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Made For Families

Government-Paid Paternity/Adoption Benefit

Find out about the cash benefits available to eligible working fathers and adoptive parents who do not qualify for Government-Paid Paternity Leave or Adoption Leave due to their employment arrangements.

Last updated on 21 October 2026
Family with children and newborn at home, surrounded by parenting and caregiving icons

Some working parents may not qualify for paternity or adoption leave due to their employment arrangements. For example, they may be on short-term employment contracts, or employment contracts that expired before the birth or adoption of their child. Government-Paid Paternity Benefit and Government-Paid Adoption Benefit are cash benefits given in lieu of paid leave to support this group of working fathers and adoptive parents.

Government-Paid Paternity Benefit for child born or adopted on or after 1 January 20241: Eligible working fathers can enjoy the equivalent of up to four weeks of Government-Paid Paternity Leave, based on the father's average income earned over the 12-month period preceding child's date of birth, or Formal Intent to Adopt* (for adoptive fathers).

Eligible parents may apply on the Government-Paid Leave Website (opens in new tab).

(Note 1: Fathers of children with Estimated Date of Delivery on/after 1 January 2024 but were born prematurely will also be eligible for the additional two weeks of GPPB.)

**Formal Intent to Adopt is:

  • For a Singapore Citizen child: the date on which an application to adopt is made to the Court; or

  • For a child who is not a Singapore Citizen: the date on which a Dependant’s Pass was issued by The Ministry of Social and Family Development in respect of the child, or a document indicating the application for the Dependant’s Pass has been approved.

You are eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Benefit if you meet all the following criteria:

  1. Your child is a Singapore Citizen, even if you or your wife is not a Singapore Citizen.

    • If your child is not a Singapore Citizen at birth, you can be eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Benefit if your child obtains Singapore Citizenship within 12 months from your child’s date of birth.

  2. You have been in employment or self-employment for at least 90 days in the 12 months before your child's date of birth.

  3. You are/were lawfully married to your child's mother at some point between conception and birth.

    • If you do not meet this, you can be eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Benefit if you are legally married to the child’s mother within 12 months from your child's date of birth.

  4. You do not qualify for the Government-Paid Paternity Leave scheme.

If you are an adoptive father^, you are eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Benefit if you meet all the following criteria:

  1. Your child is below 12 months old on your Formal Intent to Adopt date.

  2. Your child is a Singapore Citizen.

    • If your child is not a Singapore Citizen, at least one of the adoptive parents must be a Singapore Citizen on your Formal Intent to Adopt date.

  3. You have been in employment or self-employment for at least 90 days in the 12 months before your Formal Intent to Adopt date.

  4. You are not the biological father of the child.

  5. You do not qualify for the Government-Paid Paternity Leave scheme.

You are eligible for Government-Paid Adoption Benefit^ if you meet all the following criteria:

  1. You are not the biological mother of the child.

  2. Your Formal Intent to Adopt date is on or after 1 January 2021.

  3. Your child is below 12 months old on your Formal Intent to Adopt date.

  4. You have been in employment or self-employment for a total of at least 90 days in the 12 months preceding your Formal Intent to Adopt date.

  5. Your child is a Singapore Citizen.

    • If your child is not a Singapore Citizen, at least one of the adoptive parents must be a Singapore Citizen on your Formal Intent to Adopt date.

  6. You do not qualify for the Adoption Leave scheme.

    • ^ For adoptive parents, Government-Paid Paternity Benefit/Government-Paid Adoption Benefit payment will be recovered if:

      1. Adoption Order for the child is not granted within 12 months from the Formal Intent to Adopt date; or  

      2. If the child is not a Singapore Citizen, the child did not obtain Singapore Citizenship within six months from the Adoption Order date. 

If you are eligible, you may apply on profamilyleave.msf.gov.sg (opens in new tab).

[New] Shared Parental Leave Benefit (SPB) scheme for parents with children born on or adopted, on or after 1 April 2025: In conjunction with the new SPL scheme, a new SPB scheme will be introduced to support working parents with irregular employment arrangements (e.g. short-term contract workers). Eligible parents will be able to claim reimbursement from the Government for time taken off work to care for their infants. Parents eligible for SPB will be allocated three weeks of SPB by default from 1 April 2025, and five weeks by default from 1 April 2026. They will similarly have the flexibility to share the leave entitlement with their spouses. For more information, please visit the Pro-Family Leave website (opens in new tab).

FAQs

1. Do non-Singaporeans qualify for Government-Paid Paternity Benefit/Government-Paid Adoption Benefit?

While the Government-Paid Paternity Benefit/Government-Paid Adoption Benefit schemes aim to support Singaporeans on their parenting journey, non-Singaporean parents whose children are Singapore Citizens, and who meet the other eligibility criteria, will be able to qualify for it too.

2. What is the difference between Government-Paid Paternity Leave and Government-Paid Paternity Benefit?

Government-Paid Paternity Leave is granted to fathers who have been in employment or self-employment for at least three continuous months immediately preceding their child’s date of birth. Eligible father will receive two weeks of paternity leave.

Government-Paid Paternity Benefit is granted to economically active fathers who have not worked for an employer, or were not self-employed, for at least three continuous months immediately preceding the child’s date of birth, or Formal Intent to Adopt date (for adoptive fathers). The benefit will be granted if fathers have worked a total of 90 days in the 12 months preceding the child’s date of birth, or Formal Intent to Adopt date (for adoptive fathers), considering the possibility that employment contracts in this period may not be continuous. 

3. What is the difference between Adoption Leave for Mothers and Government-Paid Adoption Benefit?

Adoption Leave is granted to mothers who have been in employment or self-employment for at least three continuous months immediately preceding the Formal Intent to Adopt a child. Eligible mothers will receive 12 weeks of adoption leave.

Government-Paid Adoption Benefit is granted to economically active mothers who have not worked for an employer, or were not self-employed, for at least three continuous months immediately preceding the Formal Intent to Adopt a child. The benefit will be granted if adoptive mothers have worked a total of 90 days in the 12 months preceding the Formal Intent to Adopt a child, considering the possibility that employment contracts in this period may not be continuous. 

4. What can be included as income for Government-Paid Paternity Benefit and Government-Paid Adoption Benefit computations?

For employees, the gross rate of pay (stated in the contract of service) from employment in Singapore, over the 12 months preceding the birth or Formal Intent to Adopt of the child can be included for Government-Paid Adoption Benefit/Government-Paid Paternity Benefit computations.  It includes employer CPF contributions but excludes overtime payments, bonuses/annual wage supplements, reimbursement of expenses, productive incentive payments and travelling/food/housing allowances.

For the self-employed, the trade income (stated in the Notice of Assessment), over the 12 months preceding the birth or Formal Intent to Adopt the child, can be used for Government-Paid Adoption Benefit/Government-Paid Paternity Benefit computations.

Both trade income and income earned under the contract of service can be combined for Government-Paid Adoption Benefit/Government-Paid Paternity Benefit computations.

5. If parents are eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Leave or Adoption Leave for Mothers, can they choose not to take the leave, and opt to get Government-Paid Paternity Benefit or Government-Paid Adoption Benefit in lieu of unconsumed leave?

Parents who are eligible for Government-Paid Paternity Leave or Adoption Leave for Mothers, but who choose not to consume the leave, will forfeit all unconsumed leave. They will not be able to claim Government-Paid Paternity Benefit or Government-Paid Adoption Benefit in lieu of unconsumed leave. Parents are encouraged to use their leave entitlements to care for and bond with their children.