Maternity Leave Singapore FAQ

The duration of maternity leave in Singapore depends on whether your child is a Singapore Citizen (SC), the child's birth order, and your employment status. Here is a clear summary:

The 16-week entitlement for SC babies consists of 8 weeks of standard leave under the Child Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA) and 8 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML). The full 16 weeks is commonly taken consecutively starting from delivery, though up to 4 weeks can be taken before the EDD. For 3rd and subsequent SC babies, the government funds all 16 weeks, not just the last 8.

For SC babies, your employer pays the first 8 weeks at your normal salary (no cap applies to employer's portion for weeks 1-8). The government then reimburses your employer for weeks 9 to 16, capped at $10,000 per 4-week block (i.e., a maximum of $20,000 total for the government-funded portion).

Your employer must pay you first for the full 16 weeks, then claim reimbursement from the government for their eligible portion. Employers claim reimbursement through the Government-Paid Leave (GPL) portal at mom.gov.sg. As an employee, you do not need to do anything extra — your employer handles the claim.

Payment during maternity leave is calculated based on your gross monthly salary including allowances, but excluding overtime and irregular payments. Your CPF contributions continue normally during paid maternity leave — both employer and employee portions are made as usual. See also: Baby Bonus and CDA guide for related financial benefits.

As an employed mother, you do not apply for GPML yourself. The process is handled between your employer and the government. Here is what you need to do:

For self-employed mothers with SC babies, you apply directly to the government for GPML. You must have made MediShield Life contributions and been self-employed for at least 3 months before delivery. Claims are submitted via the GPL portal on mom.gov.sg. Payment is based on your assessable income from the previous year (capped at $10,000 per 4-week period).

Fathers of Singapore Citizen babies are entitled to 2 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL). This applies whether the baby is the 1st or subsequent child. The baby must be a SC; PR and non-SC babies do not qualify for GPPL (though employers may still offer it voluntarily).

As of 2025, paternity leave is being progressively extended as part of Singapore's family-friendly policies. The government has been consulting on whether to increase it further. Always check MOM's website (mom.gov.sg) for the latest figures as these policies are updated periodically. Use the Maternity Leave Planner to map out your combined leave dates.

Yes. You may start maternity leave up to 4 weeks before your Estimated Delivery Date (EDD). The leave period officially starts when you choose to begin it (or on delivery, whichever is earlier).

If you begin leave before delivery and your baby is born later than expected, the pre-delivery weeks still count as part of your total leave entitlement. For example, if you start leave 3 weeks before EDD and deliver on your EDD, you have used 3 weeks of your 16 weeks, leaving 13 weeks post-birth.

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) allows employed mothers of SC babies to share up to 4 weeks of their maternity leave with the baby's father. The father must be married to the mother and must himself be employed (and have worked for his employer for at least 3 months).

Under the 2025 framework, mothers of SC babies get 16 weeks of maternity leave. Up to 4 weeks of those 16 weeks can be transferred to the father via SPL. This is in addition to the father's own 2 weeks of GPPL — meaning a father could take up to 6 weeks total (2 GPPL + 4 SPL).

SPL must be agreed between both parents and both employers. The mother notifies her employer of the transfer; the father notifies his employer of the additional leave. Both employers then claim government reimbursement. SPL is government-paid at the same capped rate as GPML. Check mom.gov.sg for the most current SPL provisions as this area is actively being expanded.

Maternity leave under the Child Development Co-Savings Act (CDCA) is a statutory right — your employer cannot legally deny it if you meet the eligibility criteria. Additionally, dismissing an employee for being pregnant or for going on maternity leave is illegal in Singapore under the Employment Act and CDCA.

Employers who wrongfully dismiss a pregnant employee or refuse statutory maternity leave face penalties under the CDCA, including being required to pay back all maternity pay and potentially additional compensation. There is a legal presumption that a dismissal is wrongful if it occurs during or within 6 months after maternity leave unless the employer can prove the dismissal was for reasons unrelated to the pregnancy or maternity leave.

Self-employed mothers with SC babies can claim Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) directly from the government for the 8-week government-funded portion. The employer-paid 8 weeks does not apply (you have no employer), but you still get 8 weeks of government pay.

To qualify as a self-employed mother for GPML, you must:

• Have been engaged in a business, trade, profession, or vocation (self-employed) for at least 3 continuous months before delivery
• Have suffered income loss during the leave period (i.e., you stopped working to care for your baby)
• Have MediShield Life contributions (self-employed persons are covered by MediShield Life if they are Singapore citizens or PRs)

Payment for self-employed GPML is calculated based on your average monthly income from the previous 12 months (from your IRAS income tax assessment), capped at $2,500 per week. You apply directly via the GPL portal on mom.gov.sg. If your baby is not an SC, you are not entitled to any government-paid maternity leave as a self-employed mother.

CPF contributions continue normally during paid maternity leave. Since your maternity leave pay is treated as ordinary wages, both your employer's CPF contribution and your own employee CPF contribution are made based on your normal salary.

For the government-funded weeks (weeks 9-16 for SC babies), the government reimburses your employer for your gross pay. Your employer still makes the CPF contributions — the government reimbursement is calculated on a pre-CPF basis, meaning CPF is deducted from the government payment just as it would be from regular wages.

Your annual leave, medical leave, and other employment benefits also continue to accrue during paid maternity leave. Check with your HR on how annual leave accrual works during your maternity leave period, particularly if your organisation has a calendar-year or financial-year leave policy. For full financial planning, see the Family Finance hub.

The Baby Bonus Scheme is Singapore's cash incentive for having children, separate from (but complementary to) maternity leave. It has two components: the Baby Bonus Cash Gift and contributions to a Child Development Account (CDA).

The Baby Bonus must be applied for via LifeSG (the app) or the Baby Bonus Online portal within 12 months of your baby's birth. The cash gift is disbursed in tranches. The CDA is a special savings account at OCBC, DBS, or UOB where the government matches your deposits dollar-for-dollar up to the cap. CDA funds can be used at approved institutions including childcare centres, preschools, and medical expenses. See the full Baby Bonus FAQ for detailed application steps.