Transferable parental leave is the ability for one parent to transfer part or all of their leave entitlement to the other parent. While the EU Work-Life Balance Directive requires at least 2 months of parental leave to be non-transferable per parent, many countries still allow some transfer of leave between parents. The trend in recent years has been toward non-transferable leave to encourage shared parenting, but several countries retain significant transferability.

This guide covers which countries allow transferable parental leave, how the rules work, and what the implications are for employers managing international teams.

Key takeaways

  • Sweden and Denmark have the most flexible transferable leave models, with a shared pool of leave days that parents divide between them.
  • Germany, Austria, and France allow significant transfer of parental leave between parents.
  • The EU Work-Life Balance Directive requires at least 2 months per parent to be non-transferable, setting a floor for member states.
  • The UK’s Shared Parental Leave is inherently transferable — parents share up to 50 weeks between them.
  • Transferable leave is declining — more countries are adopting non-transferable models to encourage shared parenting.

Countries with transferable parental leave

Sweden

Sweden’s parental leave system is built on a shared pool of 480 days per child. Parents receive 240 days each (90 days non-transferable), and the remaining 300 days can be transferred between parents.

The transferable days are paid at approximately 80% of the employee’s average salary, subject to a ceiling. The 90 non-transferable days per parent ensure that each parent has an individual entitlement that cannot be claimed by the other parent.

Denmark

Denmark provides 52 weeks of parental leave per child. The structure is:

  • 25 weeks per parent (non-transferable)
  • 2 weeks per parent (non-transferable, for fathers/partners)
  • 18 weeks shared pool that parents can divide

The shared pool can be transferred entirely to one parent, split between them, or left unused. Unused shared leave expires when the child reaches a specified age.

Germany

Germany’s Elternzeit allows parents to transfer up to 24 months of leave between them. The structure is:

  • 12 months per parent during the first three years (non-transferable)
  • 24 months that can be claimed between the third and eighth birthday (transferable)

The transferable 24 months can be allocated entirely to one parent, split between them, or partially used. This is one of the most generous transferable leave entitlements in the EU.

Austria

Austria’s parental leave allows parents to transfer up to 12 months of their 24-month entitlement to the other parent. The structure is:

  • 12 months per parent (non-transferable)
  • 12 months that can be transferred between parents

The transferable 12 months are paid at the parental allowance rate, which is subject to an income test and maximum.

France

France’s parental leave allows parents to transfer up to 24 months of their 3-year entitlement to the other parent. The structure is:

  • 12 months per parent (non-transferable for the first 12 months)
  • 24 months that can be transferred between parents

The transferable 24 months are paid at the parental allowance rate, which is subject to an income test.

The UK

The UK’s Shared Parental Leave is inherently transferable — parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of statutory pay between them. There is no fixed allocation per parent — the split is entirely flexible.

This model is unique in that the entire leave entitlement is transferable between the parents, rather than having a non-transferable base with a transferable top-up.

Countries with non-transferable parental leave

The trend in recent years has been toward non-transferable leave. Key examples include:

Country Leave entitlement Transferable?
Spain 16 weeks per parent No
Ireland 7 weeks per parent No
Belgium 4 months per parent No
Portugal 3 years per parent Partially
Czechia 3 years per parent No
Slovenia 3 years per parent No
Estonia 3 years per parent No
Luxembourg 4 months per parent No

In these countries, if one parent does not use their leave, it is lost — it cannot be transferred to the other parent. This is the model preferred by the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, which requires at least 2 months per parent to be non-transferable.

The EU Work-Life Balance Directive and transferability

The Directive requires member states to provide at least 4 months of parental leave per parent, with at least 2 months non-transferable. This means:

  • A member state can provide more than 4 months of leave, and the additional months can be transferable.
  • A member state can provide less than 4 months of leave if the Directive is not yet fully transposed (though this is now rare).
  • The 2-month non-transferable floor ensures that each parent has an individual entitlement that cannot be claimed by the other parent.

The Directive does not prohibit transferable leave — it requires a minimum non-transferable floor. This means countries like Germany and Austria, which provide significant transferable leave, are compliant because they also provide non-transferable leave.

Implications for employers

For employers managing international teams, transferable leave creates several challenges:

1. Different rules per country

An employer with employees in Sweden, Germany, and Spain must apply three different leave transfer rules. There is no single EU-wide standard — the Directive sets a floor, and each country’s national law governs.

2. Different pay calculations

Transferable leave may be paid at different rates depending on which parent takes it. An employer who applies one country’s rules to employees in another country will get the pay calculation wrong.

3. Different notice requirements

The notice requirements for transferable leave vary by country. An employer who uses a single notice process for all countries will miss the specific requirements in some.

4. Different eligibility criteria

Transferable leave may have different eligibility criteria than non-transferable leave. An employer must check both sets of criteria for each employee.

Common pitfalls

1. Assuming all EU countries have the same rules

The EU Work-Life Balance Directive sets a floor, not a ceiling. Each member state has transposed the Directive differently, and the national law governs.

2. Not tracking the non-transferable share

Countries that allow transferable leave also require a non-transferable share. Failing to track this creates compliance gaps.

3. Applying one country’s rules to all employees

An employer with employees in multiple countries must comply with the specific national law in each country. There is no single EU standard beyond the Directive minimum.

4. Not informing employees of their transfer rights

Employees in countries with transferable leave may not be aware of their right to transfer leave to the other parent. Failing to inform them creates a gap in their understanding of their entitlements.

Putting it into practice

Five steps cover most international parental leave compliance:

  1. Map each employee’s entitlement to the specific national law of their country of employment — do not rely on a single EU-wide rule.
  2. Identify the transferable and non-transferable shares in each country and ensure your leave tracking system enforces both.
  3. Set up country-specific leave types in your HR system, with the correct pay calculation rules for each.
  4. Inform employees of their transfer rights when they join and when a child is born.
  5. Review national law changes annually — member states regularly update their parental leave provisions.
You can take advantage of the free 14 days trial and explore Leave Balance.

A leave management system that maps employee entitlements to national law, enforces the transferable and non-transferable shares, and keeps pace with legislative changes keeps your multi-country compliance in sight.

Sources

Last updated: 26 July 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice.