How much paid parental leave can I get in New Zealand?

If you qualify, the government pays you for up to 26 weeks while you are the main carer of a new baby or a child under 6. From 1 July 2026 the most you can get is $811.05 a week before tax. Inland Revenue (IR) pays it. Your employer does not have to, unless your agreement says so.

Paid leave and job leave are two different things. Employment New Zealand covers your time off work and your job. IR covers the money. You can qualify for one and not the other, so it pays to check both.

The basics

• Length: Up to 26 weeks of payments, in one continuous block. They stop early if you go back to work.
• Maximum rate: You get the higher of your ordinary weekly pay or your average weekly income, capped at $811.05 gross a week. This cap applies from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and is adjusted each 1 July.
• Who gets it: The primary carer of a child under 6. That includes a birth parent, a partner who takes over primary care, and someone with permanent primary responsibility, such as an adoptive parent.
• The hours test for pay: You need to have averaged at least 10 hours a week over any 26 of the 52 weeks before the due date, or before you became the primary carer. Self-employed people count their self-employment hours. You cannot mix employment and self-employment hours to meet the test.
• The 6 or 12 month test for leave: For job leave, you must have worked for the same employer for at least 6 months, averaging at least 10 hours a week. With 12 months of service you also qualify for extended leave, and for 2 weeks of partner's leave instead of 1.
• Residency: You do not have to be a citizen, but you need a sufficient connection to New Zealand.
• Self-employed: The minimum weekly payment is $239.50. Check the current figure at ird.govt.nz.
• Premature baby: If your baby is born before 37 weeks, you may get up to 13 weeks of preterm payments at the same rate. These cannot overlap with parental leave payments.

How it is worked out

Employees get the higher of two figures. Ordinary weekly pay is what you normally earn. Average weekly income is your 26 highest-earning weeks in the 52 weeks before, divided by 26.

• Service: She has worked at the same café group for 3 years, averaging 30 hours a week. She meets both the 6 and 12 month tests.
• Her pay: Her average weekly income is $1,150.
• The cap: $1,150 is more than $811.05, so she is paid the maximum, $811.05 a week.
• Fortnightly: IR pays every two weeks, so each deposit is $1,622.10 before tax.
• Total: 26 weeks at $811.05 is $21,087.30 before tax.
• Her job leave: She takes 26 weeks of primary carer leave, then asks for 26 weeks of extended leave. That is 52 weeks away, with the second half unpaid.

If Aroha's average were $600 a week, she would get $600, not the maximum. The cap only trims higher earners.

The catch

• Tell your employer early. For a birth, write to your employer at least 3 months before the due date. For permanent care of a child under 6, tell them as soon as you can and write at least 14 days before leave starts.
• Apply to IR separately. Telling your employer does not start your payments. Apply online through IR before the earlier of your return to work or your child's first birthday.
• Late applications cost you. They are backdated, but if you apply more than 26 weeks after the birth or placement, you are paid a lump sum.
• Extended leave is usually unpaid. With 12 months of service you can have up to 52 weeks in total, minus the primary carer leave you took. With only 6 months it is 26 weeks in total.
• Extended leave has an end date. On the 12 month test it ends when your child turns 1. On the 6 month test it ends when your child turns 6 months.
• Partner's leave is unpaid. It is 1 week with 6 months of service and 2 weeks with 12 months. IR does not pay anything for it, though some employers do. It can start up to 21 days before the due date.
• No partner's leave if payments are transferred to you. You cannot take partner's leave if the birth mother has transferred her payments to you.
• Transfers are one way. You can pass all or part of the payments to a partner who meets the work test and will be the main carer. Only one of you is paid at a time. Once payments start, a transfer cannot be reversed.
• Going back early ends it. Returning to work ends your primary carer leave eligibility and your payments. Keeping-in-touch days are limited and do not count as returning.

Keeping your job

Your employer generally has to keep your job open. There are two exceptions if your leave is longer than 4 weeks: a key position, or a role that becomes genuinely redundant while you are away. For a redundancy, your employer must follow a fair process and look for another role for you. In some cases you get a 26-week "period of preference" for a very similar job.

Losing your job this way does not affect your IR payments.

Give your employer at least 21 days' written notice of whether you are returning. If you are not coming back, they still need that notice.

Common questions

Can I get paid parental leave if I have only worked 6 months?

Yes, if you averaged at least 10 hours a week across 26 of the 52 weeks before the due date. Six months with your employer also gives you primary carer leave and 1 week of partner's leave, but not extended leave beyond 26 weeks total.

Can my partner and I both be paid at once?

No. Only one person is paid at a time. You can transfer all or part of the payments to a partner who qualifies in their own right.

Does my employer have to top up my pay?

No. Some do, through their policy or agreement, so check yours.

What if IR says no?

You can ask the Employment Relations Authority to review an IR decision within 12 months.

Do this next

1. Check your hours and service. Count 6 and 12 months with your employer, and your average of 10 hours a week.
2. Use IR's eligibility checker at ird.govt.nz to confirm you qualify for payments.
3. Write to your employer at least 3 months before the due date. Say if you want extended leave afterwards.
4. Apply to IR online once you have the details. Do not wait until after the birth.
5. Decide if you want to transfer payments to a partner, before payments start.
6. Put a reminder in your diary for 21 days before your leave ends, and write to your employer about returning.
7. If something goes wrong, call Employment New Zealand on 0800 20 90 20.

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Last reviewed 16 October 2026. Written by Streetwise from the official pages listed above. General information only, not legal or financial advice.