In short
An employee whose spouse gives birth gets 10 days of paid paternity leave (Labour Law, Additional Art. 2); this applies to births on or after 1 May 2026, and was 5 days for earlier births. State your spouse's date of giving birth and the leave dates in the letter and attach the birth certificate. Paternity leave is paid by the employer and cannot be deducted from annual leave.
Template text
Fill in the fields in square brackets with your own details.
Date: ..../..../20....
[Company name] Human Resources
PATERNITY LEAVE REQUEST
I work in the [Department] department as [Job title]. My spouse, [Spouse's full name], gave birth on [Date of birth]. Under Additional Article 2 of Labour Law No. 4857, I would like to take my 10 days of paid paternity leave between [Start date] and [End date]. I will return to work on [Return date].
- Attachment: Birth certificate or civil registry record
I kindly ask for your approval.
- Full name:
- Employee number (if any):
- Signature:
Manager approval
Name:
Signature:
Date:
Human Resources
Name:
Signature:
Date:
If the mother dies at or after the birth, the remaining postnatal maternity leave is granted to the father (Art. 74); submit a separate request in that case.
How to fill it in
- Write your department, job title and your spouse's full name.
- Write the date of birth and the leave dates; taking the leave on or close to the birth date fits the purpose of the law.
- Attach the birth certificate or a civil registry record.
- Sign the letter and give it to your manager or Human Resources.
Legal basis and points to note
- An employee whose spouse gives birth gets 10 days of paid leave (Labour Law, Additional Art. 2/1; 10 days from 1 May 2026 under Law No. 7578, 5 days for earlier births).
- Paternity leave is paid by the employer; it cannot be deducted from annual leave (Art. 56) and counts as time worked for annual leave entitlement (Art. 55).
- The law does not expressly say the leave must be taken right after the birth; taking it on or close to the birth date fits its purpose.
- The law says "days"; counting working days is in the employee's favour.
- If the mother dies at or after the birth, the remaining postnatal maternity leave is granted to the father (Art. 74).
Frequently asked questions
How many days of paternity leave are there?
10 days of paid leave for births on or after 1 May 2026 (Labour Law, Additional Art. 2, as amended by Law No. 7578). It was 5 days for births before that date.
Who pays for paternity leave?
The employer. Paternity leave is defined in the law as paid leave; the employee receives full pay for these days.
Is paternity leave deducted from annual leave?
No. Excused leave cannot be offset against annual leave (Art. 56) and counts as time worked for annual leave entitlement (Art. 55).
Can paternity leave be split?
The law has no express rule. Taking the leave in one block from the birth date best fits the purpose of the law; any other arrangement should be agreed in writing between the employee and the employer.
Sources
- Labour Law No. 4857, Additional Art. 2, Arts. 55, 56, 74
- Law No. 7578, Art. 16 (Official Gazette, 1 May 2026)