Paternity leave
Paternity leave by country, paid leave for fathers
The paid leave for fathers and partners in 122 countries, each linked to the law that sets it. It runs from none or a few days to 26 weeks in Iceland.
Two weeks or more, longest first
Paid paternity or partner leave in weeks; the wording, linked to its source, gives the pay rate and any weeks shared with the mother.
Countries that give fathers a few days
Under two weeks, listed by country: the law states the leave in days, as the wording shows.
Countries with no paid leave reserved for fathers
No statutory paid leave for fathers, unpaid leave only, or a parental scheme shared between the parents; the wording says which.
Statutory minimums or standards; employment contracts and collective agreements can set more. Employment terms as listed on each country page (labour data as of Aug 18, 2026 unless re-read since), 122 countries.
Paternity leave by country: common questions
Which country gives fathers the most paid leave?
In our data the longest paid paternity or partner leave is 26 weeks, in Iceland. 48 countries give two weeks or more, 44 give a few days, and 30 have no paid leave reserved for fathers, among them the United States, where the FMLA gives 12 weeksโ unpaid. Some figures include weeks the parents can share; each country's wording says how much is the father's alone.
Who pays for paternity leave?
It depends on the country: in many it is paid by social security or a parental benefit, in others the employer pays the days. Each country's wording, linked to its source, says who pays and at what rate.
Does an employer of record handle paternity leave?
Yes: as the legal employer it grants the statutory leave, pays any employer-paid days through payroll and files the benefit claims the law requires, invoicing the client for the employer's share.
Hiring someone in another country? Pick the country and we rank the employer of record providers that employ there and apply its employment law, with their published fees.
Get matchedMore employment rules by country: employer costs, minimum wage, annual leave, public holidays, working hours, overtime pay, sick leave, maternity leave, 13th month salary, probation period, notice period, severance pay and employer pension.