October 2026
Taiwan Ministry of Labor Amends Regulations of Leave-Taking by Workers: Marriage Leave Extended to 14 Days
On September 30, 2026, the Ministry of Labor (the “MOL”) amended and promulgated Articles 2 and 12 of the Regulations of Leave-Taking by Workers, increasing workers’ entitlement to marriage leave from 8 to 14 days with full pay (the “New Marriage Leave Scheme”). The New Marriage Leave Scheme took effect on October 1, 2026.
The existing rules governing the period within which marriage leave must be taken and the units in which it may be taken remain unchanged. Under the MOL’s interpretation, workers must, in principle, take all their marriage leave within a three-month period beginning 10 days before the date of marriage registration. With the employer’s consent, this period may be extended to one year (the “Marriage Leave Window”) (MOL Order Lao-Dong-Tiao-3-Zi No. 1040130270). Employers and employees may also agree that marriage leave may be taken in days or hours. For a business entity operating a five-day workweek, the marriage leave entitlement may be calculated in hours by multiplying 8 hours per day by 14 days (Council of Labor Affairs Letter of 1993 Tai-Lao-Dong-2-Zi No. 04653).
For employees who registered their marriage before the New Marriage Leave Scheme took effect, the MOL has clarified whether the increased marriage leave entitlement applies as follows [1] :
1. Employees who have not exhausted their original 8 days of marriage leave and whose Marriage Leave Window has not expired are eligible for the New Marriage Leave Scheme.
2. Employees who have already taken all 8 days of marriage leave are not eligible for the New Marriage Leave Scheme, as they have fully exercised their entitlement to marriage leave.
3. Employees who have not taken any marriage leave but whose Marriage Leave Window has expired are not eligible for the New Marriage Leave Scheme.
To alleviate the additional wage costs borne by employers under the New Marriage Leave Scheme, the Guidelines on Wage Subsidies for Marriage, Pregnancy and Childbirth Leave in Childcare-Friendly Workplaces (the “Wage Subsidy Guidelines”) provide that in respect of wages for the 9th through 14th days of marriage leave, employers may, after paying such wages, apply to the Bureau of Labor Insurance (the “BLI”) for a wage subsidy (Point 4 of the Wage Subsidy Guidelines). The applications must be submitted within two years after the employer pays the employee the aforementioned wage. The BLI will not grant subsidies for applications submitted after this deadline (Point 7 of the Wage Subsidy Guidelines).
As marriage leave is a statutory right, employers must grant such leave in accordance with the law once employees submit the supporting documents for the leaves. Employers who fail to comply may be subject to an administrative fine ranging from NT$20,000 to NT$1,000,000. The competent authority will also publicly disclose the name of the business entity or business owner, the name of the person in charge, the date of the disposition, the provisions violated, and the amount of the fine, and order the employer to rectify the violation within a specified period (Article 79, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 3 and Article 80-1, Paragraph 1 of the Labor Standards Act). Employers are advised to review and update their work rules, leave policies, and marriage leave settings in their human resources systems. For employees who registered their marriage before the New Marriage Leave Scheme took effect, employers should also verify the number of marriage leave days already taken and the applicable Marriage Leave Window to ensure proper application of the new requirements.
[1] Ministry of Labor. (2026, October 2). Taiwan’s new population strategy—Family support: Q&A on the new marriage leave scheme. https://www.mol.gov.tw/1607/28162/28166/90735/99106/post (last accessed October 16, 2026).
The existing rules governing the period within which marriage leave must be taken and the units in which it may be taken remain unchanged. Under the MOL’s interpretation, workers must, in principle, take all their marriage leave within a three-month period beginning 10 days before the date of marriage registration. With the employer’s consent, this period may be extended to one year (the “Marriage Leave Window”) (MOL Order Lao-Dong-Tiao-3-Zi No. 1040130270). Employers and employees may also agree that marriage leave may be taken in days or hours. For a business entity operating a five-day workweek, the marriage leave entitlement may be calculated in hours by multiplying 8 hours per day by 14 days (Council of Labor Affairs Letter of 1993 Tai-Lao-Dong-2-Zi No. 04653).
For employees who registered their marriage before the New Marriage Leave Scheme took effect, the MOL has clarified whether the increased marriage leave entitlement applies as follows [1] :
1. Employees who have not exhausted their original 8 days of marriage leave and whose Marriage Leave Window has not expired are eligible for the New Marriage Leave Scheme.
2. Employees who have already taken all 8 days of marriage leave are not eligible for the New Marriage Leave Scheme, as they have fully exercised their entitlement to marriage leave.
3. Employees who have not taken any marriage leave but whose Marriage Leave Window has expired are not eligible for the New Marriage Leave Scheme.
To alleviate the additional wage costs borne by employers under the New Marriage Leave Scheme, the Guidelines on Wage Subsidies for Marriage, Pregnancy and Childbirth Leave in Childcare-Friendly Workplaces (the “Wage Subsidy Guidelines”) provide that in respect of wages for the 9th through 14th days of marriage leave, employers may, after paying such wages, apply to the Bureau of Labor Insurance (the “BLI”) for a wage subsidy (Point 4 of the Wage Subsidy Guidelines). The applications must be submitted within two years after the employer pays the employee the aforementioned wage. The BLI will not grant subsidies for applications submitted after this deadline (Point 7 of the Wage Subsidy Guidelines).
As marriage leave is a statutory right, employers must grant such leave in accordance with the law once employees submit the supporting documents for the leaves. Employers who fail to comply may be subject to an administrative fine ranging from NT$20,000 to NT$1,000,000. The competent authority will also publicly disclose the name of the business entity or business owner, the name of the person in charge, the date of the disposition, the provisions violated, and the amount of the fine, and order the employer to rectify the violation within a specified period (Article 79, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 3 and Article 80-1, Paragraph 1 of the Labor Standards Act). Employers are advised to review and update their work rules, leave policies, and marriage leave settings in their human resources systems. For employees who registered their marriage before the New Marriage Leave Scheme took effect, employers should also verify the number of marriage leave days already taken and the applicable Marriage Leave Window to ensure proper application of the new requirements.
[1] Ministry of Labor. (2026, October 2). Taiwan’s new population strategy—Family support: Q&A on the new marriage leave scheme. https://www.mol.gov.tw/1607/28162/28166/90735/99106/post (last accessed October 16, 2026).
