Government-Paid Maternity Leave: who qualifies and who pays

Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) is 16 weeks of paid leave for working mothers whose child is a Singapore citizen. MOM says you need at least 3 continuous months with your employer, or in self-employment, before the birth. Your employer pays you during the leave and claims back the Government's share. If your child is not a citizen, MOM says you may get 12 weeks under the Employment Act instead.

Who qualifies for GPML

MOM lists the conditions for the full 16 weeks: your child is a Singapore citizen, and you have served your employer for at least 3 continuous months before the birth. If you are self-employed, you need 3 continuous months in your work and lost income during the leave. MSF's Government-Paid Leave portal adds that a child who becomes a citizen within 12 months of birth also counts, though the leave can only be used after citizenship comes through.

Changed jobs recently? The portal says a mother with less than 3 months' service may still get GPML if her employer agrees to grant it. If your baby is not a citizen and you are covered by the Employment Act, MOM says you get 12 weeks: the first 8 paid by your employer if you had fewer than 2 living children at delivery, and the last 4 unpaid unless your contract says otherwise.

Who pays for which weeks

Your salary comes from your employer throughout. What changes by child order is how much of it the Government pays back. MSF's portal sets it out like this:

• First and second child: your employer pays weeks 1 to 8 at your gross rate of pay, and is reimbursed for weeks 9 to 16, capped at $10,000 per 4 weeks, or $20,000 in total.
• Third child and later: all 16 weeks are reimbursed, up to $40,000.
• Self-employed: you claim the same Government-paid weeks yourself; for a first or second child, the first 8 weeks are not reimbursable.

Twins and triplets count as one child order, the portal says, so a mother of twins gets the same 16 weeks as any other mother.

When you can take the 16 weeks

Without any agreement with your employer, MOM says the 16 weeks run as one continuous block that starts 4 weeks before the birth. You can agree something more flexible: start any time in the 4 weeks before the birth, take the first 8 weeks in one stretch, and spread the last 8 weeks over the 12 months after the birth. Taken flexibly, those last 8 weeks are counted in working days, capped at 48.

Since 1 April 2025, MOM says you must tell your employer at least 4 weeks before starting GPML, or as soon as possible if the baby comes early. Without proper notice and a good reason, you are only entitled to half the payment.

The NDR 2026 change to who pays

At the 2026 National Day Rally the Government said it will cover the cost of all child-related leave for every child order, up to the reimbursement limit. Made For Families lists GPML, paternity leave, adoption, shared parental and childcare leave. For a first or second child, that would remove the 8 weeks your employer pays today. MOM says the implementation date and eligibility criteria will be released later, so the current split still applies.

Put your due date and pay into our maternity leave calculator for your dates and the reimbursement, and read the maternity and paternity leave guide to plan both parents' time off.

Frequently asked questions

Can I start maternity leave before my due date?

Yes. MSF's portal says GPML can start no earlier than 4 weeks before your child's date of birth and no later than the birth itself.

Is the refund cap a cap on my salary?

The cap is on what the Government reimburses your employer: $10,000 per 4 weeks, MSF's portal says. MOM says your employer pays you during the leave period.

I have been in my job for less than 3 months. Do I get GPML?

Possibly. MSF's portal says you may still qualify if your employer agrees to grant the leave. If not, check the portal's Government-Paid Maternity Benefit, which covers some mothers whose jobs ended.

What if my baby is born early?

Tell your employer as soon as you can. MOM's condition is 4 weeks' notice before GPML starts, or informing your employer of the delivery as soon as possible.

Related terms

• Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL): Four weeks of paid leave for working fathers of a Singapore citizen child born from 1 April 2025.
• Baby Bonus Scheme: Singapore's parenthood payout: a Cash Gift plus a Child Development Account, replaced by the SG Child Support Package from April 2027.
• MediSave Grant for Newborns: A $5,000 credit into your Singapore citizen baby's own MediSave account at birth registration, for premiums, vaccines and medical bills.
• SG Child Support Package: The scheme replacing Baby Bonus from April 2027: up to $62,000 per citizen child, the same for every birth order.

See every term in the glossary