Payroll tools
Maternity Leave Calculator
Calculate Malta's maternity pay: 14 weeks of employer-paid salary followed by 4 weeks of the flat-rate government Maternity Leave Benefit.
This calculator works out Malta's statutory maternity pay: full basic salary for the first 14 weeks, paid by the employer, followed by a flat-rate government Maternity Leave Benefit of €229.44 per week for the final 4 weeks, for the full 18-week entitlement. Enter your average weekly earnings to see the breakdown.
- Last verified
- 4 Aug 2026
- Review by
- 1 Dec 2026
- Rule period
- 1 Jan 2014
- Rule version
- 2026-08-mt-maternity-pay
- Guidance reviewed
- 4 Aug 2026
Full salary for the first 14 weeks (employer-paid), then a flat €229.44/week Maternity Leave Benefit for the final 4 weeks (government-paid)
Note: See conditions below
How the calculation works
- 1
Enter your weekly earnings
Enter your average weekly earnings before maternity leave.
- 2
First 14 weeks at full salary
Your employer pays your full basic salary for the first 14 weeks of maternity leave.
- 3
Final 4 weeks at the flat rate
The Department of Social Security pays a flat €229.44/week Maternity Leave Benefit for the remaining 4 weeks, up to the full 18-week entitlement.
Calculation formula
Full salary × 14 weeks (employer-paid), then €229.44/week × 4 weeks (government-paid)
- At least 6 weeks of the 18-week total must be taken after the birth.
- A separate €147.95/week Maternity Benefit (or €229.44/week for the self-employed) applies only to women without employer-paid leave.
Worked example
An employee with average weekly earnings of €500 takes the full 18-week maternity leave entitlement.
- Weekly amount (full salary)
- €500.00
- Weeks at full salary
- 14 weeks
- Weekly amount (flat rate)
- €229.44
- Weeks at the flat rate
- 4 weeks
- Total maternity pay
- €7,917.76
In total, the employee receives €7,917.76 across the full 18-week maternity leave: €7,000.00 in employer-paid salary plus €917.76 in the government Maternity Leave Benefit.
Malta's maternity and adoption benefit rates (2026)
Official Department of Social Security weekly rates.
| Benefit | Weekly rate | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity Leave Benefit (final 4 of 18 weeks) | €229.44 | Employed women who used the full 14 employer-paid weeks |
| Maternity Benefit (up to 14 weeks) | €147.95 | Women without employer-paid maternity leave |
| Maternity Benefit, self-employed rate | €229.44 | Self-employed women |
Eligibility
- Day-one right to leave
- The 18-week maternity leave entitlement applies from the start of employment, with no minimum service period.
- Compulsory postnatal period
- At least 6 weeks of the 18-week entitlement must be taken immediately after the birth.
Frequently asked questions
- How much maternity pay do you get in Malta?
- You get your full basic salary for the first 14 weeks, paid by your employer, followed by a flat €229.44 per week Maternity Leave Benefit from the Department of Social Security for the remaining 4 weeks, for the full 18-week entitlement.
- Who pays for Malta's maternity leave?
- The employer pays full salary for the first 14 weeks (reimbursed through the Maternity Leave Trust Fund, funded by a 0.3% levy on all employees' basic pay), and the government pays the flat-rate Maternity Leave Benefit for the final 4 weeks.
- Is there a different benefit for the self-employed?
- Yes, self-employed women who do not receive employer-paid leave can claim the Maternity Benefit at €229.44/week for up to 14 weeks, rather than the employer-paid salary phase modelled here.
- Is there a separate parental leave scheme?
- Yes, Malta also has a Parental Leave scheme of 4 months per parent per child, usable until the child turns 8, of which only the first 2 months are paid (at a percentage of the sickness-benefit flat rate) -- this is a separate, lower-paid entitlement not modelled in this calculator.
Important caveats
This models the 18-week statutory Maternity Leave entitlement: 14 weeks at full basic salary (paid by the employer, reimbursed via the Maternity Leave Trust Fund) then 4 weeks at the flat-rate government Maternity Leave Benefit (€229.44/week, 2026 rate).
A separate flat-rate Maternity Benefit (€147.95/week, or €229.44/week for the self-employed) exists for women who do not receive employer-paid maternity leave -- not modelled here.
The final 4 weeks are a true flat rate, not a cap on earnings; this calculator models it as the lower of the flat rate or actual earnings, which is accurate for any earner at or above Malta's national minimum wage.
At least 6 weeks of the 18-week entitlement must be taken after the birth.
This does not model Malta's separate Parental Leave scheme (4 months per parent, of which the first 2 months are paid at a percentage of the sickness-benefit flat rate, usable until the child turns 8).
Sources used
We prioritise official sources for statutory and tax-sensitive calculators.
- Benefit Payment Rates 2026 (mySocialSecurity)
Department of Social Security, Malta · accessed 4 Aug 2026
- Maternity Benefit
Social Security, Malta · accessed 4 Aug 2026
