Key takeaways
- Annual leave starts at 7 days in the first year and rises by a day a year to 14 days.
- After 6 months of service, employees get 14 days of outpatient sick leave and up to 60 days of hospitalisation leave in total.
- Fathers get 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave. Shared parental leave rose to 10 weeks for babies born from 1 April 2026.
- Childcare leave will be redesigned, as announced at the 2026 National Day Rally. No start date has been set yet.
Annual leave
Employees covered by the Employment Act get paid annual leave after 3 months of service. It starts at 7 days and rises by one day for each year of service, up to 14 days:
| Year of service | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 and after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days of annual leave | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
Someone who has worked at least 3 months but less than a full year gets leave pro-rated for the months completed. Many employers give more than the minimum. That's fine, and HR systems handle it with tiered entitlement by grade and length of service.
Sick leave
Paid sick leave starts after 3 months of service and grows to the full entitlement at 6 months. Hospitalisation leave includes outpatient sick leave days.
| Months of service | Outpatient sick leave | Hospitalisation leave (total) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5 days | 15 days |
| 4 | 8 days | 30 days |
| 5 | 11 days | 45 days |
| 6 and after | 14 days | 60 days |
Source: Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
Childcare leave (current rules)
- Singapore Citizen child under 7: 6 days a year per parent. The employer pays the first 3 days, and the government reimburses the last 3, capped at $500 a day.
- Non-citizen child under 7: 2 days a year.
- Extended childcare leave: 2 days a year when the youngest Singapore Citizen child is 7 to 12.
The employee needs at least 3 months of service.
Coming change: at the 2026 National Day Rally, the government announced that childcare leave and extended childcare leave will merge into one scheme for citizen children aged 12 and below. It will give 8 days a year for one child, 10 for two and 12 for three or more, with the government reimbursing the full duration up to caps. No start date has been announced yet, so keep using the current rules until then.
Maternity leave
Mothers of a Singapore Citizen child get 16 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave after 3 months of service. For the first and second child, the employer pays the first 8 weeks and the government reimburses the last 8. From the third child, the government reimburses all 16 weeks. Mothers who don't qualify may still get 12 weeks under the Employment Act.
Paternity leave
For children born on or after 1 April 2025, fathers get 4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave, fully reimbursed by the government up to $2,500 a week. By default it's taken as 4 continuous weeks within 16 weeks of the birth. With the employer's agreement, it can be spread over 12 months, including as single days. Fathers should give 4 weeks' notice.
Shared parental leave
Parents of Singapore Citizen children can also share parental leave: 6 weeks for children born between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, and 10 weeks for children born from 1 April 2026.
Public holidays
Singapore has 10 gazetted public holidays a year, which add up to 11 days because Chinese New Year has two. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the next Monday is a holiday. In 2026, that happens for Vesak Day, National Day and Deepavali.
Tracking leave without spreadsheets
With entitlements depending on service length, the child's age and citizenship, and some leave reimbursed by the government, spreadsheets break easily. A leave management system that applies these rules, shows balances to staff and passes no-pay leave to payroll removes most of the errors.
HRKaki e-Services
Staff check balances and apply for leave on their phones, with Singpass login and two-level approval, and leave flows into payroll.
Frequently asked questions
How many days of annual leave are employees entitled to in Singapore?
7 days in the first year of service, rising by one day each year to 14 days from the eighth year, for employees covered by the Employment Act with at least 3 months of service.
How many days of sick leave do employees get?
After 6 months of service, 14 days of outpatient sick leave and up to 60 days of hospitalisation leave, which includes the 14 outpatient days.
How long is paternity leave in Singapore?
4 weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave for children born on or after 1 April 2025.
Has childcare leave changed in 2026?
Changes were announced at the 2026 National Day Rally, merging childcare and extended childcare leave into one scheme of 8 to 12 days. No start date has been announced, so the current 6-day rules still apply.
Sources
Information sourced from
Figures and rules in this article come from the official sources listed below, checked on 13 October 2026. Avelogic is not affiliated with these agencies. For the authoritative and latest position, refer to the agency directly.
- MOM: Annual leave eligibility and entitlement
- MOM: Sick leave eligibility and entitlement
- MOM: Childcare leave eligibility and entitlement
- population.gov.sg: Marriage and parenthood measures at National Day Rally 2026
- MOM: Maternity leave
- MOM: Paternity leave
- MOM: Shared parental leave
- MOM: Public holidays
This guide is general information based on official sources at the date shown, not legal or tax advice. Rules change, so check the CPF Board, IRAS, MOM or MOE for the latest position.