Time off matters. After settling into a new job in a new country, one of the first things you will want to understand is how much leave you get, how sick days work, and what happens when a public holiday falls on a weekend. Getting a clear picture of annual leave Singapore, and of the sick leave that sits alongside it, helps you plan trips home, recover properly when unwell, and avoid awkward misunderstandings with your employer. This guide explains how leave generally works here, how the legal minimums under the Employment Act relate to what your company offers, and the practical steps for applying. Figures and rules can change, so treat this as general information and confirm the current statutory position on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) website and the specifics in your own contract.
Coming from mainland China, you will recognise the idea of annual leave and sick leave, but the amounts, the way entitlements build up, and the role of the medical certificate are Singapore’s own. Knowing the local system means you can use your leave with confidence.
How Annual Leave Works and Grows
Annual leave is your paid holiday, the days you can take off for rest, travel or personal matters while still being paid. In Singapore, for employees covered by the Employment Act, there is a statutory minimum number of paid annual leave days once you have completed a qualifying period of service, and a common feature is that your entitlement increases with each year of service up to a cap. Because the exact figures are set in law and reviewed over time, we will not quote a number here; check the current minimum on MOM and, more importantly, read your own contract, since many employers offer more than the legal floor as part of a competitive package.
A few principles are worth holding on to:
- Annual leave generally starts accruing after you meet a minimum period of service, and part-years are often pro-rated.
- Your contractual entitlement may exceed the statutory minimum; the higher figure in your contract is what you actually enjoy.
- How leave is calculated during probation, and in your first partial year, should be spelled out in your KETs.
If your contract is silent or unclear, ask HR to confirm your entitlement in writing.
Sick Leave, Hospitalisation Leave and the MC
Sick leave lets you take paid time off to recover, and Singapore distinguishes two kinds: outpatient sick leave, for when you see a doctor but are not admitted, and hospitalisation leave, a larger allowance for when you are hospitalised or need extended recovery certified by a doctor. For covered employees who have served a qualifying period, the Employment Act sets minimum entitlements for both, and again the precise day counts are on MOM rather than something to guess.
The golden rule of sick leave here is the medical certificate, or MC. To claim paid sick leave, you generally need an MC issued by a registered medical practitioner, and you should inform your employer as soon as you can, usually within a set window and following your company’s notification process. A message to your manager plus the MC is the norm. Keep your MCs, since they are your proof.
Coming from China, think of the MC as the local 病假条, but note that only a registered doctor here can issue one, and self-certified sick days are not the usual practice. If you fall ill, seeing a GP promptly both gets you treated and gives you the documentation you need.
Public Holidays and Other Statutory Leave
Singapore observes a set of gazetted public holidays covering the major festivals of its communities, from Chinese New Year to Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas and National Day. Covered employees are generally entitled to a paid day off on these, and there are established rules for what happens when a public holiday falls on your rest day or a non-working day, often resulting in a day off in lieu or an extra day’s pay. The official list of public holidays for the year is published by MOM.
Beyond annual and sick leave, several other forms of statutory leave exist, many tied to family life and administered with support from agencies such as MOM and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. In general terms these can include maternity leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, adoption leave, and childcare or infant care leave, each with its own eligibility conditions relating to the child’s status and your period of service. Because eligibility and durations are precisely defined and periodically enhanced, confirm what you qualify for on the official government channels rather than relying on hearsay.
Carrying Forward, Encashment and Applying for Leave
What happens to leave you do not use? This depends on both the law and your company policy. Commonly, unused annual leave may be carried forward to the next year up to a limit, or forfeited beyond that, and in some cases it may be encashed, meaning paid out, particularly when you leave a job. Your contract or staff handbook should state your employer’s specific rules on carry-forward and encashment, so read them and plan your leave through the year rather than leaving a pile of days to expire.
Applying for leave is usually straightforward. Most companies use an HR system or app where you submit a request for approval in advance, and it is courteous and sensible to give reasonable notice for annual leave, especially around popular periods like Chinese New Year. For sick leave, the process is different: you notify first, then submit your MC.
The table below summarises the common leave types and what to keep in mind. Treat entitlement details as general and verify the current specifics with MOM and your contract.
| Leave type | General entitlement and notes |
|---|---|
| Annual leave | Statutory minimum for covered staff, often grows with service; contract may give more |
| Outpatient sick leave | Paid time to recover, needs an MC; minimum set by the Employment Act |
| Hospitalisation leave | Larger allowance for hospitalisation or certified recovery |
| Public holidays | Paid day off for gazetted holidays; rules apply if it falls on a rest day |
| Maternity or paternity leave | For eligible parents; conditions on child’s status and service apply |
| Childcare or infant care leave | For eligible parents of young children; check current rules |
A closing tip: keep your own simple record of leave taken and days remaining, and reconcile it against your HR system now and then. Being new, you may not yet have the instinct for local norms, so when in doubt, ask HR and rely on the official MOM guidance rather than what a colleague half-remembers.
Explore More
Your leave entitlements live inside your wider agreement, so read them alongside our guide to understanding your employment contract in Singapore, which shows where leave, notice and probation clauses sit and what to check before signing. And once you have the time-off picture, our explainer on bonuses and 13th month pay in Singapore rounds out the money side of your package.