A child rarely follows the employer’s calendar. For the paternity month, employees still have to plan several deadlines precisely: the advance notice before birth, the immediate notification afterward and the report of the actual start date. In addition, the family time bonus is a separate application with its own requirements. Anyone who wants to use both benefits must coordinate the periods down to the exact day.
The paternity month in Austria is neither parental leave nor paid vacation. Employed fathers in the private sector generally have a statutory right to one month of leave without pay. The other parent in a same-sex partnership can also use the entitlement under the statutory conditions. Different rules may apply for the public service, individual federal states and more favorable collective agreements.
This guide explains the situation as of July 2026. It helps with preparation but does not replace individual advice from the Chamber of Labour, social insurance or legal counsel in special cases such as premature birth, hospital stay, foreign connections or interrupted employment.
Paternity month and family time bonus are two different things
The paternity month is the employment-law claim against the employer. During this time the work obligation is suspended, but the employer does not have to pay a salary. The family time bonus, by contrast, is a state cash benefit that must be applied for with the competent health insurance provider. It is not triggered automatically by notifying the employer about the paternity month.
This distinction is crucial for planning. An employee may have an employment-law claim to leave but fail to meet a requirement for the family time bonus. Likewise, a late or incorrectly chosen bonus period can create a funding gap. Therefore both processes should be checked separately and then aligned in time.
Which three notifications to the employer count
For the statutory legal entitlement, the Fathers' Leave Act provides a clear sequence:
- Before the birth: At the latest three months before the expected due date, the employer must be informed that the paternity month will be taken. The expected due date and the anticipated start date must be communicated.
- Immediately after the birth: The employer must be informed of the birth without delay.
- Within one week: The exact start date must be communicated no later than one week after the birth.
The advance notice should be given in a verifiable way, for example in writing with confirmed receipt. That reduces misunderstandings about date and content. If the child is born prematurely and timely advance notice was therefore not possible, this obligation does not apply. If other deadlines are missed, the paternity month is not automatically excluded; in that case the employer must agree to a arrangement.
In which period the paternity month must fall
The leave lasts one month. It can in principle run from the day after the birth until the end of the mother’s prohibition on employment. If there is no statutory employment prohibition—e.g. because the mother is self-employed, unemployed or not gainfully employed—eight weeks after the birth apply by way of replacement, or twelve weeks for premature, multiple or cesarean births.
For the family time bonus, discharge from hospital is particularly important: in the case of a hospital birth the cash benefit is generally payable no earlier than from the discharge of mother and child. Anyone who wants to use the paternity month and bonus for the same period should therefore not set the start prematurely. There are special rules for medically necessary hospital stays; these should be clarified with the health insurance provider before notification.
A month is not a freely assembled package of working days. Depending on the start date it comprises 28, 29, 30 or 31 consecutive calendar days. Weekends and public holidays are included.
How much the family time bonus is in 2026
In 2026 the family time bonus is 54.87 euros per day. Depending on the length of the chosen family month, the total amounts are as follows:
- 28 days: 1,536.36 euros
- 29 days: 1,591.23 euros
- 30 days: 1,646.10 euros
- 31 days: 1,700.97 euros
This is not a replacement for the previous net salary but a flat-rate payment. Households should therefore calculate before the birth how large the gap to ongoing expenses will be. A monthly budget with fixed costs, savings, expected bonus and payment timing is helpful. The application is processed separately; the money should therefore not be planned as if it were available on the first day of leave.
Which requirements must be met for the bonus
For the family time bonus the employment-law leave alone is not sufficient. Key requirements include entitlement to and receipt of the family allowance, the family’s centre of life being in Austria, a shared household and, in principle, identical registered main residences for the applying parent, the child and the other parent.
In addition, immediately before the start of the benefit there must generally be 182 days of employment subject to Austrian health and pension insurance. Interruptions totaling up to 14 days can be permissible. Benefits from unemployment insurance must generally not have been received during this observation period. Because even single periods can be decisive, people who have changed jobs, been unemployed, had longer interruptions or worked cross-border should initiate the check early with the health insurance provider.
During the family time all gainful employment must actually be interrupted. Paid vacation or sick leave do not count as a substitute. After the family month employment must be resumed; a subsequent fathers' parental leave can count as resumption.
Why the periods must match exactly
The bonus can be claimed for 28, 29, 30 or 31 consecutive days. The chosen duration must match the actual family time and lie entirely within 91 days of the birth. The application itself must be submitted to the competent health insurance provider no later than 121 days from the day of birth.
These two deadlines are easily confused: 91 days limit the possible benefit period, 121 days the application. A later application does not extend the benefit period. In the application the period of receipt must be specified bindingly; a later change is possible only once and under certain conditions.
Practically this means: first check the earliest possible start and the end of the employment-law paternity month. Then check whether the same period meets the bonus rules. Only then should the concrete dates be communicated to the employer and the health insurance provider.
What applies to dismissal protection
Dismissal and termination protection begins with the advance notice, but at the earliest four months before the expected due date. It ends four weeks after the end of the paternity month. In the case of a premature birth for which the advance notice could be omitted, protection begins with the notification of the concrete start date.
The leave is also taken into account for entitlements that depend on the length of service. Nevertheless the paternity month is not the same as paid absence on the occasion of the birth, vacation or parental leave. Anyone who is planning a simultaneous job change should therefore also check the employment contract, notice periods and the start date of the new job. The jobspot guide on employment contracts in Austria shows which details should be clarified before signing.
A checklist for planning before the birth
- Mark the expected due date and the latest date for the advance notice in your calendar.
- Send the advance notice with the planned start date to the employer in writing and in a verifiable way.
- Check shared household, registered main residences and expected receipt of the family allowance.
- Check 182 days of employment as well as possible interruptions or unemployment benefits.
- Calculate the financial gap between lost salary and the family time bonus.
- Prepare documents and the application form for the health insurance provider.
- Immediately inform the employer after the birth and report the start date within one week.
- Align the paternity month and the family time bonus to identical calendar days.
The time after also needs planning. Anyone who goes directly into parental leave, part-time parenting or another working-time arrangement must observe separate deadlines and requirements. The article on Negotiating part-time helps with hours, salary and development opportunities. For returning to work later the guide on return to work after parental leave provides a practical structure.
Typical mistakes that can be avoided
Most problems arise when the paternity month and the family time bonus are treated as a single application. Vacation instead of a real interruption, a start before hospital discharge, differing date information or an overlooked interruption in employment can also jeopardize the bonus.
Another mistake is the assumption that the paternity month automatically covers later care shortages. Other instruments apply for illness or care. Which requirements apply there is explained in the jobspot article on Care leave in Austria.
In cases of premature birth, longer hospital stay, separate residences, foreign connections or employment outside the private sector one should not work with standard dates. In such cases a written statement from the competent authority is advisable before a binding period is reported.
Conclusion: Plan three deadlines and two entitlements together
The paternity month provides time for the first family phase but is not paid vacation. The family time bonus can cushion part of the loss of income if household, employment history, benefit period and application fit. Decisive is to check both entitlements separately and then connect them exactly by day.
The best next step is concrete: enter the expected due date, the advance-notice deadline and the anticipated time window in a calendar. Then check employment periods and household budget and have special cases assessed early by the Chamber of Labour or the health insurance provider. That way a good intention becomes a reliable plan.
