Maternity and Paternity Leave in Singapore: A Parent's Guide

6 min read · Updated June 2026

Once your baby arrives, time at home is precious. Singapore has a range of government-supported leave schemes that help working parents bond with their newborn, recover, and settle into the early weeks without losing their income. The rules can feel like alphabet soup at first, so this guide walks you through the main types of parental leave in plain English, who they are generally for, and where to confirm the exact current entitlements. Because these schemes are reviewed and enhanced from time to time, always treat the official Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and government-paid leave resources as the final word.

This article gives a general overview only. Eligibility rules, the number of weeks, and reimbursement details do change. Before you plan your leave or speak to your employer, confirm the current rules on the official MOM and government-paid leave portals linked at the end of this guide.

Government-Paid Maternity Leave

Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) is the cornerstone scheme for new mothers. Eligible working mothers can receive up to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. This gives you time to recover from birth and the early postnatal period, settle into feeding, and care for your newborn.

To qualify for the full government-paid entitlement, the main conditions generally are:

Your child is a Singapore citizen;
You have served your employer (or been self-employed) for a continuous period before the birth, commonly a minimum employment period; and
You have given your employer the required notice of your pregnancy and intended leave.

Mothers who do not meet every condition may still be entitled to a shorter period of maternity leave under the Employment Act. The way leave can be taken (for example, in one continuous stretch or partly flexibly by agreement with your employer) is set out in the official rules, so check the details that apply to your situation.

Government-Paid Paternity Leave

Fathers are entitled to Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL) so they can be present in those first weeks and share the load at home. This scheme has been progressively enhanced over recent years, with the aim of giving fathers more dedicated time to bond with their child.

As a general guide, eligible fathers of Singapore-citizen children can take 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave (figure current as of 2026; for children born on or after 1 April 2025 this is mandatory for eligible fathers). Because entitlements have been changing, always confirm the current number of weeks, and whether part of it is mandatory for your employer, directly on the MOM portal. The father usually needs to be lawfully married to the child's mother, alongside an employment or self-employment requirement.

Tip for couples: map out your combined leave on a calendar before baby arrives. Many parents stagger their time off so that one parent is home for longer, rather than both taking leave in the same weeks. Your confinement plans and any daytime confinement support may also shape how you space things out.

Shared Parental Leave

Singapore also offers Shared Parental Leave, which lets eligible parents share a portion of leave between them. The idea is to give families flexibility to decide who takes time off and when, rather than fixing all the leave to one parent. The amount that can be shared, and how it is taken, is defined in the scheme rules and has also been part of recent enhancements to family leave, so confirm the current shareable amount and conditions on the official portal before you commit to a plan with your employer.

Childcare Leave and Extended Childcare Leave

Beyond the newborn period, working parents of young children are entitled to paid childcare leave each year to look after a child, for example when they are unwell or need a parent at an appointment. There are two related entitlements:

Government-Paid Childcare Leave for parents with a Singapore citizen child below a certain age; and
Extended Childcare Leave, which applies for children in an older age band, typically with a smaller number of days per year.

The exact number of days, the qualifying ages, and how days are split between the two schemes are set by MOM. These days are counted per parent per year (not per child), so check the caps that apply to you.

Unpaid Infant Care Leave

For parents in the very early stage of their child's life, there is also Unpaid Infant Care Leave. As the name suggests, this leave is not paid, but it gives eligible working parents additional time off in the first year or so to care for their infant beyond their paid entitlements. It is useful to have in your back pocket for stretches when paid leave has run out but you still need to be home. Confirm the eligibility and the number of days on the MOM portal.

Adoption Leave

Parents who adopt are not left out. Government-Paid Adoption Leave supports eligible adoptive mothers (and in some cases fathers, through shared arrangements) during the period after a young child is adopted. As with the other schemes, eligibility typically considers the child's citizenship status, the age of the child at adoption, and an employment requirement. Because adoption cases vary, it is worth checking the specific conditions early in the process.

Employed Versus Self-Employed, and Who Pays

How you claim depends on your working arrangement:

If you are an employee, you usually take your leave through your employer, who continues to pay your salary during the government-paid portion. The employer then claims reimbursement from the Government for that portion.
If you are self-employed, you claim the government-paid amount yourself, based on your loss of income during the leave period, provided you meet the eligibility and work criteria.

In other words, for employees the scheme is designed so that the cost of the government-paid weeks does not fall on the employer for that capped portion. Claims are submitted through the official government-paid leave claims system, which sets out the documents and deadlines involved.

Leave is only one part of the financial picture. Pair it with the cash and savings support new parents receive, such as the Baby Bonus Cash Gift, the Child Development Account, and the MediSave Grant for Newborns. See our guide to Baby Bonus and parent support in Singapore.

Planning Your Leave Around the Costs of a Baby

Knowing your leave entitlements helps you plan both your time and your money. If one or both parents take extended time off, it helps to understand how that affects household income alongside the one-off and ongoing costs of a new baby. Our baby cost estimator can help you sketch out the first-year expenses, and the financial planning for new parents page walks through budgeting as a growing family. For wider reading on the early journey, browse our other guides for new parents.

The Bottom Line

Singapore's parental leave schemes are generous by regional standards and have been steadily enhanced to give families more time together. The headline points to remember are simple: maternity leave of up to 16 weeks for eligible working mothers, progressively enhanced paternity leave (4 weeks as of 2026 for eligible fathers of Singapore-citizen children), the option to share some leave between parents, plus childcare, infant care, and adoption leave for different stages. The specific weeks, days, ages, and claim steps are the parts that change, so before you finalise anything, confirm the current rules with MOM and discuss your plan with your employer in good time.

For a smoother handover, give your employer early notice, keep copies of your documents, and check our other guides on budgeting for a baby and postnatal recovery after birth so the practical side is sorted before baby arrives.

Helpful official resources:

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