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Maternity leave calculator: your 16 weeks, dates and who pays
Put in your due date, your pay and which child this is. You'll see if you qualify for Government-Paid Maternity Leave, when to tell your boss, the date each part of your leave ends, and how much the government pays back.
Figures checked 3 Oct 2026 against official government sources · Fussy Mama
NDR 2026: the government has said it will pay for all 16 weeks of maternity leave for every child, up to the cap. MOM says the start date and details will come later, so the calculator uses today's rules. Tick the box at the bottom of the form to see what changes.
Your maternity leave
Maternity leave in Singapore: which one you get
| Your situation | What you get | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Baby is a Singapore citizen (or becomes one within 12 months), and you've worked 3 continuous months for your employer or in your trade before the birth | 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) | See the next table. It depends on which child this is |
| Baby is not a citizen, you're covered by the Employment Act and have 3 months' service | 12 weeks of maternity leave | Your employer pays the first 8 weeks if you had fewer than 2 living children at delivery. The last 4 weeks are unpaid unless your contract says otherwise |
| Citizen baby, but you don't qualify for leave because your contract ended, you were retrenched or you're self-employed for under 3 months, and you worked at least 90 days in the 12 months before the birth | Government-Paid Maternity Benefit (GPMB), a cash payment | The government: up to 56 days of your average daily income for a 1st or 2nd child, 112 days from the 3rd, capped at $10,000 per 28 days |
Sources: MOM maternity leave eligibility and entitlement page; MSF Government-Paid Leave portal pages on maternity leave and other work scenarios. Checked 3 Oct 2026.
Under 3 months in the job when the baby comes? Your employer can still choose to give you GPML, and MSF will pay back the government-paid part, as long as you're still employed there on the birth date.
Who pays for each of the 16 weeks
| Child order | Employees | Self-employed | Most the government pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st and 2nd | Employer pays weeks 1 to 8. Government pays the employer back for weeks 9 to 16 | Weeks 9 to 16 paid back. Weeks 1 to 8 are not | $20,000 |
| 3rd and later | Government pays the employer back for all 16 weeks | All 16 weeks paid back | $40,000 |
Cap: $10,000 per 4 weeks, which is $2,500 a week. Source: MOM and MSF, checked 3 Oct 2026.
As an employee you don't feel the split. Your employer has to keep paying your salary through the whole leave as if you were at work, then claims its share back. The split matters to your employer, and it matters to you if you're self-employed, because the first 8 weeks for a 1st or 2nd child come out of your own pocket.
How the $2,500 cap works
MSF works out the refund per working day: monthly gross pay plus the employer's CPF, times 12, divided by 52 weeks, divided by your working days a week. The cap is $2,500 a week, so $500 a day on a 5-day week. For a CPF member aged 55 or below, the cap starts to bite at about $9,473 a month in pay, because employer CPF stops at the $8,000 wage ceiling. Without CPF it bites at about $10,833.
Earn more than that and your employer still pays your full salary. It just can't claim the part above the cap.
Your leave dates, worked out from the birth date
| Arrangement | When it starts | How it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Default (no agreement) | Up to 4 weeks before the birth, no later than the birth date | 16 weeks in one continuous block, counting weekends and public holidays |
| Agreed with your employer | Same window | First 8 weeks in one block. The last 8 weeks any time before the baby turns 1, in one go or spread out |
| Self-employed | Same window | Either of the two above. You don't need anyone's agreement |
The flexible last 8 weeks are counted in working days: 8 times the days you work a week, capped at 48. On a 5-day week that's 40 days. Take 2 days a week and they last 20 weeks, which is MOM's own example. Weekends and public holidays don't use up flexible days.
Give your employer at least 4 weeks' notice before GPML starts, or tell them as soon as you can if the baby comes early. Without notice and without a good reason, you can be paid only half. For the 12-week Employment Act leave, the notice is 1 week. A premature baby means leave starts on the birth date, or earlier if you've agreed it.
How your employer claims maternity leave pay back
- Before your leave, HR checks you qualify. MSF has a declaration form employers can use, but they don't have to send it in.
- You take the government-paid weeks: 9 to 16 for a 1st or 2nd child, all 16 from the 3rd.
- HR submits the claim on the Government-Paid Leave (GPL) portal. They can claim part of the leave before you finish it, and make several claims for the same baby.
- The deadline is 3 months after the last day of your GPML. The calculator shows that date.
- MSF says standard claims take 10 working days. Claims waiting on your employer's CPF payment take about 2 months longer. You and your employer both get a notice when it's approved.
You don't file anything yourself as an employee. Self-employed mums claim on the same portal once the government-paid weeks have started, also within 3 months of the last day of leave. MSF pays you based on the net trade income in your IRAS Notice of Assessment. GPMB claims are due within 15 months of the birth.
What NDR 2026 changes, and what's still to be confirmed
| Item | Status on 3 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|
| Government pays for all child-related leave (maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and childcare leave) for every child order, up to the reimbursement limit, for employees and eligible self-employed | Announced at the National Day Rally. MOM: the implementation date and eligibility criteria will be released later |
| Childcare leave and extended childcare leave merged into one scheme for children aged 12 and below | Announced. The start date and number of days are not out yet |
| 16 weeks of maternity leave | No change announced |
| 10 weeks of shared parental leave for babies born from 1 April 2026 | Already in force |
For a 1st or 2nd child, the change means the government would also pay back weeks 1 to 8. Your leave stays at 16 weeks, and you keep your full salary either way. Dads can check their 4 weeks with our paternity leave calculator, and you can split the 10 shared weeks in the shared parental leave planner.
Two worked examples
2nd child, due 1 December 2026, $6,000 a month, 5-day week, aged 34. She starts leave on the due date, so she tells her boss by 3 November 2026. Weeks 1 to 8 run to 25 January 2027 and weeks 9 to 16 to 22 March 2027. She's paid her normal salary throughout, about $22,154 over 16 weeks.
Her employer pays weeks 1 to 8 itself. For weeks 9 to 16 MSF pays back ($6,000 + $1,020 CPF) x 12 / 52 = $1,620 a week, under the cap, so $12,960. HR has until 22 June 2027 to claim. Add her 5 default weeks of shared parental leave and she's home for 21 weeks.
3rd child, $12,000 a month. Pay plus CPF works out to about $3,083 a week, over the $2,500 cap. MSF pays back all 16 weeks at $2,500, so $40,000. She still gets her full salary, about $44,308, and her employer covers the rest.
Your rights while you're pregnant and on leave
- It's an offence for your employer to dismiss you while you're on maternity leave.
- With 3 months' service and a doctor's certificate of pregnancy, if you're dismissed without good reason or retrenched while pregnant, your employer must still pay the maternity benefits you'd have had.
- Your employer can't ask you to work in the first 4 weeks after the birth. You can't work for another employer during your leave, or you lose the benefit.
- Twins or triplets count as one delivery, so the leave doesn't double. A stillbirth or a baby who dies shortly after birth still gets full maternity leave.
Planning the money side as well? Read our maternity and paternity leave guide and returning to work after maternity leave.
Questions parents ask
How long is maternity leave in Singapore?
16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave if your baby is a Singapore citizen and you've worked 3 continuous months before the birth. If the baby isn't a citizen and you're covered by the Employment Act, it's 12 weeks.
How is maternity leave calculated in Singapore?
The 16 weeks are calendar weeks, counted from the day you start, which can be up to 4 weeks before the birth. If you take the last 8 weeks flexibly, they become working days: 8 times your working days a week, capped at 48.
Who pays for maternity leave in Singapore?
Your employer pays your salary throughout. For a 1st or 2nd child it pays weeks 1 to 8 itself and claims weeks 9 to 16 back from the government. From the 3rd child, all 16 weeks are paid back. The refund is capped at $10,000 per 4 weeks.
Is maternity leave fully paid in Singapore?
Yes for GPML. Your employer must keep paying your salary as if you were working, even if your pay is above the $2,500-a-week refund cap. For the 12-week Employment Act leave, only the first 8 weeks are paid, and only if you had fewer than 2 living children at delivery.
When can I start maternity leave?
Any day from 4 weeks before the birth up to the birth date. Without an agreement with your employer, you take all 16 weeks in one block. A premature baby means leave starts on the birth date.
Can I take the last 8 weeks later?
Yes, if your employer agrees. The first 8 weeks must be one block, and the last 8 can be used any time before your baby turns 1, in one go or spread out. Self-employed mums can choose this without agreement.
How much notice do I need to give?
At least 4 weeks before GPML starts, or as soon as possible if the baby comes early. For the 12-week Employment Act leave it's 1 week. Without notice and without good reason, you may be paid only half.
How do employers claim maternity leave reimbursement?
On the Government-Paid Leave portal, after you've taken the government-paid weeks, no later than 3 months after your last day of leave. Standard claims take about 10 working days to process.
I've been in my job less than 3 months. Do I get anything?
Your employer can choose to give you GPML and MSF will pay back the government part. If your contract ended or you were retrenched, you may get Government-Paid Maternity Benefit instead, as long as you worked at least 90 days in the 12 months before the birth.
Do I get more maternity leave for twins?
No. Twins and triplets count as one delivery and one child order, so you get the same 16 weeks.
Did NDR 2026 change maternity leave?
The government said it will pay for all child-related leave for every child order, up to the cap. For a 1st or 2nd child that would cover weeks 1 to 8 too. The 16 weeks don't change, and the start date hasn't been announced.
Is maternity leave pay subject to CPF?
Yes. It's salary, so your employer pays CPF on it as usual. MSF includes the employer's CPF when it works out the refund, within the $2,500-a-week cap.
Sources (Figures checked 3 Oct 2026)
- MOM - Maternity leave eligibility and entitlement (page updated 24 Aug 2026)
- MOM - Planning your maternity leave
- MOM - Maternity protections and obligations
- MOM - Maternity leave in special situations
- MSF Government-Paid Leave portal - Maternity leave
- MSF Government-Paid Leave portal - Benefits in other work scenarios (GPMB)
- MSF on Ask Gov - How Government-Paid Leave reimbursement is calculated
- MSF on Ask Gov - Processing times for GPL claims
- Made For Families - NDR 2026: supporting families
- CPF Board - Contribution rates from 1 January 2026
