Maternity Leave Singapore for Foreigners: What Applies When Your Child Is Not a Singapore Citizen

Short answer: Maternity leave Singapore for foreigners turns on the child’s citizenship, not the mother’s nationality. If the child is not a Singapore citizen, a covered employee gets 12 weeks under the Employment Act, not the 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave. Government-paid paternity and shared parental leave also need a citizen child.

This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. For matters needing legal advice, we work with a panel of experienced Singapore law firms.

Is maternity leave in Singapore for foreigners the same as for citizens?

Not always. Nationality does not decide your leave, but your child’s citizenship does, so a permanent resident (PR) mother whose baby is not a citizen is on the second track below. Per MOM, as at 9 November 2026, foreign employees are eligible for maternity leave as long as they meet the eligibility criteria, and the Employment Act covers local and foreign employees alike.

There are two tracks. If your child is a Singapore citizen and you have worked for your employer for at least 3 continuous months before the birth, you get 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave (GPML). If your child is not a citizen, you fall back on the Employment Act, which gives 12 weeks. Our maternity leave compliance checklist covers the general employer steps.

How much maternity leave do you get when the child is not a Singapore citizen?

You get 12 weeks of maternity leave under Part 9 of the Employment Act, provided you are covered by the Act and have served your employer for a continuous period of at least 3 months immediately before the birth. This is the position on MOM’s maternity leave eligibility and entitlement page, last updated 24 August 2026.

Your employer must pay your usual monthly salary for the first 8 weeks if all of these apply:

• You have served your employer for at least 3 continuous months before the birth.
• You have fewer than 2 living children of your own at the time of delivery.
• You have given at least 1 week’s notice before going on leave, and told your employer of the delivery as soon as possible. Without this, you are only entitled to half the payment, unless you have a good enough reason.

The last 4 weeks are unpaid by default. Whether you are paid for them depends on your employment contract. MOM’s page sets out government reimbursement only under the GPML scheme, which is tied to a citizen child, so plan on the employer bearing the cost of the paid weeks and check with MOM if in doubt.

The Employment Act does not cover everyone. Per MOM, it does not apply to seafarers, domestic workers, and statutory board employees or civil servants. If you are in one of those groups, your leave follows your employment contract.

How do the leave entitlements differ when the child is a citizen and when the child is not?

The gap is largest for paternity and shared parental leave, where the government-paid schemes fall away entirely for a non-citizen child. The table below sets the two cases side by side, using MOM pages read on 9 November 2026.

Item	Child is a Singapore citizen	Child is not a Singapore citizen
Maternity leave	16 weeks of GPML (3 months of service needed)	12 weeks under the Employment Act (3 months of service needed for paid weeks)
Who pays for maternity leave	Employer pays the first 8 weeks, and the Government reimburses the last 8 weeks for the first and second child, subject to caps. For the third and later child, the Government reimburses all 16 weeks, subject to caps	Employer pays the first 8 weeks if conditions are met. The last 4 weeks are unpaid unless the contract says otherwise
Paternity leave	4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave for children born on or after 1 April 2025, if the father meets the marriage and service conditions	No government-paid paternity leave. Check whether your employer provides company-paid paternity leave
Shared parental leave	10 weeks for children born from 1 April 2026 (6 weeks for births from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026)	Not available under the scheme. MOM points to the Shared Parental Leave Benefit scheme for parents who do not qualify, so check with MSF
Notice to employer	4 weeks for GPML, GPPL and shared parental leave	1 week for the Employment Act paid maternity weeks
Baby’s immigration status	Citizen, no pass needed	Special Pass for 42 days, then a Dependant’s Pass or other pass

The employer reimbursement caps for the government schemes are S$10,000 per 4 weeks of GPML (S$20,000 per child for the first and second child, S$40,000 for the third and later child), S$2,500 per week for shared parental leave, and S$2,500 per week or S$10,000 in total for paternity leave. MOM’s maternity page also says that, in future, the Government will reimburse employers for the full duration of maternity leave for parents of Singapore citizen children, up to the limit, with the start date and criteria to be announced later. Check MOM for the current position before you rely on it. Because the Employment Act sets only a floor, settle in the contract the pay for the last 4 weeks of maternity leave and any company-paid paternity leave.

Can a foreign father take paternity leave in Singapore?

A foreign father or a PR father can take Government-Paid Paternity Leave only if the child is a Singapore citizen and he meets the other criteria. MOM’s FAQ for PRs and foreigners says exactly this, and adds that where the child is not a citizen, he should check whether the employer provides company-paid paternity leave.

For a citizen child born on or after 1 April 2025, the criteria on MOM’s paternity leave page (last updated 5 February 2026) are:

• The child is a Singapore citizen.
• The father is or had been lawfully married to the child’s mother between conception and birth, or within 12 months from the child’s date of birth.
• He has served his employer for a continuous period of at least 3 months before the birth.

The entitlement is 4 weeks, with 4 weeks’ notice to the employer unless the employer agrees to shorter notice. By default the 4 weeks are taken continuously within 16 weeks after birth, and by mutual agreement they can be taken flexibly within 12 months. If the child is not a citizen, the Employment Act has no equivalent paid paternity entitlement on the MOM pages we read, so the position rests on the contract or company policy.

Does shared parental leave apply to foreign parents?

Only when the child is a Singapore citizen. MOM’s shared parental leave rules are covered in our separate guide, which explains the 10 weeks for children born from 1 April 2026 and how the weeks are split.

On MOM’s shared parental leave page (updated 13 August 2026), the tests are a Singapore citizen child plus 3 continuous months of service before the birth. A foreign parent of a citizen child can qualify. MOM adds that parents who do not meet the criteria may still qualify for benefits under the Shared Parental Leave Benefit scheme run by MSF. We have not verified the terms of that scheme, so check with MSF before planning around it.

What if the child becomes a Singapore citizen later?

If you meet the other criteria and your child becomes a Singapore citizen within 12 months of birth, you can take any remaining maternity leave, including the GPML. MOM gives the same rule for paternity leave.

MOM’s example: a child born on 10 August 2013 becomes a citizen on 10 February 2014. A mother who has taken 8 weeks or less can, if the company agrees, take 8 weeks of flexible leave between 10 February and 9 August 2014.

What protections apply to a foreign employee who is pregnant or on maternity leave?

The same protections apply to foreign and local employees who are covered by the Employment Act. MOM says that if you have served your employer for at least 3 months and are certified pregnant by a medical practitioner before receiving notice of dismissal or retrenchment, your employer must pay the maternity benefits you would have been eligible for if they dismiss you without sufficient cause or retrench you during pregnancy.

On MOM’s protections and obligations page (last updated 24 July 2025), MOM also says:

• It is an offence for an employer to dismiss an employee while she is on maternity leave.
• The employer must not ask an employee to work during the first 4 weeks of her confinement.

For work pass conditions during pregnancy, such as what happens to an S Pass, see our guide on an S Pass holder who is pregnant in Singapore.

What should you do about the baby’s pass when the child is not a citizen?

Register the birth, get the baby a passport, and apply for a pass within 6 weeks of birth. For the child of an eligible Employment Pass or S Pass holder, the employer applies for a Dependant’s Pass through the myMOM Portal. These steps follow MOM’s page on getting a Dependant’s Pass for a newborn, last updated 11 June 2025:

1. Register the birth with ICA within 14 calendar days. You receive the birth certificate and an ICA advisory note.
2. Note that ICA issues a child who is not a citizen at birth a Special Pass valid for 42 days.
3. Get a passport for the baby from your embassy or high commission.
4. Have your employer apply for the Dependant’s Pass online. MOM says most online cases get an outcome within 3 weeks.
5. If the passport is not ready, upload proof of the passport application. The pass can only be issued once the passport is ready.
6. If you need more time, request an extension of the Special Pass when the ICA advisory note is expiring within 7 days.

Delay beyond 42 days is an offence under the Immigration Act, per MOM. If the Dependant’s Pass is refused, the baby must leave before the Special Pass expires, unless you request an extension of stay from ICA. Our newborn pass timeline and Dependant’s Pass guide give more detail.

Frequently asked questions

Are foreigners eligible for maternity leave in Singapore?

Yes. MOM says foreigners are eligible as long as they meet the eligibility criteria. The length and pay depend on whether the child is a Singapore citizen and on your service and Employment Act coverage.

Does a PR mother get 16 weeks of maternity leave?

Only if the child is a Singapore citizen and she has served her employer for at least 3 continuous months before the birth. Her own PR status does not decide it. If the child is not a citizen, she gets 12 weeks under the Employment Act.

Is the Employment Act maternity leave for a non-citizen child paid?

Partly. The employer pays the first 8 weeks if the mother has served at least 3 continuous months, has fewer than 2 living children and gave at least 1 week’s notice. The last 4 weeks are unpaid unless the contract provides otherwise.

Can a foreign father get paternity leave for a baby who is not a Singapore citizen?

Not government-paid paternity leave. Eligibility depends on the child being a Singapore citizen. MOM tells the father to check whether the employer provides company-paid paternity leave.

How long do we have to get a pass for a newborn who is not a citizen?

The baby holds a Special Pass for 42 days from the date of birth. Apply for a Dependant’s Pass or another suitable pass within 6 weeks, and register the birth with ICA within 14 calendar days.

Planning a pregnancy or a birth while on a work pass? Contact Little Big Employment Agency for pass, PR and citizenship applications. Email [email protected] or Call/SMS/WhatsApp +65 8501 7133.

Last reviewed: 9 November 2026. The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency.