Materská (maternity benefit) — this is a cash benefit from the Social Insurance Agency (Sociálna poisťovňa), which an insured mother receives during the so-called maternity leave (materská dovolenka) after the child's birth. Materské replaces your salary in the first months with your baby.
To be eligible for this payment, you must be participating in sickness insurance (nemocenské poistenie) — usually for a certain number of days in the last two years. The amount of the benefit depends on your previous income, so mothers with higher salaries receive more.
What to know
- The duration is usually about 34 weeks, longer for single mothers or when twins are born.
- The father can also receive materská if the mother returns to work and does not receive it at the same time.
- After materská ends, parents usually switch to parental benefit (rodičovský príspevok).
The application is submitted to the Social Insurance Agency, often through your gynecologist, who issues the relevant confirmation. You can submit it shortly before the expected due date.
