Maternity leave is an essential tool in Singapore that helps working mothers balance their responsibilities to their children and their jobs. With the 2025 amendments, it is more important than ever to understand your rights and entitlements. The Singaporean government offers paid leave benefits and employment protection to allow women the time they need to recover and form relationships with their newborns.
Many working women are still unclear, though, about their rights to resign, whether their employers must pay them, and what happens if they are on probation or work part-time. If you don’t know where to start, these details may often seem overwhelming.
This site will make all of the information you require regarding maternity leave in Singapore in 2025 simple to comprehend. As a parent or employer, you’ll find clear responses to the questions that matter most to you, from eligibility requirements to benefits and protections.
Table of Contents
Who Can Take Singapore’s Maternity Care Leave?
If an employee satisfies the following criteria, they are eligible for paid maternity leave under the Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML) program:
- The child is a citizen of Singapore.
- The infant is born on or after January 1, 2017, or has an anticipated delivery date (EDD).
- The father of the kid and the employee are legally wed.
For at least three months prior to the child’s birth, the worker was either employed by the company or worked for themselves.
How Many Days of Maternity Leave Can Employees Take?
Depending on the child’s citizenship in Singapore and other factors, working women will be eligible for either 12 or 16 weeks of maternity leave.
Working Mothers with Jobs:
Employed moms who have worked for their company continuously for at least three months prior to the birth of their child are eligible for 16 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Self-employed Mothers at Work:
Mothers who work for themselves and have been employed for at least three months in a row and have lost income during the maternity leave period are entitled to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Workers on Probation:
As long as they have been employed by their company for at least three months prior to the birth of their child, they are entitled to maternity leave.
Part-time, contract, or temporary workers:
Additionally, if they fulfill the requirements, they will be entitled to maternity leave. They will get payment at the gross rate for each day they would have been required to work under their contract.
To determine your eligibility and entitlement to a 12-week maternity leave.
Note: Before taking maternity leave, workers must notify their employer at least one week in advance and notify them as soon as feasible of the impending birth. If not, they are only eligible for half of their pay while on maternity leave, provided they have a valid excuse for not providing notice.
What the Employer Must Do?
When an employee is on maternity leave, the employer has the following duties:
During the leave, the business will continue to pay the worker’s regular monthly compensation. After that, workers can submit a claim for government reimbursement under the GPML program:
| Births | Paid by Employer | Reimbursed by the Government |
|---|---|---|
| First and second | First 8 weeks | Last 8 weeks |
| Third and subsequent | — | All 16 weeks |
- If your migrant employee is pregnant, the employer must tell MOM.
- During the first four weeks of an employee’s confinement, the employer is not permitted to ask her to work.
- Employers who fire a worker while she is on maternity leave are breaking the law.
Maternity Leave under Particular Circumstances
As previously stated, some circumstances or requirements, such as the delivery of twins, a single mother, or an early birth, may impact the eligibility for maternity leave.
This is a list of maternity leave entitlements under particular conditions.
The child is not a citizen of Singapore:
If the employee meets the requirements and is covered by the Employment Act, they are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave if the child is not a citizen of Singapore.
When the employee gives birth, they are not eligible for government-paid maternity leave (GPML):
If they fulfill the requirements within a year of the child’s birth, they may still be eligible for maternity leave even if they are not married to the child’s father or the child is not a Singaporean citizen at the time of delivery.
Additionally, in order to be eligible for maternity leave, they must have worked for their company for at least three months.
Here:
- The day they fulfill all the requirements will mark their eligibility for the remaining maternity leave.
- They have till the child’s 12th month to use up the remaining maternity leave.
- The maternity leave that has expired will not be available to them.
Permanent Residents or Foreign Workers in Singapore
- If they are protected by the Employment Act and have worked for the company for at least three months, they are entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave, regardless of their country.
- If their child is a citizen of Singapore and they match the requirements, they can be eligible for 16 weeks of maternity leave.
Mothers who are single or unmarried:
If they fit the requirements, they can take up to 16 weeks of maternity leave.
The twins’ birth:
It will be considered a single delivery if an employee gives birth to twins or triplets. Double maternity benefits won’t be given to them.
Birth Too Soon:
Maternity leave for premature babies should begin on the child’s birthdate, or earlier if both parties agree, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.
Death by Stillbirth:
Employees who have a stillborn kid or a child who passes away soon after birth are entitled to complete maternity leave.
For the subsequent delivery, the stillbirth will be considered for maternity leave payments if they satisfy the GMPL eligibility requirements. If not, the stillbirth will not be taken into account for calculating their eligibility for payments related to maternity leave for the subsequent delivery.
Infertility or Abortion:
An employee can take sick leave to recuperate if they are still employed. They are not, however, qualified for maternity leave.
While on maternity leave, getting sick:
A worker who is on maternity leave will not be eligible for paid sick leave.
SPL, or shared parental leave:
Working moms who are eligible for the GPML program may divide some of their leave payments with their spouses under the Shared Parental Leave (SPL) program.
- Present Regulation till March 31, 2025
A mother and her husband may take a maximum of four weeks of maternity leave together.
- A new policy that goes into effect on April 1, 2025
Both parents take a six-week vacation.
- A new policy that will take effect on April 1, 2026
Ten weeks split between the two parents.
Both parents automatically receive an equal part of the leaves under the two new SPL regulations.
After the kid is born, parents have four weeks to modify the allocation.
Methods for Requesting or Using Maternity Leave
Go to the Government-Paid Leave (GPL) Portal for guidance on submitting leave requests or filing reimbursement claims.
Important notes about maternity leave in Singapore are as follows:
- Maternity leave may begin for employees four weeks before to the due date and no later than that date. You have to take all of your maternity leave within a year of the child’s birthdate.
- One continuous block of time, including weekends and public holidays, is required for the first eight weeks of maternity leave. A mutual agreement between the employer and the employee allows for flexible use of the last eight weeks.
- When an employee quits their job, they cannot use their maternity leave to make up the notice period.
- The use of the leave is also subject to limitations. Employees cannot, for example, pay their unused leave or transfer their leave to their spouse.
Conclusion:
Understanding maternity leave in Singapore 2025 is essential for both employees and employers. With updated benefits and rights, working mothers are assured of paid leave, job protection, and the time needed to focus on their newborns without career worries. Employers also gain clarity in managing workforce needs while supporting a family-friendly workplace. By staying informed, both parties can ensure compliance with regulations and build a healthier work environment. At DigiSME, we help businesses simplify HR and leave management, making processes smoother and stress-free for everyone. Empower your workforce with the right HR solutions today.
Frequently Asked Questions
In 2025, eligible working mothers in Singapore are entitled to 16 weeks of paid maternity leave if their child is a Singapore citizen. This allows mothers enough time to recover, bond with their newborn, and transition smoothly back to work.
To qualify for maternity leave, a mother must have worked for her employer for at least 3 continuous months before the birth, and her child must be a Singapore citizen. Even contract and part-time employees are eligible if these conditions are met.
Yes, mothers can transfer up to 4 weeks of maternity leave to fathers under the Shared Parental Leave scheme, provided the father meets eligibility requirements. This helps families share caregiving responsibilities more effectively.