# Parental leave in Singapore: maternity, paternity, shared and childcare leave > How many weeks of maternity, paternity and shared parental leave and how many days of childcare leave a Singapore parent gets, who pays, and the deadlines. - Tool: [Parental Leave Calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/parental-leave-calculator) - Language: en (available: en, zh) - Last verified against official sources: 2026-10-29 - Source site: ToolSG — a planning guide, not official or financial advice. Cite the agencies listed under Sources. ## Key figures at a glance | Fact | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Government-Paid Maternity Leave | 16 weeks — Singapore citizen child, mother with 3 continuous months of service. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/maternity-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) | | Maternity leave under the Employment Act | 12 weeks — Where GPML does not apply. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/maternity-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) | | Paid by the employer (1st and 2nd child) | 8 weeks — The first 8 weeks; the Government reimburses the last 8. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/maternity-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) | | Government cap, 1st and 2nd child | $20,000 — Total, at $10,000 per 4 weeks. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/maternity-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) | | Government cap, 3rd child onwards | $40,000 — The Government pays all 16 weeks. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/maternity-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) | | Government-Paid Paternity Leave | 4 weeks — Children born on or after 1 Apr 2025 (2 weeks plus 2 if the employer agrees before). | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/paternity-leave) | | Paternity reimbursement cap | $2,500 / $10,000 — Per week / in total. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/paternity-leave) | | Shared Parental Leave, births 1 Apr 2025 to 31 Mar 2026 | 6 weeks — Shared between parents, within 12 months of birth. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/shared-parental-leave) | | Shared Parental Leave, births from 1 Apr 2026 | 10 weeks — Shared between parents, within 12 months of birth. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/shared-parental-leave) | | Childcare leave, citizen child under 7 | 6 days — Per parent per year; 3 days paid by the employer, 3 by the Government. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/childcare-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) | | Childcare leave, child of another nationality | 2 days — Per parent per year, paid by the employer. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/childcare-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) | | Extended childcare leave, citizen child aged 7 to 12 | 2 days — Per parent per year, Government-paid. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/childcare-leave/extended-childcare-leave) | | Unpaid infant care leave, citizen child under 2 | 12 days — Per parent per year. | [MOM](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/unpaid-infant-care-leave) | ## What the calculator covers Enter the child's date of birth, the birth order, whether the child is a Singapore citizen, whether the parents are lawfully married, and whether each parent has served the employer for 3 continuous months. It shows maternity, paternity, shared parental, childcare and infant care leave for the date you choose. ## Maternity leave A mother with a **Singapore citizen child** and **3 continuous months of service** gets **16 weeks** of Government-Paid Maternity Leave. For a first or second child the **employer pays the first 8 weeks** and the Government reimburses the last 8 (up to $20,000 in total). From the **third child**, the Government pays all 16 weeks (up to $40,000). Otherwise the Employment Act gives **12 weeks**. The employer pays the first 8 weeks only with 3 months of service and fewer than 2 living children; the rest is unpaid. ## Paternity leave For children born **on or after 1 April 2025**, a father gets **4 weeks** of Government-Paid Paternity Leave (reimbursement up to $2,500 a week, $10,000 in total). Before that date it was 2 weeks, with 2 more if the employer agreed. The child must be a Singapore citizen, the father lawfully married to the mother, and he needs 3 continuous months of service. ## Shared parental leave Parents who qualify for paternity leave can share extra weeks: **6 weeks** for children born from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, and **10 weeks** from 1 April 2026. It must be taken within **12 months of the birth, counting the birth date itself**, so a child born on 10 April 2026 has until 9 April 2027. ## Childcare and infant care leave - **Childcare leave:** 6 days per parent a year for a citizen child under 7 (3 paid by the employer, 3 by the Government); 2 days for a child of another nationality. - **Extended childcare leave:** 2 days a year for a citizen child aged 7 to 12, paid by the Government. - A parent gets at most 6 paid childcare days in a year. - **Unpaid infant care leave:** 12 days per parent a year for a citizen child under 2. MOM has said childcare leave will increase in future; those changes are not included until the details are published. ## Common mistakes - **Counting 16 weeks for any mother.** Without the child being a citizen or 3 months of service it is 12 weeks. - **Assuming paternity is automatic.** An unmarried father does not qualify. - **Starting the 12 months the day after birth.** The birth date is day one. ## Related tools - [Annual leave calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/annual-leave-calculator) — your yearly leave. - [Prorated salary calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/prorated-salary-calculator) — pay for a part month. - [Notice period calculator](https://toolsg.com/en/notice-period-calculator) — resignation notice. ## Frequently asked questions **How long is maternity leave in Singapore?** 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave for a Singapore citizen child when the mother has worked for her employer for at least 3 continuous months before the birth. Otherwise 12 weeks under the Employment Act. **How long is paternity leave?** 4 weeks for children born on or after 1 April 2025. Before that it was 2 weeks, with another 2 weeks if the employer allowed. **How much shared parental leave is there?** 10 weeks for children born from 1 April 2026, and 6 weeks for children born from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Parents share it and take it within 12 months of the birth. **Who pays for maternity leave?** For a first or second child the employer pays the first 8 weeks and the Government reimburses the last 8. For a third child or later the Government pays all 16 weeks. **How much childcare leave do I get?** 6 days a year for each parent for a Singapore citizen child under 7, and 2 days of extended childcare leave for a child aged 7 to 12, to a total of 6 days. **Is this the final answer?** No. It is an estimate from MOM’s published rules. Your employer and MOM confirm what you can take. ## Sources - [MOM — Maternity leave eligibility and entitlement](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/maternity-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) — Weeks, who pays and caps. - [MOM — Paternity leave](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/paternity-leave) — Weeks and eligibility. - [MOM — Shared parental leave](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/shared-parental-leave) — 6 and 10 week entitlements and the 12-month window. - [MOM — Childcare leave](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/childcare-leave/eligibility-and-entitlement) — Days by child age and nationality. - [MOM — Extended childcare leave](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/childcare-leave/extended-childcare-leave) — Ages 7 to 12. - [MOM — Unpaid infant care leave](https://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/leave/unpaid-infant-care-leave) — Children under 2.