliamentary text provides 150 days paid at 100%, or 180 days where the leave is shared, with the new regime intended for leave starting from 1 January 2027.
Archived after its publication day. Search retains this original briefing for background and accountability.
Archived 12 September 2026Families should not recalculate leave or income from the vote alone. The text still requires the remaining constitutional and publication steps, and leave already under way is not covered by the approved transition described in current reporting.
- The final parliamentary vote was unanimous on 16 October.
- The approved model is 150 days at 100%, rising to 180 days with the required sharing.
- The parliamentary approval still needs promulgation and publication before it becomes law.
What Parliament approved
The text extends the fully paid initial period from the present four-month option to five months without mandatory sharing. A sixth fully paid month becomes available when the parents meet the sharing rule, including at least 30 consecutive days taken by one of them under the approved text.
The intended start is 1 January 2027 for parental leave beginning from that date. A proposal to apply the change to leave already in progress was not included in the final result reported after the vote.
Do not change a family budget before publication
A final vote is a major legislative step, but it is not the same as an enacted law. The decree goes to the President and the final text, commencement and administrative instructions must be confirmed in the Diário da República and by Social Security.
A family whose birth or leave crosses the year boundary should obtain case-specific confirmation. Employers should wait for the published law before changing payroll or leave records.
What you can do now.
- 01
Follow the initiative page and Diário da República for the final law.
- 02
Ask Social Security how the commencement rule applies to the expected leave date.
- 03
Keep the current approved leave arrangement until the new regime is legally in force.
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