Taipei: Taiwan will extend paid marriage leave for workers from eight to 14 days starting October 1, with foreign workers covered by the Labor Standards Act also eligible, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) announced. The change was proposed through amendments to the Regulations of Leave-Taking of Workers, and will undergo a seven-day public notice period, Huang Chi-ya, head of MOL's Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, explained at a news conference in Taipei.

According to Focus Taiwan, for the additional days from the ninth to the 14th day, employers are required by law to pay wages. However, after making the payments, they can apply to the government for subsidies. The new rules are expected to take effect on October 1 after the public notice period, with details of the wage subsidy to be announced concurrently.

Huang stated that the expanded leave would apply equally to Taiwanese and foreign nationals as long as they are covered by the Labor Standards Act. This includes foreign nationals working in Taiwan, such as white-collar workers and migrant workers in sectors like manufacturing. However, migrant domestic helpers and live-in caregivers will not be eligible, as they are not covered by the act.

Addressing questions on why foreign workers were included in the policy aimed at addressing Taiwan's low birth rate, Huang emphasized the consideration of basic human rights principles. The policy aims to ensure non-discriminatory labor laws for both local and foreign workers.

The measure is part of a broader family-support initiative announced in May, which includes plans to extend maternity and paternity leave. Data from the Ministry of the Interior indicated that Taiwan's total fertility rate dropped to 0.695 in 2025, one of the lowest worldwide, with the number of births falling for a tenth consecutive year to a record-low of 107,812.

The MOL specifies that workers can take paid marriage leave in the 10 days before registering their marriage if they provide relevant supporting documents, such as a wedding invitation. All 14 days of leave must be taken within two months and 20 days of registering a marriage, though this can be extended to a year at an employer's discretion.

Workers who registered their marriage before October 1 may also qualify for the expanded leave, provided their eligible leave period extends beyond that date and they have not used all eight days of their existing entitlement, as clarified by Huang.