Taiwan Extends Paid Marriage Leave to 14 Days
Monday, September 21, 2026214 words3 minutes705 reads
Taiwan’s longer paid marriage leave is part of a broader family-support policy announced in May. The government has also said it plans to extend maternity and paternity leave. The policy is linked to concern about Taiwan’s low birth rate, but the report does not say that more marriage leave will directly lead to more births.
The demographic context is serious. Ministry of the Interior data showed Taiwan’s total fertility rate fell to 0.695 in 2025. That is the average number of children a woman is expected to have over her lifetime. Births fell for a 10th straight year to a record-low 107,812.
The new rule also raises a question about equal treatment. Huang Chi-ya of the Ministry of Labor said the ministry considered basic human rights principles. Foreign nationals covered by the Labor Standards Act will receive the same 14 days as Taiwanese workers. However, domestic helpers and live-in caregivers remain outside that law and are not eligible.
The details matter. Employers will pay the additional six days first, then may apply for subsidies. Workers must use all 14 days within two months and 20 days of marriage registration, unless an employer allows up to one year. The policy has a clear benefit for eligible workers, but its wider demographic effect is still uncertain.
