Aug. 2025 - Shanghai has launched a new childbirth support policy to lighten the burden of enterprises

Scope of Application and Conditions

Starting 1 January 2025, employers in Shanghai may apply for social insurance subsidies if:

• Female employees give birth during their employment period
• The employer legally grants maternity leave to the female employees
• Social insurance contributions are paid throughout the leave period

Standards of the subsidies

• The subsidy covers 50% of the employer-paid portion of the following social insurance for female employees:

       - Pension insurance

       - Medical insurance (including maternity insurance)

       - Unemployment insurance

       - Injury insurance

• The subsidy period lasts for six months, beginning from the month of childbirth.

Handling Procedures

• Social insurance subsidies shall be managed on a territorial basis, with the principle of "pay first, subsidize later, with a one-time application."
• Employers shall submit applications within one year after the end of the female employee’s maternity leave.
• Required documents for the application include the subsidy application form and the medical birth certificate.

Effective date

• This Notice will come into force on 18 July 2025, and remain effective until 17 July 2030.

Points of Attention

• When applying for this subsidy, labour dispatch enterprises shall include both their direct employees (including those engaged in contracting and outsourcing operations) and dispatched workers as eligible employees‌ for application purposes.
• The Human Resources and Social Security Department is currently developing an online application system to streamline the subsidy application process for employers.
• The specific launch date for this online application system is pending and will be announced in due course.

We remain available should you have any questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your Forvis Mazars point of contact.

References:

Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Shanghai Municipal Finance Bureau, Shanghai Municipal Development & Reform Commission, Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, ‌Shanghai Municipal Medical Security Bureau, Hu Ren She Gui [2025] No.14: Notice on Implementing Social Insurance Subsidies for Employers During Female Employees' Maternity leave (link here in Chinese).