DESign inStart for free
Employment law and deadlines

Germany maternity leave calculator

API The maternity leave calculator runs through the REST API, for standard, premature and multiple births with the legal basis in JSON.

In 2026, maternity protection in Germany starts six weeks before the expected due date and ends eight weeks after the birth (§ 3 MuSchG). After premature and multiple births it ends twelve weeks after the birth, and on request also after the birth of a child with a disability. Since June 1, 2025, a protection period of two, six or eight weeks also applies after a miscarriage from the 13th week of pregnancy.

Last checked against the sources on September 23, 2026. Next expected change: only if the law changes.

REST /v1/hr/mutterschutzMCP hr_mutterschutzCLI qk mutterschutz

Calculates the start and end of the maternity protection periods (Mutterschutzfristen) under § 3 of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) from the expected due date. With the actual date of birth and the case (premature birth, multiple birth, disability), the end shifts automatically. The protection periods after a miscarriage, in force since June 2025, are included.

Source
§ 3 Maternity Protection Act (Mutterschutzgesetz)
License
Calculation under the cited provisions. Use under the Quellenkontor terms of use.
Updates
when the law changes
Coverage
Germany, current law

A value doesn't match the official source? Report an error. We check against the primary source and document every correction in the changelog.

Related solutions: For HR softwareFor AI agents and HR chatbotsFor global payroll and EOR providers

api.quellenkontor.dev/v1/hr/mutterschutz?termin=2027-03-15
Zur API-Doku →
curl "https://api.quellenkontor.dev/v1/hr/mutterschutz?termin=2027-03-15" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $QK_KEY"
Antwort200 OK · JSON
{
  "datensatz": "mutterschutz",
  "termin": "2027-03-15",
  "geburt": null,
  "fall": "standard",
  "beginn": "2027-02-01",
  "ende": "2027-05-10",
  "wochen_nach_entbindung": 8,
  "verlaengerung_tage": 0,
  "dauer_tage": 99,
  "rechtsgrundlage": "§ 3 Abs. 1 und 2 MuSchG",
  "hinweise": [
    "Vor der Entbindung darf die Frau beschäftigt werden, wenn sie sich ausdrücklich dazu bereit erklärt. Die Erklärung ist jederzeit widerrufbar (§ 3 Abs. 1 MuSchG)."
  ],
  "quelle": {
    "titel": "§ 3 MuSchG (Schutzfristen vor und nach der Entbindung)",
    "url": "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/muschg_2018/__3.html"
  },
  "stand": "2026-09-23",
  "lizenz": "Berechnung nach den genannten Normen. Nutzung nach den Nutzungsbedingungen von Quellenkontor.",
  "zitat": "Mutterschutzfrist: 01.02.2027 bis 10.05.2027, 99 Kalendertage. Rechtsgrundlage: § 3 Abs. 1 und 2 MuSchG. Quelle: § 3 MuSchG (Schutzfristen vor und nach der Entbindung), https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/muschg_2018/__3.html. Daten: Quellenkontor (quellenkontor.dev).",
  "datenstand": "2026-09-23.1"
}

Response shortened. All parameters and response fields are in the Maternity protection reference.

Run this call with your own key. 500 requests a month for free, no credit card.

Start for free →Read the reference

Protection periods under § 3 MuSchG

Legal citations stay in German, exactly as they appear in the official sources.

CaseBefore the birthAfter the birth
Standard case6 weeks8 weeks
Premature birth6 weeks12 weeks, plus days not taken before the birth
Multiple birth6 weeks12 weeks
Child with a disability, diagnosed by a doctor within the first 8 weeks, at the mother's request6 weeks12 weeks
Birth before the due dateshortenedextended by the days not taken
Miscarriage from week 13 (since June 1, 2025)2 weeks
Miscarriage from week 176 weeks
Miscarriage from week 208 weeks

Parameters

ParametersTypeMeaning
termindatedateExpected due date. Required, except for fall=fehlgeburt
geburtdatedateActual date of birth, at most 120 days from the due date. For fall=fehlgeburt, the date of the miscarriage, from June 1, 2025 (optional)
falltexttextCase under § 3 Abs. 2 or Abs. 5 MuSchG. Default: standard
sswintegerintegerCurrent week of pregnancy at the miscarriage, only for fall=fehlgeburt. The medical notation 12+3 (twelve full weeks and three days) is the 13th week, so ssw=13.

All response fields with types, allowed values, defaults and error cases are in the Maternity protection reference.

Questions about this dataset

When does maternity protection start with a due date of March 15, 2027?

On February 1, 2027, six weeks before the due date. If the baby is born on the due date, the protection period ends on May 10, 2027.

How long is maternity protection after a miscarriage?

Since June 1, 2025: two weeks from the 13th week of pregnancy, six weeks from the 17th and eight weeks from the 20th week (§ 3 Abs. 5 MuSchG).

What happens with an early birth?

The calculator adds the days that could not be taken before the birth to the period after the birth (§ 3 Abs. 2 Satz 3 MuSchG).

How often is the dataset updated?

When the law changes. We check the data against the official sources every week, and every change is logged in the changelog. On the Pro plan, a webhook notifies your server.

More on Maternity protection

Related datasets

Vacation entitlement calculator

Statutory minimum vacation for part-time work and for joining or leaving during the year.

APIMCPwhen the law changes

Notice period calculator

Statutory notice period and end date under § 622 BGB from start date and date of receipt.

APIMCPwhen the law changes

Working days calculator

Working days between two dates by state, without weekends and public holidays.

APIMCPwhen the law changes