January 26, 2026
Maternity and paternity leave
Parental leave up to 14 years: new limits for employees from 2026
INPS
INPS issued initial operational guidance on the extension of parental leave. The change affects employees: for events from January 1, 2026, parental leave can be used within the first fourteen years of the child’s life, rather than twelve as before. In cases of adoption or foster care, the limit is fourteen years from the child’s entry into the family.
The rules remain unchanged for parents under the separate management system (Gestione separata), whose limit is still twelve years, and for self-employed workers, who can use leave within the first year of the child’s life or entry into the family.
INPS also updated the online procedure for submitting applications. If it was not possible to submit requests in advance between January 1, 2026, and the system update, applications can be submitted retroactively for already used periods.
This extension significantly improves the work-life balance for employees and requires careful monitoring of requests by companies, including for older children.
