Procedure · Work and leaving a job

Taking parental leave (congé parental d'éducation) in France: conditions, deadlines and letter

After a birth or an adoption, parental leave (congé parental d'éducation) lets you stop working or go part-time until your child turns 3, and your employer cannot refuse it. Your employer does not pay you during the leave, but the CAF may pay the PreParE benefit. Here are the conditions, the deadlines for giving notice and a letter template.

At a glance

Who: Any employee, mother or father, with at least 1 year's service in the company, following the birth or adoption of a child.
When: Straight after maternity or adoption leave, or later; for a birth, it ends at the latest on the child's third birthday (general case).
Where: With your employer, by recorded-delivery letter or handed over in person against a signed receipt; the PreParE is claimed from the CAF (or the MSA).
Cost: Free; no salary during the leave, unless a collective agreement says otherwise, but the CAF may pay the PreParE if you qualify.
How long: Give notice 1 month before the end of maternity or adoption leave if it follows straight on, otherwise at least 2 months before it starts; 1 month before the end of a period to extend it.

Letter template: initial parental leave request (service-public.gouv.fr)

Step by step

Check that you are entitled. You need at least 1 year's service in the company. If you meet this condition, the employer cannot refuse; if they do, you can go to the employment tribunal.
Choose full-time or part-time. You can stop working completely, or cut your hours while keeping at least 16 hours a week. For part-time, an amendment to your contract sets your working hours and the length of the period; the site's part-time tool shows what happens to your pay.
Set the start date and length. The first period lasts at most 1 year. For the birth of one child, it can be renewed twice and ends at the latest on the third birthday; the rules differ for multiple births and for adoption.
Tell your employer in writing, on time. Send your request by recorded delivery or hand it over against a receipt, with the start date and length of the leave. Deadline: at least 1 month before the end of your maternity or adoption leave if parental leave follows straight on, otherwise at least 2 months before it starts.
Claim the PreParE from the CAF. The PreParE (prestation partagée d'éducation de l'enfant) is paid by the CAF (or the MSA) if you have at least 8 quarters of pension contributions over a period that depends on how many children you have. Not yet a claimant: send forms cerfa no. 11423 and no. 12324; already a claimant: update your online account, then send cerfa no. 12324. On maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave, wait until those payments end before sending your claim.
Extend or change it in time. To extend your leave or switch to part-time, tell your employer at least 1 month before the current period ends; they cannot object. Service-public has a letter template for this request.
Prepare your return. At the end of the leave, you get your job back or a similar one, with at least the same pay, and you are entitled to a career review meeting (entretien professionnel). For your length of service, full-time leave counts for half, and part-time leave counts in full.

Documents to prepare

Proof of your length of service (employment contract or payslips)
The date of the birth or of the child's arrival, and of your maternity, paternity or adoption leave
Your request letter (start date, length, full-time or part-time) and proof of delivery
For part-time: the working hours you want, at least 16 hours a week
For the PreParE: forms cerfa no. 11423 and no. 12324, or your CAF account updated

Pitfalls to avoid

Sending your request too late: 1 month before the end of maternity or adoption leave if it follows straight on, 2 months before the start otherwise.
Forgetting to give notice 1 month before the end of a period if you want to extend it.
Taking another job during the leave: it is not allowed, except as a registered childminder (assistant maternel).
Expecting to build up paid leave during full-time parental leave: it does not count as time worked, unless a collective agreement says otherwise.
Assuming the PreParE lasts as long as the leave: for a first child, in a couple, each parent can receive it for 6 months, up to the child's first birthday.

Parental leave request letter (in French)

[Prénom Nom]
[Adresse]

[Nom de l'entreprise]
À l'attention de [Prénom Nom du destinataire], [fonction]
[Adresse de l'entreprise]

[Ville], le [date]

Lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (ou remise en main propre contre décharge)

Objet : demande de congé parental d'éducation

Madame, Monsieur,

Salarié(e) de l'entreprise depuis le [date d'embauche] au poste de [intitulé du poste], je vous informe de ma décision de prendre un congé parental d'éducation à la suite de [la naissance / l'arrivée au foyer] de mon enfant le [date].

Je souhaite bénéficier de ce congé [à temps plein / à temps partiel, à raison de [nombre d'heures par semaine]] à compter du [date de début], pour une durée de [durée], soit jusqu'au [date de fin].

Je vous remercie de bien vouloir me confirmer la bonne réception de cette demande.

Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.

[Signature]

Parental leave request letter (in French): replace each part in square brackets, proofread, date and sign. The letter is in French because it goes to a French employer or administration.

Every letter template

What Nego does for you

Write your parental leave request (full-time or part-time) with the right dates
Work out the deadlines for telling your employer and for extending
Estimate your part-time pay with the site's tool
Prepare the list of documents for your PreParE claim

Nego follows the checked steps on this page, does the calculations with the site's tools and drafts your letters. It does not replace the administration: the procedure is completed on the official service.

Going further

Part-time pay Part-time work Paid holiday

Frequently asked questions

Can my employer refuse my parental leave?

No, if you have at least 1 year's service and give notice on time. Nor can they object to an extension requested on time. If they refuse, you can go to the employment tribunal.

How long can parental leave last?

At most 1 year at first, renewable twice for the birth of one child, up to the third birthday at the latest. The rules differ for multiple births or adoption, and the leave can be extended by up to one year if the child has a serious illness, accident or disability.

Am I paid during parental leave?

Your employer does not pay you, unless an agreement says otherwise. The CAF (or the MSA) may pay you the PreParE if you have enough contribution quarters, and the Paje basic allowance if your income qualifies; the amounts are set by the CAF.

Can I cut my parental leave short?

Yes, with the employer's agreement. Without it, only if the child dies or the household's income falls sharply, by recorded-delivery letter at least 1 month before the date you want to return.

How is it different from the additional birth leave?

Since 1 July 2026, each parent can take an additional birth leave of 1 or 2 months, paid by the CPAM (or the MSA), after maternity, paternity or adoption leave, telling the employer at least 1 month beforehand (15 days in some cases). It is a separate leave: it does not replace parental leave, and its allowance cannot be combined with the PreParE.

Can I work elsewhere during my parental leave?

No: no other work is allowed, except as a registered childminder. You can, however, do a skills assessment (bilan de compétences), unpaid.

Official sources

Rules checked on 27 October 2026 against the sources above. This page explains the procedure; it replaces neither the administration nor legal advice.

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Taking parental leave (congé parental d'éducation) in France: conditions, deadlines and letter

At a glance

Who

Any employee, mother or father, with at least 1 year's service in the company, following the birth or adoption of a child.

When

Straight after maternity or adoption leave, or later; for a birth, it ends at the latest on the child's third birthday (general case).

Where

With your employer, by recorded-delivery letter or handed over in person against a signed receipt; the PreParE is claimed from the CAF (or the MSA).

Cost

Free; no salary during the leave, unless a collective agreement says otherwise, but the CAF may pay the PreParE if you qualify.

How long

Give notice 1 month before the end of maternity or adoption leave if it follows straight on, otherwise at least 2 months before it starts; 1 month before the end of a period to extend it.

Step by step

Check that you are entitled. You need at least 1 year's service in the company. If you meet this condition, the employer cannot refuse; if they do, you can go to the employment tribunal.

Choose full-time or part-time. You can stop working completely, or cut your hours while keeping at least 16 hours a week. For part-time, an amendment to your contract sets your working hours and the length of the period; the site's part-time tool shows what happens to your pay.

Set the start date and length. The first period lasts at most 1 year. For the birth of one child, it can be renewed twice and ends at the latest on the third birthday; the rules differ for multiple births and for adoption.

Tell your employer in writing, on time. Send your request by recorded delivery or hand it over against a receipt, with the start date and length of the leave. Deadline: at least 1 month before the end of your maternity or adoption leave if parental leave follows straight on, otherwise at least 2 months before it starts.

Claim the PreParE from the CAF. The PreParE (prestation partagée d'éducation de l'enfant) is paid by the CAF (or the MSA) if you have at least 8 quarters of pension contributions over a period that depends on how many children you have. Not yet a claimant: send forms cerfa no. 11423 and no. 12324; already a claimant: update your online account, then send cerfa no. 12324. On maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave, wait until those payments end before sending your claim.

Extend or change it in time. To extend your leave or switch to part-time, tell your employer at least 1 month before the current period ends; they cannot object. Service-public has a letter template for this request.

Prepare your return. At the end of the leave, you get your job back or a similar one, with at least the same pay, and you are entitled to a career review meeting (entretien professionnel). For your length of service, full-time leave counts for half, and part-time leave counts in full.

Documents to prepare

Proof of your length of service (employment contract or payslips)

The date of the birth or of the child's arrival, and of your maternity, paternity or adoption leave

Your request letter (start date, length, full-time or part-time) and proof of delivery

For part-time: the working hours you want, at least 16 hours a week

For the PreParE: forms cerfa no. 11423 and no. 12324, or your CAF account updated

Pitfalls to avoid

Sending your request too late: 1 month before the end of maternity or adoption leave if it follows straight on, 2 months before the start otherwise.

Forgetting to give notice 1 month before the end of a period if you want to extend it.

Taking another job during the leave: it is not allowed, except as a registered childminder (assistant maternel).

Expecting to build up paid leave during full-time parental leave: it does not count as time worked, unless a collective agreement says otherwise.

Assuming the PreParE lasts as long as the leave: for a first child, in a couple, each parent can receive it for 6 months, up to the child's first birthday.