In 2026 the main rules for leave in connection with pregnancy and childbirth remain in force: when it can be arranged, how long it lasts and what payments are provided.
When you can start maternity leave
A medical certificate of temporary incapacity for pregnancy and childbirth is, as a general rule, issued from the 30th week of pregnancy. The standard duration of such leave is 126 calendar days.
If the birth was complicated or two or more children were born, the postnatal part of the leave is 70 days, and the total duration increases to 140 calendar days. For women in categories 1–3 of persons affected by the Chernobyl disaster, the leave lasts 180 calendar days.
An employee has the right to continue working after the 30th week of pregnancy: to do so she must give the doctor a statement indicating the desired start date of the leave. If the birth occurs earlier, the medical certificate will be issued from the date of birth.
A part of the prenatal leave can be transferred to the postnatal period at the employee’s request and provided there are no medical contraindications; the total duration of the leave does not change.
What payments are available in 2026 for pregnancy and childbirth
Insured employees are entitled to pregnancy and childbirth benefits; the amount in 2026 depends on the average salary from which insurance contributions were paid and on the insurance record (insurance record is the period for which insurance contributions were paid). Because of this, the amount of maternity pay can differ between employees.
Uninsured women (the unemployed) are also entitled to a state assistance payment in connection with pregnancy and childbirth: to receive it they must apply to the relevant authority and submit a statement and the required information. In 2026 the amount of this assistance is 7 000 UAH per month.
Queries often use phrases such as prenatal payments 2026 or maternity money, but these refer to the benefit for the entire period of leave in connection with pregnancy and childbirth, not only a payment before the child’s birth.
From 2027 the amount of some state benefits will be determined by the Law on the State Budget of Ukraine for the relevant year.
Leave to care for a child up to age three and the benefit up to one year
After the end of maternity leave an employee or another person who actually cares for the child may take leave to care for the child until they reach three years of age. The father, grandmother, grandfather or other relatives may use it; the leave may be taken in full or in parts.
In 2026 a separate state benefit was introduced for caring for a child up to one year: its amount is 7 000 UAH per month, and for caring for a child with a disability — 10 500 UAH per month. The introduction of this benefit does not cancel the leave to care for a child up to three years — they are two separate family support mechanisms.
If the assistance is paid as a state benefit (for the uninsured), you must apply to the relevant authority and submit a statement and the required information; the source does not list the exact set of documents — these are determined by the authority to which you apply.
