Paternity Leave

As of the 1st January 2017, working Fathers, including those who are self-employed, are entitled to four weeks Government-paid paternity leave_,_ if they meet the following three requirements:

  1. The child is a Singapore citizen who was born on or after 1 May 2013;
  2. The employee is or was lawfully married to the child’s mother between conception and birth; and
  3. The employee has served his employer for a continuous duration of at least three calendar months immediately preceding the child’s birth OR the father is self-employed, has engaged in the particular business for at least three continuous calendar months prior to the birth of the child and has lost income as a result of not engaging in such business during the paternity leave period.

The leave must be taken within 16 weeks of the child’s birth; however, by agreement with the employer, it can also be taken flexibly over the 12 months following the child’s birth.

Adoptive fathers are also eligible for paternity leave, provided they meet the following six criteria:

  1. The child is under 12 months of age;
  2. The child or at least one adoptive parent is a Singapore citizen;
  3. The parents are legally married at the point of the ‘formal intent to adopt’*;
  4. The adoptive father has served his employer or been self-employed in a particular business for a continuous period of at least three months prior to the point of ‘formal intent to adopt’;
  5. The Adoption Order is granted within one year of the point of ‘formal intent to adopt’ and the child obtains Singapore citizenship within 6 months of the granting of the order; and
  6. The father is an applicant to the adoption.

*Note: ‘formal intent to adopt’ refers to either the filing of the adoption petition to the Family Court, in the case where the child is a Singapore citizen; or the issuing of a document confirming approval of the application for the child’s Dependant’s Pass, in the case of non-Singapore citizen children. The one week of leave will be funded by the Government and is capped at $2,500, including CPF contributions.

For more information about paternity leave, please visit the MOM website.