Paternity leave: 4 weeks for a citizen child, none by law otherwise
Since 1 April 2025 fathers of a Singapore citizen child get 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave, and it is an entitlement now rather than something the employer may allow. Checked against mom.gov.sg on 22 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- People who have a partner going through it with them and are employed
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this usually between week 20 and week 22 of the pregnancy
- Official source
- mom.gov.sg
- Last checked
- 22 September 2026
What else to know
There is a rule that catches people out: from 1 April 2025 you must give your employer 4 weeks' notice before going on the leave, unless the employer agrees to a shorter period. On top of that, Shared Parental Leave is 6 weeks for a child born between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, and 10 weeks for a child born from 1 April 2026, shared between the parents — LifeSG allocates half to each by default and you change the split there. The same 4 weeks' notice applies to it. None of this applies when the baby is not a citizen: there is no statutory paternity leave under the Employment Act, so whatever your partner gets is down to the employment contract or the company's policy. Ask early, in writing, and check whether the company offers something of its own — many multinationals do. One exception worth knowing: if the child becomes a Singapore citizen within 12 months of the birth, government-paid paternity leave and shared parental leave can apply from then, so a citizenship application in the first year changes this answer.
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