Maternity leave in New Zealand is generally up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, with the option of job‑protected leave for up to 52 weeks in total if you meet certain work-history criteria.

Core entitlement

  • New Zealand currently offers up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave (often called “maternity leave”) for the primary carer of a baby or child under six.
  • This paid leave is funded by the government, not your employer, and is normally taken as one continuous block starting around the time the baby arrives.

How long you can be off work

  • If you have worked for the same employer for at least 12 months (averaging 10+ hours per week), you can usually take up to 52 weeks of job‑protected parental leave: 26 weeks’ primary carer leave plus up to 26 weeks’ extended unpaid leave.
  • If you have worked for the same employer for at least 6 months (10+ hours per week), you can take up to 26 weeks of job‑protected primary carer leave, with paid parental leave available for up to those 26 weeks if you meet the separate payment criteria.

Work‑history and eligibility details

  • To get the 26 weeks of paid parental leave, you generally need to have worked at least 10 hours a week for at least 26 of the 52 weeks before your due date or the date you’ll assume care, which can be with multiple New Zealand employers.
  • To qualify for the extra 26 weeks of unpaid extended leave with job protection, you need at least 12 months’ continuous service with your current employer by the expected date of birth or adoption.

Other leave linked to pregnancy

  • Many employees are also entitled to up to 10 days of unpaid “special leave” during pregnancy for things like scans and midwife or doctor visits.
  • If a doctor or midwife requires you to stop work more than six weeks before your due date for medical reasons, that early period can sometimes be treated differently so it does not reduce your later extended-leave entitlement.

Real‑world practice and forum chatter

  • Recent New Zealand forum discussions show many families try to arrange roughly 6–12 months at home between both parents, often using the 26 weeks paid parental leave, annual leave top‑ups, and then unpaid time.
  • A common theme in these conversations is that while any support is welcome, some people feel the flat paid‑leave cap and eligibility rules can be tight given current living and housing costs.

Bottom line for “how long is maternity leave NZ”:

  • Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave for the primary carer if eligible, and
  • Up to 52 weeks total job‑protected leave (paid + unpaid) with enough service with your employer.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.