Birth grant

Main information

The birth grant is a one-off benefit intended as a contribution towards the costs associated with the birth of a child. It is an income-tested benefit and is paid in fixed amounts.

A woman who has given birth to her first or second live child is entitled to the birth grant. If the mother has died, the child’s father may also be entitled to this benefit.

A person who has taken a child under the age of one into their permanent care replacing parental care is also entitled to the birth grant under the same conditions.

This applies to you if

• Your first or second child has been born and you have a low income.
• You are the father of your first or second child, you have a low income, the mother has died and the birth grant has not yet been paid to anyone.
• You have taken a child under one year of age into substitute family care, it is the first or second child in the family, and you have a low income.

You have a low income if the decisive (net) income of the family in the calendar quarter before the birth or adoption of the child is less than 2.7 times the living minimum for the family. The decisive income does not include the allowance for an (older) child.

When to use this service

You gain entitlement to the birth grant on the day of the birth of the child or on the day the child is taken into permanent care replacing parental care. 

The date of taking into permanent care means the date of the legal force of the decision on the taking of the child into permanent care replacing parental care.

You gain entitlement to the benefit on the date you submit your application, and you can claim the benefit up to one year retrospectively (however, the conditions for entitlement must always be met on the date of birth/adoption of the child).

Service settlement

What you need if you are using this service

When submitting a birth grant application you need to fill in the Birth Grant Application form.

Please attach to the application:

• the identity card of all listed persons or birth certificate for children under 15 years of age or if the identity card does not state the maiden name;
• the court decision if the child has been taken into care replacing parental care;
• proof of quarterly income for each of the jointly assessed persons who have stated that they have an income;
• a declaration by the persons without an income decisive for the entitlement to the benefit, if the application indicates that they do not have an income;
• proof of maintenance provided by a jointly assessed person, if one of the jointly assessed persons received income in the decisive period as part of the maintenance obligation under the Family Act or similar payments provided from abroad and the provider of this income is also a jointly assessed person;
• confirmation of a dependent child – for dependent children after the end of compulsory schooling and always from the school year beginning in the calendar year in which the child reached the age of 15. The child’s dependency must be proved by providing one of the certificates listed below. 
  • Proof that the child is studying,
  • Proof of the state of health of a dependent child,
  • Confirmation of inability to systematically prepare for a future profession or to perform a gainful activity due to illness or injury, 
  • Confirmation of inclusion in the Labour Office records of job seekers after the end of compulsory schooling until 18 years of age or
  • A decision to interrupt higher education due to pregnancy, childbirth or parenthood.
• The employment contract or certificate of receipt of unemployment benefits if the claimant or one of the jointly assessed persons is a citizen of another EU Member State and did not have a permanent residence or residence in the Czech Republic on the date of birth/adoption of the child, or 365 days have not elapsed between the date of their application for residence in the Czech Republic and the date of birth of the child.
• Proof of registration for residence in the Czech Republic, which must be over 365 days old, if the claimant or a jointly assessed person is not a citizen of the Czech Republic.

Where and how to solve this service

You can submit the application at the contact office of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic according to the place of your actual residence. 

You can find the details of the individual contact points on the website of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic in the Regional branches section.

Additional information

What is the benefit of this service

The birth grant is a financial contribution which, if you have a low income, will help you with the one-off costs related to the birth of a (first or second) child or the taking into care of a (first or second) child under the age of one.

Appeal options

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the birth grant procedure, you can appeal against the decision within 15 days of receiving that decision. 

Submit your appeal with the regional branch of the Labour Office of the Czech Republic that made the decision on the benefit. The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs will then decide on your appeal.