Paternity leave: four 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 from April 2026 a further 10 weeks of Shared Parental Leave can be split between the parents. 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. Checked against profamilyleave.msf.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
- profamilyleave.msf.gov.sg
- Last checked
- 22 September 2026
What else to know
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.
Work out your own dates — free, nothing leaves your device