Salaried or self-employed individuals who initiated a surrogacy procedure, will be entitled to a birth and parenthood period at the same rate of the maternity allowances paid to the surrogate mother, subject to the conditions of entitlement.
Maternity allowance eligibility period
The birth and parenthood leave period will start:
If the childbirth took place abroad - as of the day of birth or, in certain circumstances, prior to the day of birth.
Please note that one may go on a maternity leave before childbirth, and up to half of the period of entitlement to maternity leave.
For instance: an intended parent in surrogacy process conducted abroad who is forced to stop working a month prior to childbirth for travel and arrangements sake, is entitled to 105 days of leave - would be able to receive maternity allowance for a period of up to 53 days prior to the estimated day of birth.
If the childbirth took place in the country - as of the day the child is received in the intended parents' custody.
Please note
- intended parents who continue to work after receiving the
child in their custody - may be denied entitlement to the maternity allowance during that period.
The spouses may choose whether one of
them will exercise the right to a payment for the whole birth and parenthood period, or they will share the birth and parenthood period between them, provided that the period taken by each one of them is not less than 7 consecutive days at the end of the birth and parenthood period, and that the replaced spouse actually returns to work.
How to submit a claim
A claim for maternity allowance for the intended mother (BL/356) as well as a claim for payment of paternity allowance for the intended father (BL/360) - must be submitted within a 12-month deadline since the reception of the child in the intended parents' custody.
You can submit a claim together with required documents to your local branch directly by means of the document sending service on the website.