As of 1st January 2026 additional support is planned for parents of prematurely born children, ensuring that all families with a prematurely born child will receive extra assistance. For parents whose child is born after 1st January 2026 the maternity leave period for 56 or 70 days only will be includedin the parental benefit payment period. This means that if a child is born, for example, five weeks early, the pre-natal part of maternity leave period will be included in the parental benefit duration, and the five weeks for early birth will be added to extend the benefit period accordingly.
These changes are included in the amendments to the Law “On Maternity and Sickness Insurance,” approved at the government meeting on Tuesday, October 28. The amendments still require review and approval by the Saeima (the Parliament).
Minister for Welfare Reinis Uzulnieks emphasized:
“With these amendments, we are strengthening fairness and equal treatment for all parents. Every parent matters, and state support must be tailored to their real-life circumstances, especially when a child is born prematurely. We are committed to building the system that is clear, understandable, and aligned with the needs of modern families.”
Additionally, starting 1st July 2026 parental benefits will be granted for children who have been assigned a personal identification number, have an active status in the Population Register, and reside in Latvia This means social insurance support will be provided to parents who make social insurance contributions in Latvia and raise their children in Latvia, similar to practices in many EU member states.
The State Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) will verify whether the child resides in Latvia based on the declared place of residence. In cases of doubt, SSIA may request the benefit recipient to submit additional evidence confirming the child’s place of residence in Latvia, such as travel documents or records of registration and visits to a family doctor.
To prevent ambiguity regarding paternity benefit conditions, the amendments also clarify that paternity benefit will be granted for 10 working days of leave for each child born in the same birth event. This applies to the child’s father or another person involved in the care for two or more children born during the same delivery.