Maternity leave in France.
Sixteen weeks, six of them before.

Maternity leave in France is 16 weeks for a first or second child: six weeks before the expected birth and ten after.

Each rule below is from the Code du travail or service-public.gouv.fr, with the date it was read.

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Published 2 October 2026 · Updated 2 October 2026

When does congé de maternité start

For a first or second child.

Worked out on your device. Nothing is sent anywhere.

For a first or second child. A third child changes the weeks.

The rule	France	In more detail
Maternity leave	16 weeks for a first or second child	6 weeks before the expected birth and 10 after.
When it can start	6 weeks before the expected birth	For a first or second child.
Partner leave	25 calendar days, 32 for twins	After 3 working days of birth leave.
Notice to resign	Set by the collective agreement or custom	The law itself gives no length.
Paid holiday a year	5 weeks, 30 working days	2.5 working days earned for each month worked.

Maternity leave: https://code.travail.gouv.fr/code-du-travail/l1225-17, read 2026-10-07

When it can start: https://code.travail.gouv.fr/code-du-travail/l1225-17, read 2026-10-07

Partner leave: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F3156, read 2026-10-07

Notice to resign: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2883, read 2026-10-07

Paid holiday a year: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2258, read 2026-10-07

The other parent gets three working days of birth leave, then 25 calendar days of congé de paternité et d'accueil de l'enfant.

Twins or more raise it to 32 days.

So in a French team, two people can be away for the same baby, a few weeks apart.

The law sets no length of notice for somebody who resigns. It comes from the collective agreement, or from custom.

For the team that means a leaving date can be close. A card set up early is ready in time.

Set it up the week before, so nobody is chasing signatures on the day.

01
Add their last day.
The card opens on it and not before, so it is a surprise.
02
Send the link round.
The team, the floor, anybody they worked with. Each person writes their own note.
03
They keep it.
Every note stays with them while they are away, and after.