The moment you return to work after having a child cannot truly be anticipated. It is a decision you make over time, depending on your child, their needs, their health, and your job—whether it is worth returning earlier or not. You may also base your decision on the financial aspect—whether you want to benefit from the insertion incentive.
From personal experience, I can say that it is worth enjoying every moment with your child, and the insertion incentive should not be the reason you return to work. I chose to go back to work when my daughter was 1 year and 8 months old. I stayed with her until she started to go to kindergarten and when I felt we were emotionally ready, I started the job.
You might be wondering: during parental leave: When should I return to work to also qualify for the insertion incentive? If I go back after my child turns two, do I lose the allowance? How long can I receive the insertion incentive? Does it matter how many hours I work or what type of contract I have?
The insertion incentive is created precisely for these situations. It's not a favor, but a legal right granted to parents who choose to return to work before the end of parental leave or immediately after it. To fully understand when and how it is granted, it's essential to know the legislation.
The Legal Framework for the Insertion Incentive Under Government Emergency Ordinance No. 111/2010
The legal basis for the insertion incentive is Government Emergency Ordinance No. 111/2010 on parental leave and the monthly child-raising allowance, as subsequently amended and supplemented.
This ordinance regulates:
- the right to parental leave;
- the right to the monthly allowance during this leave;
- the right to the insertion incentive, as an alternative to the allowance, under certain conditions.
(1) Persons who, during the period in which they are entitled to benefit from parental leave provided under Art. 2 para. (1), earn income subject to taxation under Art. 3 para. (1), are entitled to an insertion incentive. In simple terms, the law clearly states:
- if you would have been entitled to parental leave and the monthly allowance;
- but you choose to work and earn taxable income;
→ The state grants you a monthly incentive instead of the allowance.
Who Can Benefit from the Insertion Incentive, According to the Law
(1) The monthly allowance and the insertion incentive provided by this emergency ordinance may be granted to either of the child’s biological parents, as well as to any person to whom the child has been entrusted for adoption or who has adopted the child, provided that they meet the eligibility conditions set out by this ordinance.
(2) The same rights also apply to one of the persons who has a child placed in their care, including emergency placement, with the exception of professional foster carers, who may benefit from these rights only for their own children. The rights also apply to a person who has been legally appointed as the child’s guardian.
(3) In the case of persons to whom the child has been entrusted for adoption, who have adopted the child, or those mentioned in paragraph (2), the rights provided under Article 2 and Article 7 are granted taking into account the 12 months preceding the date when the child was entrusted for adoption, the adoption was approved, or the placement or guardianship was established, as applicable.
(4) If the parent who met the conditions to benefit from parental leave and the monthly allowance provided under Article 2 (1) or from the insertion incentive passes away, the surviving parent has the right, upon request, to benefit from the rights provided by this ordinance as follows:
b) to receive the rights provided by the ordinance based on their own eligibility, if they meet the granting conditions.
The essential condition is that the parent (or adoptive parent) must have earned income subject to income tax for at least 12 months within the two years preceding the child’s birth.
It is important to note that the insertion incentive is granted to only one parent for the same child.
Did You Not Work? You May Still Qualify in Certain Situations
GEO 111/2010 also recognizes certain equivalent periods that count toward the required 12 months, even if you did not actually earn income.
- Education and Studies
Periods are considered equivalent if you continuously attended:
- high school (including “Second Chance” programs);
- undergraduate or master’s studies;
- postgraduate programs;
- doctoral studies.
Also included:
-
- periods between two educational cycles started in the same year;
- the time between graduating high school and starting university;
- the period between two university programs;
- up to 60 days between completing studies and starting employment or registering as unemployed;
- the time between graduating high school and starting university;
- Medical Leave and Health-Related Situations
- medical leave and benefits;
- leave for work accidents or occupational diseases;
- disability pension.
- Childcare and Family Situations
- previous parental leave and allowance;
- unpaid leave for raising a child;
- accompanying a spouse on a permanent mission abroad;
- permanent mission abroad.
- Professional Activity or Employer-Related Situations
- temporary suspension of activity at the employer’s initiative (technical unemployment);
- up to three months between fixed-term employment contracts;
- participation in professional training with approved unpaid leave;
- collective dismissals with contribution periods recognized by special regulations.
- Unemployment and Special Social Protection Measures
- unemployment benefits;
- registration with the employment agency;
- pandemic-related benefits granted under GEO 30/2020.
- Military Service or Special State Situations
- voluntary military service;
- mobilization or captivity.
In short, the law does not require you to have worked continuously for 12 months.
There are considered equivalent.
- you were studying
- you were on medical leave,
- you were on leave to care for a child
- you were unemployed,
- you were in special situations (military, medical, or professional).
The Value of the Insertion Incentive in 2026 – When You Receive 1,500 RON and When 650 RON
If you are on parental leave and choose to return to work, the law does not remove your financial support—it simply transforms it. Instead of the parental leave allowance, you will receive your salary, plus the insertion incentive, a monthly amount paid by the state to support your return to work and the care of your child. stimulentul de insertie – o suma platita lunar de stat pentru a sprijini reintegrarea profesionala si ingijirea copilului.
The value of the incentive depends entirely on when you return to work.
1. Returning to Work Before the Child Turns 6 Months — Incentive of 1,500 RON per Month
1. Returning to Work Before the Child Turns 6 Months — Incentive of 1,500 RON per Month
- before your baby turns 6 months old;
- before the child turns 1 year old, if the child has disabilities.
Payment period:
- until the child turns 2 years old;
- until the child turns 3 years old, for a child with disabilities.
This is the situation in which the state offers the highest financial support because the return to work happens earlier.
2. Returning to Work After 6 Months — Incentive of 650 RON per Month
If you return to work after the child has turned 6 months old, but before the end of parental leave (2 years, or 3 years in the case of a child with disabilities), you will receive 650 RON per month.
The payment continues until:
- the child turns 2 years old;
- 3 years old for a child with disabilities.
Can I Receive the Insertion Incentive After Parental Leave Ends?
If you choose to stay home for the entire parental leave period, you can still receive financial support once you return to work.
If you start earning income after:
- your child turns 2 years old (or 3 years old in the case of a child with disabilities),
You will receive the insertion incentive of 650 RON per month until:
- your child turns 3 years old;
- 4 years old, if the child has disabilities.
Special Situation – Child Later Classified as Having a Disability
If you are already receiving the 650 RON insertion incentive and your child is officially classified as having a disability after the age of 3, the payment doesn't stop. You will get it until the child turns 4 years old.
To extend the payment, you only need to:
- submit a new application;
- attach a copy of the disability certificate.
Steps to Get the Insertion Incentive
The administrative procedure is relatively simple:
- resume your professional activity (employment, self-employment, liberal professions, etc.);
- submit the application for the incentive to the city hall of your domicile or residence;
- attach the required documents.
Documents Required for the Insertion Incentive
Your application file must include the following documents:
- Standard application form (Form 1) for granting the insertion incentive, signed by both parents (original); Descarca aici cerere de acordare a stimulentului de insertie
- Identity document of the applicant (copy);
- Identity document of the other parent (copy);
- Birth certificate of the child for whom the benefit is requested, the court decision regarding entrustment for adoption or approval of the adoption, or the court decision or decision of the Child Protection Commission regarding emergency placement (copy);
- Birth certificates of the other dependent children, if applicable (copies);
- Marriage certificate (copy), if the parents are married;
- Family record booklet (copy) – if there is no family booklet, a declaration must be completed;
- Standard certificate issued by the current or former employer, confirming the income earned prior to the child’s birth, the maternity leave period, and the date of returning to work (original – Form 2); Descarca aici adeverinta tip eliberata de angajator
- Document confirming the end of employment with the previous employer, if applicable (copy).
- Document confirming the resumption of activity (copy);
- Declaration of the other parent regarding whether they meet the conditions for receiving the parental allowance (Form 3); Descarca aici declaratia celuilalt parinte
- Declaration of the beneficiary regarding consent for the processing of personal data (Form 4);
- For bank transfer payments – proof issued by the bank containing: the full name of the account holder (the account must belong to the beneficiary), the personal identification number, and the IBAN. The account in RON can be opened at one of the banks listed in the approved banks annex;
- Document checklist (Opis) (original), completed when submitting the file at the institution’s registry.
Where Do You Submit the Documents for the Insertion Incentive?
You must submit the documents to the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection (DGASPC) in the sector where you live in Bucharest, or to the city hall of the locality where the applicant resides, through the public social assistance service within that institution (DGASPC or an equivalent structure, as applicable).
Further information is available from the local city hall or from the social assistance service responsible for your area.
The application files for granting the insertion incentive are registered by the local authority and then forwarded to the County Agency for Payments and Social Inspection (AJPIS) in the applicant’s county of residence. This institution is responsible for determining, approving, or, if applicable, rejecting the benefit and arranging the payment.
The County Agency for Payments and Social Inspection is the institution that reviews the file and makes the payment of the insertion incentive, in accordance with the legal provisions in force.
When the Insertion Incentive Can Be Lost or Suspended
The right to the insertion incentive provided under Article 7 of GEO 111/2010 ends starting from the day following the one in which:
a) the child turns 3 years old, or 4 years old in the case of a child with disabilities;
b) the child passes away.
The right to the insertion incentive provided under Article 7 is suspended starting from the day following the one on which it is determined that:
a) one of the situations provided under Article 16 (2) occurs, except for point i;
b) the beneficiary no longer earns income of the type provided under Article 3 and requests parental leave;
c) the child has turned 2 years old, or 3 years old in the case of a child with disabilities, and the beneficiary no longer earns income of the type provided under Article 3.
For beneficiaries who are already receiving the insertion incentive and request medical leave as provided under Article 2 (1)—with the exception of the leave mentioned under letter c)—of Government Emergency Ordinance No. 158/2005, approved with amendments by Law No. 399/2006, with subsequent amendments and additions, the payment of the insertion incentive is not suspended.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Insertion Incentive
Can I get the insertion incentive if I work part-time?
Yes. The return-to-work incentive is granted regardless of working hours. The law does not require an 8-hour schedule or a certain income level; it only requires that you earn taxable income and have an active contract.
Can I get the insertion incentive if I work from home or remotely?
Yes. The way you work doesn't affect your eligibility for insertion incentive. For the authorities, what matters is the existence of an employment relationship or a legally registered independent activity and the earning of taxable income—not the place from which the work is carried out.
Is the insertion incentive paid in addition to my salary?
Yes. The insertion incentive is added to your salary; it doesn't replace or reduce it. It's a separate benefit paid from the state budget, independent of salary rights.
Is the insertion incentive taxable or subject to social contributions?
No. The insertiion incentive is not taxable and is not included in the calculation base for social security or health contributions. No income tax is withheld, no pension or health contributions are paid, and the beneficiary doesn't need to declare it for tax purposes.
Can I get the insertion incentive if I am self-employed, a freelancer, or have a liberal profession?
Yes. The law doesn't distinguish between employees and people who carry out independent activities. It's mandatory that the activity is legally resumed, the income is taxable, and the return to work takes place before the child reaches the age limit set by law.
What happens if I change my employer while receiving the incentive?
Changing employers doesn't lead to losing the incentive, as long as there are no significant interruptions in your activity, you continue to earn taxable income, and you notify the authorities about the change.
Can both parents get the insertion incentive?
The incentive is granted to only one parent, but it can be transferred from one parent to the other if the legal conditions are met.
What happens if I stop working after receiving the insertion incentive?
If your professional activity ends, the right to get the insertion incentive is suspended or ended, depending on the situation. You must notify the authorities, because any amounts received improperly may later be recovered.
Can I return to parental leave after receiving the incentive?
Yes, under certain conditions. The incentive payment is suspended, and the childcare allowance can be resumed if you are still within the legal eligibility period.
If I submit the application later, will I get the insertion incentive retroactively?
No. In general, the insertion incentive is granted starting from the date the application is submitted, not retroactively from the date the activity was resumed.
Does the insertion incentive affect other benefits for the child?
No. The incentive doesn't not affect the state child allowance, medical rights, or access to daycare or kindergarten.
Conclusion
The insertion incentive is a useful financial support, but it should not be the factor that determines when you go back to work. The law offers options and protection so that every family can choose according to its own rhythm.
What matters is knowing your rights, so the decision is an informed one—not made out of fear that you might “lose money” or “miss a deadline.” The incentive exists as support, not as pressure. Ultimately, the right moment to return to work is when you feel that both you and your child are ready.
Sources:
- The legal basis for the insertion incentive is Government Emergency Ordinance No. 111/2010 on parental leave and the monthly child-raising allowance, as subsequently amended and supplemented.
- social2.ro – General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection, Sector 2
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