Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental and Childcare Leave
Maternity leave
16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML)
A working mother is entitled to 16 weeks of GPML if:
- her child is a Singapore Citizen, or becomes one within 12 months of birth,
- she has served her employer for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth, and
- she gave her employer at least 4 weeks' notice before going on leave, or informed them as soon as possible after delivery. Otherwise, she may only be entitled to half pay unless she has a good reason.
The employer pays the employee during the leave and can claim reimbursement from the Government under the GPML scheme.
12 weeks of maternity leave under the Employment Act
Mothers who do not qualify for GPML, for example because the child is not a Singapore Citizen, are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave if they are covered by the Employment Act and have served the employer for at least 3 months. The number of paid weeks depends on further conditions under the Act.
Paternity leave
From 1 April 2025, eligible working fathers are entitled to 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL). Employers must grant it. To be eligible, the father must be or have been lawfully married to the child's mother, and the child must be a Singapore Citizen (or become one within 12 months of birth).
Shared Parental Leave
For eligible parents of Singapore Citizen children born on or after 1 April 2026, 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave (SPL) are available on top of maternity and paternity leave:
- Sharing: the 10 weeks can be shared between both parents. By default, each parent gets 5 weeks.
- Timing: SPL must be taken within 12 months of the child's birth, after the parent's own maternity or paternity leave.
- Total: together with GPML and GPPL, this gives up to 30 weeks of paid leave in the child's first year.
- Employer check: employers should verify their employees' SPL arrangements through the Government-Paid Leave portal (profamilyleave.msf.gov.sg).
Childcare leave
- Child is a Singapore Citizen and under 7: each parent is entitled to 6 days of paid childcare leave a year, provided they have worked for their employer for at least 3 months.
- Child is a Singapore Citizen aged 7 to 12: each parent is entitled to 2 days of extended childcare leave a year.
- Child is not a Singapore Citizen and under 7: employees covered by the Employment Act are entitled to 2 days of childcare leave a year.
The childcare leave cap applies per parent, not per child.
Unpaid infant care leave
Parents of Singapore Citizen children under 2 are entitled to 12 days of unpaid infant care leave each per year.
More information on all parental leave schemes is available at madeforfamilies.gov.sg.
