Benefits for having a baby in Hong Kong 2026: Newborn Baby Bonus, child allowance, maternity leave and paternity leave

How much is the Newborn Baby Bonus, and who can apply?

HK$20,000 per baby, HK$30,000 from the second child: the Government announced in the 2023 Policy Address a HK$20,000 Newborn Baby Bonus for eligible parents for each baby born on or after 25 October 2023, for a period of three years (25 October 2023 to 24 October 2026); the eligibility is that the baby is born in Hong Kong during the period, and at least one parent is a Hong Kong permanent resident when the application is submitted (Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, September 2026).

In the Policy Address on 16 September 2026, the Chief Executive announced that the scheme would be extended by three years to 24 October 2029, and that the bonus for a second (or subsequent) child born in Hong Kong on or after 16 September 2026 would be raised by HK$10,000 to HK$30,000.

The funding needed for the extended scheme is still to be approved by the Legislative Council Finance Committee, and the target is to pay the bonus within three weeks for 90% of eligible applications (Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, September 2026).

How do I apply for the Newborn Baby Bonus?

Apply when registering the birth: the application must be submitted and the bonus collected by the father or mother in person; you should apply when registering the birth within 42 days of the baby's birth, or otherwise submit the application within 6 calendar months counting from the day of birth (Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, September 2026).

You can apply in person at a births registry or through the Immigration Department's online birth registration system (you must be an ‘iAM Smart+’ user); you must provide a local Hong Kong dollar bank account opened in the father's or mother's own name and a mobile phone number that can receive local SMS messages, and to claim HK$30,000 you must also give the name, sex and date of birth of the first or older child born in Hong Kong.

For enquiries about the bonus application, call the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office on 2810 3568.

Can I claim more tax deductions after having a baby?

The child allowance has been raised: the 2026-27 Budget raised the child allowance (for each of the first to ninth children) and the additional child allowance from HK$130,000 to HK$140,000, from the year of assessment 2026/27; the legislation was gazetted on 22 May 2026 (Inland Revenue Department).

The 2026 Policy Address also proposes that, for a second or subsequent child born on or after 16 September 2026, the child allowance be raised from HK$140,000 to HK$160,000, and the additional child allowance for the first two years after birth also be raised from HK$140,000 to HK$160,000, from the year of assessment 2026/27; it also proposes that families with a child born in Hong Kong on or after 16 September 2026, where the father or mother is a Hong Kong permanent resident, who buy a residential property in the year before or within two years after the birth, can get stamp duty relief of up to HK$20,000; these proposals require legislative amendments before they take effect (Inland Revenue Department).

How long is maternity leave, and is it paid?

14 weeks, paid if conditions are met: a female employee employed under a continuous contract immediately before the start of maternity leave, who has notified her employer of the pregnancy and her intention to take maternity leave, is entitled to 14 continuous weeks of maternity leave; if she is ill or unable to work because of the pregnancy or confinement, she can take up to 4 additional weeks of leave (Labour Department, A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance, December 2025).

An employee who has been employed under a continuous contract for 40 weeks or more immediately before the start of maternity leave, and meets the notification requirement, is entitled to 14 weeks of paid maternity leave; the daily maternity leave pay is four-fifths of the average daily wages in the 12 months before the first day of maternity leave; maternity leave pay for the 11th to 14th weeks is capped at HK$80,000, and the employer can apply to the Government for reimbursement after paying it (Labour Department, A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance, December 2025).

An employer must not dismiss an employee employed under a continuous contract who has given notice of pregnancy, from the date the pregnancy is confirmed by a medical certificate to the date she is due to return to work at the end of maternity leave (except in cases such as serious misconduct, or during probation for reasons other than pregnancy); an employer who breaches this is liable on conviction to a fine of up to HK$100,000 (Labour Department, A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance, December 2025).

For how absence for antenatal check-ups is counted as sick leave, see Sick leave certificate.

Do fathers get paternity leave?

Yes, 5 days: a male employee who is the father of a newborn child or of a child about to be born, employed under a continuous contract and notifying the employer as required, is entitled to 5 days' paternity leave for each confinement of his spouse/partner, which can be taken from 4 weeks before the expected date of birth to 14 weeks after the date of birth, either all at once or on separate days (Labour Department, A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance, December 2025).

An employee who has been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 40 weeks immediately before the leave and provides the required documents within the time limit (for example the baby's birth certificate) receives paternity leave pay at four-fifths of the average daily wages (Labour Department, A Concise Guide to the Employment Ordinance, December 2025).

For private hospital maternity package fees, see Private hospital maternity package fees; for public hospital charges, see Public healthcare fee reform 2026.

Frequently asked questions