Deadlines after your baby is born in Singapore
ICA says every birth in Singapore must be registered on LifeSG within 42 days, and the fee is S$18. ICA also says you must download the digital birth certificate within 90 days of being notified.
Checked against official sources on 29 September 2026
Every deadline after the birth, in date order
Each line links to the agency that sets it. Most apply to a Singapore citizen baby. The rows for non-citizen babies say so.
| When | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Within 42 days of birth | Register the birth on LifeSG. The fee is S$18. This applies to every baby born in Singapore. | ICA |
| At birth registration (born before 1 April 2027) | Apply for the Baby Bonus Scheme as part of the same LifeSG registration. Parents must be lawfully married. | LifeSG (MSF) |
| Within 42 days of birth | If your baby is not a Singapore citizen, apply for a passport from your country's embassy or high commission. | ICA |
| Within 90 days of being notified | Download the digital birth certificate from ICA's e-Service. | ICA |
| Within 16 weeks of birth (12 months if the employer agrees) | Government-Paid Paternity Leave is taken in this window. | MOM |
| Within 12 months of birth | Shared Parental Leave is taken in this window. | MOM |
| Within 12 months of birth | The last 8 weeks of Government-Paid Maternity Leave can be spread over this time. | MOM |
| On or before the first birthday | Apply for a Singapore citizen baby's first passport with no fee (the usual online fee is S$70). | ICA |
| Before 1 April 2027 (born before then) | Link your child's PayNow ID to a bank account, not the Child Development Account. | LifeSG (MSF) |
| 30 September 2027 (born before 1 April 2027) | The old CDA matching caps end. All caps are S$5,000 from 1 October 2027. | LifeSG (MSF) |
Within 42 days: register the birth on LifeSG (S$18)
ICA says all births in Singapore must be registered on LifeSG within 42 days, whatever the parents' nationality or marital status. The fee is S$18 and late registration is an offence. Source: ICA
LifeSG says for a Singapore citizen child born in Singapore, the Baby Bonus application is part of birth registration on LifeSG. Parents must be lawfully married. LifeSG says enrolled children move to the SG Child Support Package automatically in April 2027. Source: LifeSG (MSF)
Made for Families says Singapore citizen babies born on or after 1 April 2025 get S$5,000 in their own MediSave account, credited within a week of birth registration with no application. MSF lists it as continuing alongside the new package. Source: MSF (Made for Families)
Within 90 days of being notified: download the birth certificate
ICA says once you are notified, you must download the child's digital birth certificate from ICA's e-Service within 90 days. Source: ICA
Baby not a Singapore citizen? Apply for a passport from your embassy within 42 days
ICA says if your child is not a Singapore citizen, you must apply for the child's passport from your country's embassy or high commission within 42 days of birth. Source: ICA
By the first birthday: the first passport is free for a citizen baby
ICA says newborn Singapore citizens pay no fee for their first passport if the application is made on or before the child's first birthday. The usual online fee is S$70 and a child's passport lasts 5 years. Source: ICA
Leave windows: paternity leave within 16 weeks by default, shared leave within 12 months
MOM says mothers get 16 weeks if the child is a Singapore citizen, starting up to 4 weeks before the birth. The first 8 weeks are taken in one block; the last 8 can be spread over 12 months. Government pays weeks 9 to 16 (all 16 from the third child), up to S$10,000 per 4 weeks. Source: MOM
MOM says fathers of Singapore citizen children born on or after 1 April 2025 get 4 weeks if married to the mother and employed for 3 months. By default it is taken within 16 weeks of birth, or within 12 months if the employer agrees. Pay is capped at S$2,500 a week. Source: MOM
MOM says parents of Singapore citizen children born from 1 April 2026 share 10 weeks, taken within 12 months of birth. Fathers must be married to the mother. Pay is capped at S$2,500 a week. Source: MOM
Maternity, paternity and shared leave: how to plan it between you
Born before 1 April 2027? Three fixed dates in 2027
- Before 1 April 2027 LifeSG says package payouts go to the bank account linked to the child's PayNow ID (NRIC or birth certificate number). It asks parents to set this up before 1 April 2027, and not to link it to the Child Development Account. Source: LifeSG (MSF)
- By 30 April 2027 LifeSG says children born from 14 February 2023 to 31 March 2027 keep getting Baby Bonus Cash Gift payouts until 31 March 2027. They then get a top-up by 30 April 2027 so their total cash reaches S$10,000, if they have received less. Source: LifeSG (MSF)
- 30 September 2027 LifeSG says children born from 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2027 keep their existing co-matching cap until 30 September 2027. All caps become S$5,000 from 1 October 2027, which is higher for a first child (S$4,000 now) and lower for later children. Source: LifeSG (MSF)
Born before or after 1 April 2027: what changes · The Child Development Account, explained
Not yet confirmed
These details were not published on the official pages when we checked them on 29 September 2026. We will update this page when they are.
- ICA does not say what happens if the digital birth certificate is not downloaded within 90 days. Source: ICA
- LifeSG gives no deadline to enrol in the Baby Bonus Scheme, apart from the child being 12 or below. Source: LifeSG (MSF)
- LifeSG has not yet said by when the PayNow link must be set up for babies born from April 2027. Source: LifeSG (MSF)
- LifeSG has not yet said what happens to matching already paid above S$5,000 before 1 October 2027. Source: LifeSG (MSF)
Sources
- ICA: Birth certificate
- ICA: Passport
- LifeSG (MSF): Baby Bonus Scheme
- MSF (Made for Families)
- MOM: Maternity leave
- MOM: Paternity leave
- MOM: Shared Parental Leave
- LifeSG (MSF): SG Child Support Package
Checked against official sources on 29 September 2026
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