Prenatal Leave Application Chile

The Prenatal Leave Application Chile (Solicitud de Permiso Prenatal) is a formal written notice governed by Article 195 of the Código del Trabajo (DFL No. 1/2003) that a pregnant worker submits to her employer to initiate the mandatory 6-week prenatal rest period (reposo prenatal) before the expected delivery date (fecha probable de parto). This application, supported by a medical certificate (certificado médico) from a physician or midwife (matrona), triggers the worker's right to the prenatal subsidy (subsidio de maternidad) administered by the Comisión de Medicina Preventiva e Invalidez (COMPIN) for FONASA-affiliated workers or directly by the worker's ISAPRE for private health insurance holders.

Article 195 of the Código del Trabajo establishes prenatal leave as a compulsory right that cannot be waived, shortened, or interrupted — neither by the worker nor by the employer. The 6-week prenatal period begins 6 weeks before the medically estimated date of delivery and runs until the birth of the child. If the actual birth occurs before the estimated date, the unused days of prenatal leave are added to the postnatal period under Article 196, effectively extending the postnatal leave beyond the standard 12 weeks. This mechanism, known as traslado del prenatal no gozado, is established in Article 195 inciso 2 of the Código del Trabajo.

The prenatal subsidy (subsidio maternal) is calculated by the Administradora de Fondos de Cesantía (AFC) under the framework of Ley 20.545/2011 and the Superintendencia de Seguridad Social (SUSESO). The daily subsidy rate equals the worker's average gross remuneration over the preceding 24 months, divided by 30, subject to a monthly cap of 66 UF (Unidades de Fomento — approximately CLP 2,508,000 in 2025). For workers who have contributed for fewer than 24 months, the AFC calculates the subsidy based on the available contribution history.

The fuero maternal (job protection) established by Article 201 of the Código del Trabajo protects the pregnant worker from dismissal from the moment of pregnancy confirmation until one year after the birth of the child. Any employer seeking to terminate a worker under fuero maternal must obtain prior judicial authorization (desafuero) from the competent Juzgado de Letras del Trabajo. The Dirección del Trabajo (DT) enforces fuero maternal protections through its inspection services (Inspecciones del Trabajo) throughout the country, including regional offices in Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción, Antofagasta, Temuco, and all regional capitals.

The prenatal leave application must be submitted to the employer together with the medical certificate (licencia médica prenatal) issued under the Fonasa/ISAPRE medical leave system. The medical certificate specifies the gestational age (edad gestacional), the expected delivery date (fecha probable de parto), and the recommended start date for the prenatal rest. Both the employer and the COMPIN or ISAPRE must receive the application and the medical certificate within the timeframe established by Circular IF/No. 57 of SUSESO to ensure uninterrupted subsidy payments during the prenatal period.

A Prenatal Leave Application Chile is required in every employment situation where a pregnant worker is approaching 6 weeks before her medically estimated delivery date and wishes to exercise her mandatory leave right under Article 195 of the Código del Trabajo.

The application is needed when the worker's obstetrician or midwife issues a prenatal medical certificate establishing the expected delivery date. The worker must submit this application — together with the medical certificate — to the employer within 3 working days of the certificate's issuance, following the COMPIN administrative requirements applicable to licencias médicas under Decreto Supremo No. 3/1984 of the Ministry of Health.

The application is required for workers employed under indefinite-term contracts (contrato indefinido), fixed-term contracts (contrato de plazo fijo), and specific-work contracts (contrato por obra o faena) — Article 195 protections apply regardless of contract type. Workers on probationary periods (período de prueba) also retain full prenatal leave rights.

The document is needed for foreign workers (trabajadoras extranjeras) who hold a valid work permit (visa sujeta a contrato or visa temporaria) and are covered by Chilean social security. Foreign workers affiliated with AFP and FONASA or ISAPRE are entitled to the same prenatal subsidy as Chilean nationals.

The application is necessary for workers in the public sector governed by the Estatuto Administrativo (Ley 18.834) and the Estatuto Administrativo para Funcionarios Municipales (Ley 18.883), which incorporate Article 195 protections by express reference. Public sector workers submit the application to their jefatura and to the COMPIN servicing their region.

The application must also be submitted when the worker needs to clarify the prenatal period for payroll administration — since during the prenatal period the employer pays no salary and the subsidy is paid directly by the COMPIN or the ISAPRE, the application triggers the correct payroll treatment under Article 195.

A valid Prenatal Leave Application Chile under Article 195 of the Código del Trabajo must contain the following core elements to support timely processing of the prenatal subsidy by COMPIN or ISAPRE.

Worker Identification: Full legal name, RUT (Rol Único Tributario), cédula de identidad number, and domicile of the worker. The AFP affiliation (AFP Habitat, AFP Provida, AFP Capital, AFP Cuprum, AFP Modelo, or AFP Uno) and health insurance provider (FONASA or ISAPRE) must be stated to direct the subsidy payment correctly through the Superintendencia de Seguridad Social (SUSESO) processing chain.

Employer Identification: Full legal name (razón social), RUT, and address of the employer. For public sector entities, the service name and repartición must be identified. The application must be addressed to the employer's legal representative or human resources department.

Job Title and Contract Type: The worker's position (cargo) and contract type (contrato indefinido, plazo fijo, or obra o faena). This information confirms the worker's employment status for COMPIN verification purposes.

Medical Certificate Details: Reference to the licencia médica prenatal — specifying the issuing physician's or midwife's name, RUT, and professional registration number (número de registro de la Superintendencia de Salud), the issuing date, the gestational age (edad gestacional in weeks), and the expected delivery date (fecha probable de parto). The medical certificate must comply with Decreto Supremo No. 3/1984 of the Ministerio de Salud and the COMPIN/ISAPRE format requirements.

Prenatal Period Dates: The exact start date of the prenatal leave (6 weeks before the expected delivery date) and the expected end date coinciding with the expected delivery. These dates determine the subsidy payment schedule administered by COMPIN, ISAPRE, or the Caja de Compensación de Asignación Familiar.

Subsidy Request: An express request to the employer to notify the COMPIN or ISAPRE and to process the subsidy application through the AFC. The employer is required under SUSESO Circular IF/No. 57 to forward the medical certificate to the COMPIN or ISAPRE within 3 working days of receipt.

Fuero Maternal Acknowledgement: A statement noting that the worker is protected under Article 201 of the Código del Trabajo and may not be dismissed without prior desafuero authorization from the Juzgado de Letras del Trabajo.

Signatures and Date: The worker's signature and the date and city of submission. A receipt copy stamped by the employer with the date of reception provides evidence of timely notice — essential if the employer later disputes the notification date before the Dirección del Trabajo or the Juzgado de Letras del Trabajo.

Forms-legal.com provides this Prenatal Leave Application Chile template as a reference document. Workers should verify specific COMPIN or ISAPRE procedural requirements and confirm gestational age calculations with their obstetrician before submitting the application.