2026 Update: What Changed for Paternity & Parental Leave in Singapore?

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If you are an employer or HR professional in Singapore, parental leave rules have changed significantly from April 2025 onwards. This guide reflects the latest entitlements as of February 2026.

We will cover:

• Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL)

• Shared Parental Leave (SPL)

• Childcare Leave

• Eligibility requirements

• Employer payment and reimbursement rules

1. Government-Paid Paternity Leave (GPPL)

Eligible working fathers are entitled to: 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave

This applies to:

• Singapore citizen children born or adopted on or after 1 April 2025

This is an increase from the previous 2 weeks of paternity leave (yay!).

Who is eligible?

An employee must:

• Be legally married to the child’s mother

• Have worked for the employer for at least 3 continuous months before the child’s birth

• Have a Singapore citizen child

For self-employed fathers:

• Must have been engaged in work for at least 3 continuous months before birth

• Must suffer income loss during the leave period

How is it paid?

• Paid by the employer first

• Employer is reimbursed by the Government, subject to caps

The leave can be taken:

• Within 12 months from the child’s birth

• In blocks or flexibly, if agreed with the employer

Notice requirement

Employees must give at least 4 weeks’ notice, unless the employer agrees otherwise.

2. Shared Parental Leave (SPL) – New Scheme

Singapore introduced a new Shared Parental Leave scheme to give families more flexibility.

How many weeks are available?

For Singapore citizen children:

• Born or adopted between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026
  → 6 weeks of paid Shared Parental Leave

• Born or adopted on or after 1 April 2026
  → 10 weeks of paid Shared Parental Leave

This leave is shared between both parents.

How does it work?

• The leave pool belongs to both parents.

• Parents can decide how to allocate the weeks between them.

• The leave is paid and government-funded, subject to caps.

• It must be taken within 12 months of birth.

Why this matters for HR

This significantly increases the total parental leave available to families. When combined with maternity and paternity leave, total paid leave can exceed 30 weeks depending on allocation.

HR systems must:

• Track allocation between parents

• Capture declarations

• Manage government reimbursement claims

• Ensure notice periods are observed

3. Government-Paid Childcare Leave (GPCL)

This has not changed materially.

For parents of Singapore citizen children under 7:

• 6 days of paid childcare leave per year

Of the 6 days:

• First 3 days paid by employer

• Next 3 days reimbursed by Government (subject to caps)

For children aged 7 to 12 (Extended Childcare Leave):

• 2 days per year

• Fully government-paid (subject to caps)

Eligibility

Employee must:

• Have worked at least 3 continuous months

• Have a Singapore citizen child

Leave is pro-rated for part-year service.

4. A Quick Comparison Table

Leave Type	Entitlement	Paid By	Key Condition
Paternity Leave	4 weeks	Government funded (via employer reimbursement)	Legally married, 3 months service
Shared Parental Leave	6 weeks (Apr 2025–Mar 2026 births) / 10 weeks (Apr 2026 onwards)	Government funded	Shared between parents
Childcare Leave (<7 years)	6 days per year	3 employer + 3 government	Singapore citizen child
Extended Childcare (7–12 years)	2 days per year	Government	Singapore citizen child

5. Common HR Questions

Q: How many weeks of paternity leave in Singapore in 2026?

A: Eligible fathers receive 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave for Singapore citizen children born on or after 1 April 2025

Q: How many weeks of Shared Parental Leave in Singapore?

A: Parents can share 6 weeks (Apr 2025–Mar 2026 births) or 10 weeks (Apr 2026 onwards) of paid Shared Parental Leave.

Q: Can leave be taken flexibly?

A: Yes, subject to agreement with the employer.

Q: What if the employee does not give 4 weeks’ notice?

A: Employers may reject or adjust the leave schedule if proper notice is not given, unless there are valid reasons.

Q: Is there a salary cap?

A: Yes. Government reimbursement is capped per week. Employers should verify current caps via official MOM channels.

What Changed From Previous Years?

• Before April 2025, paternity leave was only 2 weeks. Now 4 weeks.

• The older Shared Maternity Leave scheme has now been replaced with the Shared Parental Leave scheme.