What Maternity Benefit Form Must Employees Submit in Ireland?

There are three forms to apply for Maternity Benefit in Ireland:

• MB1 Form: Completed by your employees to apply for Maternity Benefit.

• MB2 Form: Required from you as their employer.

• MB3 Form: Needed from a doctor for self-employed or unemployed applicants.

Let’s check out each one in detail. 

Further Reading

• Get Contact Details of the Maternity Benefit Section to guide your employees if they need more information. 

• Find out When, Where, and How Employees Can Apply for Irish Maternity Benefit. 

Irish Maternity Benefit Forms 

If your employees are applying for Maternity Benefit in Ireland, they must provide both the MB1 and MB2 forms. 

However, if you're self-employed or a business owner in Ireland, you must submit the MB1 and MB3 forms instead.

Here are the details of each form:

1. MB1 Form ( Maternity Benefit Form)

All Irish workers, whether employed or self-employed, are required to complete a Maternity Benefit Application Form (MB1). 

As an employer, you must ensure your employees complete and submit the right form when applying for Maternity Benefit.

Your employees must: 

• Submit the completed MB1 form with their personal details (including the Personal Public Service number or PPS number) to the Maternity Benefit Section of the Department of Social Protection.

• Apply six weeks before they go on maternity leave (for self-employed individuals, the deadline is 12 weeks before starting maternity leave). 

Download the MB1 form here.

2. MB2 Form (Employer Certificate for Maternity Benefit)

As an employer, you must complete the MB2 form for your employees applying for Maternity Benefit.

Here's what you need to do:

• Complete the form after your employee’s 24th week of pregnancy.

• Fill in their expected due date and maternity leave dates.

• Provide your bank details (if your employee authorises that their Maternity Benefit be paid to your account directly from the Department of Social Protection).

Download the MB2 form here.

3. MB3 Form (Medical Certificate for Maternity Benefit)

If a person is self-employed or unemployed, their doctor must complete an MB3 form after the 24th week of their pregnancy. 

Download the MB3 form here.

Remember to complete the Maternity Benefit forms in block letters using a black ballpoint pen. No other colour will do. 

Check out our complete employer guide to Irish Maternity Benefit for everything you must know.  

5 Maternity Benefit FAQs

Here are the answers to some common questions on Maternity Benefit:

1. Who Can Qualify For Maternity Benefit in Ireland?

Maternity Benefit is one of the social welfare payments expectant mothers can claim.

However, your employees’ eligibility depends on if they have:

• Sufficient Pay Related Social Insurance or PRSI contributions paid towards classes A, E, H, and S. 

• At least 39 weeks of PRSI paid since the first day of their employment and at least 39 weeks of PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year or in the tax year after the relevant tax year. For example, if your employee is going on maternity leave in 2025, the relevant tax year is 2023 and the year after that is 2024.

• Insurable employment up to the first day of their maternity leave.

• Are on a certified maternity leave, which you approved.

Learn what these entail in our Maternity Benefit Eligibility guide.  

2. How Can Employees Apply For Maternity Benefit?

Your employees can apply online at mywelfare.ie or complete a physical application form and submit it to the Maternity Benefit office at:

Maternity Benefit Section,

Department of Social Protection

McCarter's Road, Ardaravan, BuncranaCo. Donegal, F93 CH79

3. Can Employees Start Their Maternity Benefit Early?

To bring forward the start date of their Maternity Benefit, your employees must submit either a copy of their baby’s birth certificate or a letter from the hospital confirming the baby’s actual date of birth to the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

4. Can Employees Claim Additional Payment for a Partner and Child?

If your employees have adult or child dependants, the set rate of Maternity Benefit is compared to the rate of Illness Benefit that would be paid to them if they were absent from work due to an illness. 

The DSP will then pay your employees the higher of the two rates.

5. Can Employees Apply For Extra Maternity Leave?

If your employees have any annual leave due or have missed bank and other public holidays, they can use these days to extend their maternity leave. 

Once your employees’ have taken these leave days, they can apply for an additional 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. This extra unpaid maternity leave begins immediately after their 26-week period of maternity leave ends. 

However, they can also apply for paid extra maternity leave if their baby is born before they are due to start their maternity leave. 

Your employees get 26 weeks off from the day their baby is born, plus extra leaves equivalent to the number of weeks between the baby’s date of birth and the date they planned the leave for. 

For example, if your employee’s baby is born seven weeks prematurely, they get 26 weeks plus an extra seven weeks. 

To ensure that your employees take at least two weeks of maternity leave before the birth of their baby, they must start their maternity leave on the Monday before the week in which their baby is due. For example, if your employee’s due date is Saturday, 25th January 2025, the latest date for the start of their maternity leave is Monday, 13th January 2025.

Empower Your Team With Maternity Coverage From Kota

As an employer, encourage your employees to download, complete, and submit their Maternity Benefit forms on time to receive their entitlements. 

And if you want to offer extra maternity care to your pregnant employees on top of Ireland’s Maternity Benefit — consider Kota.

With Kota’s Irish Life Health plans, your pregnant employees can avail of the maternity and fertility extras coverage, which gives them access to benefits like:

• Antenatal classes

• Postnatal support

• Maternity mental health care

• IVF treatments

• Egg & sperm freezing

• Fertility tests & more

So what are you waiting for?

Join Kota to streamline employee benefits management. Enrol, control, pay, and scale core benefits all in one place!