Portugal has no maternity capital: what the father of a second child is entitled to
There is no maternity capital in Portugal at all: the state here pays no lump sum for a second child, to either the father or the mother. Maternity capital is a Russian scheme, run by the Social Fund of Russia, and a father is given the certificate only in specific cases: if he is the sole adoptive parent (of a first child from 1 January 2020, of a second or subsequent child from 1 January 2007), or if the mother's entitlement has ended because she has died, has been declared dead or has lost her parental rights. Being "the father of a second child" is not, in itself, on that list: the right belongs to the mother in the first place and passes to the father only in these cases. That is what the fund's website says; we checked it on 7 September 2026.
“Important: if it's for maternity capital, then it's the mum who needs the card. Dads aren't entitled to maternity capital, even though it's meant for the family and not just the mum.”
Translated from Russianpequenos_PT04.05.2026
If the mother, a Russian citizen, is the one applying, there is a second catch, and it concerns children born abroad. The fund requires two things at once: that the parent held Russian citizenship on the day the child was born, and that the child acquired Russian citizenship by birth. For a child born outside Russia, the second condition is not always met — for example, when the other parent is a foreign national and the child acquired another citizenship at birth. Beyond that, it is a matter for the consulate and the fund, not the Portuguese authorities: you apply through the Social Fund of Russia, a Russian public services centre, the Gosuslugi portal, or by post with notarial or consular certification, and Portuguese documents need an apostille and a translation.
“The child will get Russian citizenship in any case, even if you get a Portuguese birth certificate on the basis of a certificate. But you won't get maternity capital, because the child will have Portuguese citizenship by birth, through the father's citizenship and the place of birth.”
Translated from Russianberemennost_portugal21.07.2024
Now to Portugal. There is one regular child payment here: abono de família para crianças e jovens (child benefit), paid monthly and dependent on family income. The 2026 amounts are: for a child under 36 months, €190.98 in the first escalão (income band), €161.65 in the second, €132.07 in the third and €88.43 in the fourth; from three to six years, €75.13, €75.13, €59.33 and €44.77; over six, nothing is paid in the fourth escalão. To work out your escalão, divide the whole family's annual income (for 2026 claims, 2025 income is used) by the number of children entitled to the benefit plus one. Up to €3,657.50 is the first escalão, up to €7,315 the second, up to €12,435.50 the third and up to €18,287.50 the fourth; above that, there is no benefit. Savings count too: if the family's deposits and securities exceed €128,911.20, the claim is refused. The figures are from the social security practical guide to this benefit, version of 14 July 2026.
“If the family income is no higher than the 4th band, you can apply for child benefit. You can see the amounts on the Segurança Social website :) I applied for the prenatal one and I'm getting it. After the birth I want to try for the child one too, but I'm afraid we won't qualify on income, because they look at the previous year's figure.”
Translated from Russianberemennost_portugal08.04.2025
A second child does bring an increase, but with a condition that often catches people out: the supplement is paid only when there are two or more children under 36 months in the family. In that case, €64.96 is added to the benefit in the first escalão, €57.64 in the second, €54.35 in the third and €9.28 in the fourth; if there are more than two children under three, it is €106.96, €92.32, €85.76 and €55.70. If the older child has already turned three, there is no supplement — just the ordinary benefit for each child according to their age. You do not need to ask for the supplement: social security adds it automatically.
The father can apply: the rules say explicitly "father, mother or legal representative", so gender makes no difference. The deadline is six months, counting from the first day of the month after the month of birth. If you miss it, the benefit is paid only from the month after you apply, and nothing is back-paid for the months missed. Often you do not need to apply at all: once the newborn has a cartão de cidadão (citizen's card), social security itself sends an offer of the benefit to your online account, provided that the child and both parents live in Portugal and have a cartão de cidadão, the child was born within the last 12 months, at least one parent is registered on the Segurança Social portal and the family is in the fourth escalão or lower. All you then need to do is accept the offer. The whole process, step by step — from registering the birth to getting the child's NISS and claiming the benefit — is set out in our guide Pregnancy and childbirth in Portugal.
“The Segurança Social officer did it in front of me. My residence card and my daughter's cartão de cidadão. My husband doesn't have a residence permit; it wasn't needed. I filled in the form on the spot. You have to give the family's income for the previous year, your account balance on 31 December 2024 and basic passport details.”
Translated from Russianpequenos_PT09.06.2025
What else you are entitled to as a father: licença parental exclusiva do pai (father's exclusive parental leave) — 28 compulsory days (the first seven consecutively, straight after the birth; the remaining 21 within the 42 days of the mother's leave, in blocks of at least seven days) plus seven optional days. For these you receive subsídio parental (parental allowance) at 100% of your reference pay, but only if you have at least six months of earnings recorded with social security. We have a separate guide to nurseries and their waiting lists: How to enrol a child in nursery in Portugal. And looking ahead, so that the news does not alarm you: from 31 December 2026, thirteen social payments are being merged into one, the PSU, but abono de família is not part of it and remains a separate benefit — Thirteen social benefits to become a single payment from 31 December.