Taiwan parental leave: 10-day prenatal leave, childcare leave till age nine

Taiwan's Ministry of Labor wants new rules on maternity, prenatal and childrearing leave to take effect in early 2027, Labor Minister Hung Sun-han said in comments reported on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Under the ministry's latest version, women would get 10 working days of leave for prenatal check-ups on top of 12 weeks of maternity leave, and parents could take childrearing leave until their child turns nine, up from the seven years the ministry first proposed. The changes still need to pass the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan's parliament, where the parties are negotiating the bills.

Taiwan's birth rate has been falling, and the government has made family support a priority. In May 2026, President William Lai announced a package meant to make it easier for people to have and raise children. It proposed lengthening maternity leave from eight weeks to 12, replacing the existing flexible parental leave with a new childrearing leave, and doubling paternity leave from seven days to 14. The labour ministry's November comments show how that package has changed during talks with lawmakers: the age limit for childrearing leave has moved up twice, and prenatal check-up leave has grown.

For working women, the most practical change is the way prenatal leave links to maternity leave. Many pregnant employees use only part of their check-up leave before the birth. Under the proposal, the days left over would not be lost but would be added to the time off after delivery, giving new mothers a longer recovery period. Wider childrearing leave also recognises that care needs do not end when a child starts school. Allowing leave for school events means parents need not choose between a teacher meeting and a day's work.

The debate is not settled. The ministry says 12 weeks plus prenatal leave comes close to the international benchmark, while the two main opposition parties want 14 weeks of maternity leave on its own. The ministry also said on 2 November that some media reports suggesting it opposed a higher age limit for childrearing leave were wrong, and that it had repeatedly said it agreed to widen it. For families whose children are aged nine to 12, the ministry said it is planning incentive measures, but their details are still under discussion.

Peepals calculation: Twelve weeks of maternity leave is 50% more than the present eight weeks ((12 − 8) ÷ 8 = 0.5). Ten working days equal two working weeks, so 12 weeks of maternity leave plus prenatal leave adds up to about 14 weeks (12 + 2 = 14), which matches the figure the ministry compares with the ILO standard. Raising the childrearing-leave age limit from under seven to under nine adds two more years of a child's life in which a parent can use it (9 − 7 = 2). Our calculation from the reported figures.

Short-term: Nothing changes for workers yet. Employers and employees in Taiwan continue under the existing leave rules while the Legislative Yuan negotiates the amendments.

Long-term: If passed in this form, the rules would give pregnant employees more paid time around childbirth and let parents of primary-school children take leave for care and school duties.

Who is affected: Working women and men in Taiwan who are expecting a child or raising young children, and their employers.

What to watch next: The third reading of the leave amendments in the Legislative Yuan, which the ministry hopes will allow the rules to start in early 2027.

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