Paternity leave notice (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
A letter by which the employed father, or the mother's employed spouse, civil partner (PACS) or cohabiting partner, tells the employer the expected date of birth and the dates of paternity and childcare leave (congé de paternité et d'accueil de l'enfant, article L. 1225-35 of the French Labour Code) in mainland France or an overseas department other than Mayotte: four compulsory days after the birth leave, then twenty-one days (twenty-eight for multiple births) in one or two periods within six months. Send it at least one month ahead, by registered post with proof of receipt or against a receipt. In French.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- Your partner is expecting a baby in France and you want to take paternity leave from work.
- The birth is getting close and you must give your employer the due date and your leave dates.
- You want to split your paternity leave into two periods and tell your employer in advance.
- You need a paternity leave letter to send to your employer.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- How the letter is delivered
- Employer
- Employer's postal address (department if any, street, postcode and town)
- City
- Date
- Child's date of birth, or expected date of birth
- Period from
- Period to
- Second period of paternity leave, if split (dates)
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- How long is paternity leave in France?
- Twenty-five calendar days, or thirty-two for multiple births (article L. 1225-35 of the Labour Code). Four days are compulsory and are taken straight after the three days of birth leave; the remaining twenty-one days (twenty-eight for multiple births) are taken within six months of the birth, in one go or in two periods of at least five days each. The leave is open to the father and to the mother's spouse, civil partner (PACS) or cohabiting partner.
- When must a French employer be told about paternity leave?
- At least one month before the expected date of birth, stating that date, and then at least one month before each period of leave starts, stating its dates and length (article D. 1225-8 of the Labour Code). If the child is born earlier than expected, tell the employer without delay. When these periods are respected, the employer cannot refuse the leave. This letter can make both announcements at once.
- Who pays for paternity leave in France?
- The employer pays the three days of birth leave. During the twenty-five days of paternity leave the contract is suspended and the national health insurance (Assurance maladie) pays daily allowances if the contribution conditions are met; the collective agreement may add a top-up. Since 1 July 2026 each parent can also take an additional birth leave of one or two months, which has its own letter.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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