Childbirth allowance

This benefit may be claimed by:

• the mother who gave birth to the child;
• the child’s father, if the child’s mother has died or been reported missing or if a final court ruling has placed the child in the father’s custody.

In order to qualify for a childbirth allowance, the following conditions must be met:

• the child in question must have been born;
• the claimant must be domiciled and resident in Slovakia.

‘Residence’ here means the place where the most important interests of the claimant and the child are concentrated. This is judged on the basis of objective criteria, particularly the duration of residence, gainful employment, compulsory public health insurance, healthcare provision, living within a family, pre-school attendance and compulsory education.

The childbirth allowance is granted as a lump sum when a child is born to a claimant permanently resident in Slovakia.

In the case of a multiple birth, each child is entitled to the childbirth allowance.

Claimants do not qualify for the childbirth allowance if:

• they have not entered into an agreement on the provision of general outpatient care for the child;
• prior to claiming the childbirth allowance, they agreed to let the child be adopted;
• at least one of their children born before the birth of the child for which they are claiming the childbirth allowance has been placed in non-parental care;
• the child was born abroad and the competent institution of the country of birth has paid the claimant an allowance or other benefit of the same type.
• they are a minor and a court has denied them the parental responsibility to take personal care of the child;
• from the fourth month of pregnancy until the birth, they have not attended monthly check-ups by a doctor specialising in gynaecology and obstetrics or similar examinations abroad. If claimants (who are the mother of the child) are hospitalised, they are considered to have attended a check-up in the month in which they are hospitalised;
• after giving birth, they leave the healthcare facility without the consent of the healthcare provider (this applies to claimants who are the mother of the child).

Claimants claim the childbirth allowance by submitting a written application to the local office of Labour, social affairs and family where they are permanently resident. Claimants may also claim the childbirth allowance electronically by submitting an application containing their advanced electronic signature.

If a child has been born outside Slovakia and has not been issued with a Slovak birth certificate at the time the application for the childbirth allowance is made, claimants must attach an official translation of the child’s birth certificate issued abroad (or another similar document certifying the child’s birth) to the written application.

Application forms are available at offices of Labour, social affairs and family. Alternatively, you can print one here.

The ‘Declaration of Residence – Childbirth Allowance Application’ form must be attached to the application.

If a childbirth allowance claimant does not qualify for the benefit, the competent office of Labour, social affairs and family will issue a decision not to grant the allowance.

The amount of the childbirth allowance is:

EUR 829.86 for a child from the first three times the mother gives birth, if the infant lives for at least 28 days;

EUR 151.37 for a child from the fourth or any subsequent time the mother gives birth, or for a child from the first three births who does not survive 28 days.

If two children are born at the same time, or if more than two children are born at the same time and at least two of them survive 28 days, the childbirth allowance is increased by EUR 75.69 for each child who lives for at least 28 days.

A Slovak government regulation may increase this amount as of 1 September of the calendar year.

Beneficiaries are paid the childbirth allowance by the local office of Labour, social affairs and family where they are permanently resident.

Rules for payment:

• the latest the allowance is paid is in the calendar month following the month in which claimants apply for it and prove that they are eligible for it;
• it is paid in cash or, at the beneficiary’s request, into a bank account in Slovakia;
• it cannot be paid abroad.

An office of Labour, social affairs and family may decide to pay the childbirth allowance to an alternative recipient instead of the beneficiary if:

• there are reasonable doubts about whether the childbirth allowance will be used for its intended purpose;
• at the time a decision is being taken on whether claimants qualify for the childbirth allowance, any child allowance they have been granted is being paid to the municipality because they are not using it for its intended purpose;
• the beneficiary receives a hardship benefit and supplementary allowances, or is jointly assessed with someone who receives such a benefit and allowances, and the hardship benefit and supplementary allowances are paid to an alternative recipient.

The alternative recipient is the municipality in which the beneficiary permanently resides or, where justified, is another person designated by the office.

The competent office of Labour, social affairs and family pays the increased childbirth allowance for a multiple birth at the earliest when the children born at the same time have survived 28 days and at the latest by the end of the calendar month following the month in which this fact is proved.

If the amount of the allowance paid by the competent office of Labour, social affairs and family is lower than the beneficiary is entitled to, it pays the difference up to the statutory amount. The right to be paid this difference lapses 1 year from the date on which the childbirth allowance is paid at the amount lower than the beneficiary is entitled to.

If the beneficiary causes the allowance to be unduly paid:

• the beneficiary must repay the childbirth allowance;
• the entitlement to the refund of all or part of a childbirth allowance lapses 1 year from the date on which the competent office of Labour, social affairs and family discovers that the allowance has been unduly paid. However, a refund cannot be claimed once 3 years have elapsed since the date of undue payment.

Claimants must:

• prove that they qualify for and are entitled to payment of the childbirth allowance;
• use the childbirth allowance that has been paid to them to cover the costs of the newborn child’s immediate needs.

The entitlement to a childbirth allowance lapses 6 months after the birth of the child.