How to fill in form RP 5049 (Subsídio parental)

What the form is for

The Subsídio Parental Inicial is paid by the Segurança Social to the mother and father while they are on parental leave after a birth. It replaces part of their pay. The same form also claims the Subsídio Social Parental, a smaller benefit for residents with low income who do not qualify for the first one.

The parents choose how long the leave lasts. The daily amount is a share of the parent's average pay (remuneração de referência): 120 days at 100%, 150 days at 80%, 150 days (120 + 30 for sharing) at 100%, 180 days (150 + 30 for sharing) at 83%, or 90% if the father also takes 60 days in a row or two periods of 30. The minimum is €14.32 a day in 2026.

The mother has 42 compulsory days right after the birth and may take up to 30 days before it if she works. The father has 28 compulsory days within the first 42 days (at least 7 in a row right after the birth, the rest in blocks of 7 or more) and 7 optional days. The father's own days are always paid at 100%.

Who needs it

Among others, these people can claim it:

• Employees and self-employed people who have paid social security contributions for 6 months (in a row or not). For the mother's 42 days and the father's 28 days, one month with contributions in the 6 months before the leave is enough.
• Months worked in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom can count toward the 6 months, and so can months in Andorra, Brazil, Cape Verde, Morocco, Australia and Tunisia (countries with an agreement with Portugal).
• People receiving unemployment benefit (it stops while the parental benefit is paid), people in pre-retirement and some voluntary-insurance members (research grant holders, crew of foreign ships).
• Subsídio Social Parental: residents, including foreigners with a valid residence title, who are not covered or not entitled to the main benefit, if the household income per person is at most 80% of the IAS (€537.13 in 2026).
• If both parents are employees and share the leave, each must tell their employer the dates within 7 days after the birth.

Before you start

• The child's civil identification document, or a declaration from the hospital or health service doctor with the date of birth. Before the birth: a medical declaration with the expected date.
• A bank document showing your IBAN with you as account holder, if you want to be paid by bank transfer and your IBAN is not registered yet.
• Form RV 1017 if the person who gets the benefit has no social security number (NISS) yet. Form RP 5049/1 if a legal representative applies.
• Apply online in the Segurança Social Direta (Família > Maternidade e paternidade > Subsídio Parental Inicial), at any Segurança Social service desk, or by post to the Centro Distrital where you live.
• Deadline: 6 months from the first day you stopped working. If you apply later but still within the leave, the days beyond the 6 months are not paid.

Section by section

Here is what each part asks, in plain words, in the order it appears.

1. 1

   1º Requerimento / Alteração

   At the top, tick 1º Requerimento for the first request. Tick Alteração when you send a new form to change leave periods you already declared: changes are made with a new request.

2. 2

   1 Identificação

   1.1 the mother and 1.2 the father: full name, social security number (NISS, 11 digits), tax number (NIF), date of birth written as year, month, day (ano mês dia), phone and e-mail.

3. 3

   2 Elementos relativos ao Subsídio Parental

   Date of birth of the baby (Data do parto), whether the mother and the father work (Sim/Não), and 2.1 twins: only if more than one baby was born alive, with the extra days you want.

4. 4

   2.2 The main choice

   Tick one: the parents share the leave (go to section 3), they do not share it (section 4), or one parent takes it because the other cannot (physical or mental incapacity confirmed by a doctor, or death; section 5). Fill only the section your choice points to.

5. 5

   3 Licença parental inicial com partilha

   3.1: the length (120, 150, 150 = 120 + 30, 180 = 150 + 30, or 180 with 60 days for the father, or "Outro" with another number of days), and whether the mother's leave started before the birth. 3.2: each parent's periods, "de" (from) and "a" (to) with the number of days (n.º de dias). The mother's first period is the 42 days (already printed). The father has rows for his 28 compulsory and 7 optional days. On the next page, a block for the shared period after the mother's 42 days, and a question about combining the leave with part-time work after 120 days.

6. 6

   4 Licença parental inicial sem partilha

   Only if you did not share: 4.1 the mother's length and periods, 4.2 the father's 28 compulsory and 7 optional days, and the father's periods if he takes the rest of the leave after the mother's 42 days.

7. 7

   5 Impossibilidade do outro progenitor

   Only if one parent cannot take the leave: physical or mental incapacity, or death (with the date), and the period the other parent takes.

8. 8

   6 Outros elementos

   If the mother or father was covered by another compulsory social security scheme (in Portugal or abroad) in the 6 months before the leave: the name of the institution and the periods.

9. 9

   7 Elementos relativos ao outro progenitor

   Only if the other parent is not already in section 1: their name, NISS, date of birth, work and leave periods.

10. 10

    8 Declarações

    Each parent dates (year, month, day) and signs as in their identity document. Page 7 ("A preencher pela Segurança Social") is for the office: leave it empty.

Common mistakes

• Applying after 6 months

  The 6 months count from the first day off work. Late days are deducted from the payment.

• Writing dates the wrong way round

  Dates on this form are written year, month, day (ano mês dia), as printed under the boxes.

• Counting only working days

  The number of days in each period counts Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

• Leaving a gap between the parents

  When you share the leave, one parent's period must start the day after the other's ends.

• Filling both section 3 and section 4

  Section 3 is for shared leave and section 4 for leave that is not shared. Fill only the one you chose in 2.2.

• Putting the father's 28 days outside the first 42

  The father's compulsory 28 days must fall within the 42 days after the birth, starting with at least 7 days in a row right after it.