Sickness benefit

If you are absent from work due to illness, the Health Insurance Fund and your employer will compensate you for part of your lost income. This applies if you are employed, have valid health insurance, and have a sick note issued by a doctor.

Payment of compensation

No compensation is paid for the first 3 days of illness.

The employer pays compensation for the 4th to 8th day of illness.

No compensation is paid for the first 3 days of illness.

The employer pays compensation for the 4th to 8th day of illness.

From the 9th day of illness, the Health Insurance Fund pays compensation amounting to 70% of the average income taxed with social tax in the previous calendar year.

From the 9th day of illness, the Health Insurance Fund pays compensation amounting to 70% of the average income taxed with social tax in the previous calendar year.

When is compensation paid from the second day of sick leave?

occupational disease
work accident (including traffic accidents)
transfer to lighter work due to health condition

occupational disease
work accident (including traffic accidents)
transfer to lighter work due to health condition

injury sustained while protecting the interests of the state or society and preventing crime
complications or illness resulting from an accident at work
illness or injury during pregnancy

injury sustained while protecting the interests of the state or society and preventing crime
complications or illness resulting from an accident at work
illness or injury during pregnancy

Calculation of compensation

When calculating sickness benefit, the daily rate of benefit calculated on the basis of your income taxed with social tax in the previous calendar year or the minimum wage for the year in which the initial certificate of incapacity for work began (if the remuneration is less than the minimum wage when the certificate of incapacity for work is opened, the basic salary is taken into account) is taken into account.

Social tax paid on municipal, city, creative union, or doctoral grants is not taken into account.

See a comparison of the various benefits.

Social tax paid on municipal, city, creative union, or doctoral grants is not taken into account.

See a comparison of the various benefits.

Important to know!

Starting from January 1, 2026, there will be a cap on sickness and care benefits per calendar day, above which no further compensation will be paid. Read more about the cap on benefits below.

In addition, a 22% income tax will be deducted from all Health Insurance Fund benefits.

Important to know!

Starting from January 1, 2026, there will be a cap on sickness and care benefits per calendar day, above which no further compensation will be paid. Read more about the cap on benefits below.

In addition, a 22% income tax will be deducted from all Health Insurance Fund benefits.

When will the compensation be paid?

The Health Insurance Fund will pay the compensation within a few working days after the employer has confirmed the sick leave. The doctor will send the sick leave information to the Health Insurance Fund.

The time may be extended if the employer is late in submitting health insurance data, a bailiff has submitted a seizure order, etc.

The employer pays the sickness benefit together with the salary, but no later than 30 days after the doctor has terminated the sick leave.

You can view information about your certificate of incapacity for work and make extracts from it:

On the health portal under "Work capacity,"
eesti.ee under the service "Certificates of incapacity for work."

Special conditions and situations, refusal and return

Kui hakkad saama töötuskindlustushüvitist, aga oled veel haiguslehel

Alates 1. aprillist 2026 algavate uute ajutise töövõimetuse juhtumite hüvitamisel lõpeb inimesele samaaegselt mitme hüvitise maksmine.

Tervisekassa lõpetab töövõimetuslehe hüvitamise alates sellest päevast, mil inimesel tekib ravikindlustus töötuskindlustushüvitise saajana läbi Töötukassa. See tähendab, et samaaegselt ei maksta Tervisekassa haigus- või hooldushüvitist ning Töötukassa töötuskindlustushüvitist.

Alates 1. aprillist 2026 algavate uute ajutise töövõimetuse juhtumite hüvitamisel lõpeb inimesele samaaegselt mitme hüvitise maksmine.

Maximum compensation

From 01.01.2026, a upper limit will apply to sickness and care benefits, above which no further compensation will be paid.

The upper limit for TVH in a calendar month is twice the average social tax-liable income in Estonia in the previous calendar year. To obtain the upper limit for one calendar day, the upper limit for the calendar month is divided by 30.

The upper limit does not apply if a person has been on sick leave or care leave before January 1, 2026, and the certificate of incapacity for work is still valid.

The upper limit for incapacity for work compensation per calendar day

Example of applying the upper limit of compensation

1
According to Estonian Tax and Customs Board data, the average daily income per person is €183.
2
the sickness benefit rate is 70%, or €128.10;
3
The calendar day compensation of €128.10 calculated on the basis of Estonian Tax and Customs Board data exceeds the upper limit for compensation payments of €126.87. Therefore, the Health Insurance Fund will base its compensation payments on the upper limit of €126.87 per calendar day.

Example of applying the upper limit of compensation

1
According to Estonian Tax and Customs Board data, the average daily income per person is €183.
2
the sickness benefit rate is 70%, or €128.10;
3
The calendar day compensation of €128.10 calculated on the basis of Estonian Tax and Customs Board data exceeds the upper limit for compensation payments of €126.87. Therefore, the Health Insurance Fund will base its compensation payments on the upper limit of €126.87 per calendar day.

The upper limit does not apply:

in the case of sick leave for work appropriate to the health condition of a pregnant woman, if the working conditions of the pregnant woman have been adjusted and the Health Insurance Fund compensates for the difference in salary;
in the case of temporary easing of working conditions during long-term illness on sick leave, if the employee's working conditions have been adjusted and the Health Insurance Fund compensates for the difference in salary;
in the case of sick leave issued due to organ or blood stem cell donation.

The upper limit does not apply:

in the case of sick leave for work appropriate to the health condition of a pregnant woman, if the working conditions of the pregnant woman have been adjusted and the Health Insurance Fund compensates for the difference in salary;
in the case of temporary easing of working conditions during long-term illness on sick leave, if the employee's working conditions have been adjusted and the Health Insurance Fund compensates for the difference in salary;
in the case of sick leave issued due to organ or blood stem cell donation.

The upper limit does not apply:

in the case of sick leave for work appropriate to the health condition of a pregnant woman, if the working conditions of the pregnant woman have been adjusted and the Health Insurance Fund compensates for the difference in salary;
in the case of temporary easing of working conditions during long-term illness on sick leave, if the employee's working conditions have been adjusted and the Health Insurance Fund compensates for the difference in salary;
in the case of sick leave issued due to organ or blood stem cell donation.

More favorable conditions for recipients of parental benefits

Sickness benefit is calculated on more favorable terms if:

your child was up to 3 years old (inclusive) in the calendar year preceding the certificate of incapacity for work;
you were on parental leave for the whole or part of the year preceding the certificate of incapacity for work and you received
maternity benefit,
shared parental benefit, or
adoption benefit.

The Health Insurance Fund calculates the benefit based on the option that is most beneficial to you. This is either:

based on your income taxed with social tax in the previous calendar year, or
based on the daily rate of the shared parental benefit.

The daily rate of the distributable parental benefit is forwarded to the Health Insurance Fund by the Social Insurance Board. Read how the daily rate is calculated.

The Health Insurance Fund calculates the benefit based on the option that is most beneficial to you. This is either:

based on your income taxed with social tax in the previous calendar year, or
based on the daily rate of the shared parental benefit.

The daily rate of the distributable parental benefit is forwarded to the Health Insurance Fund by the Social Insurance Board. Read how the daily rate is calculated.

If your income has been garnished

If enforcement proceedings have been initiated against you, the Health Insurance Fund will withhold part of your sickness benefit and transfer it to the bailiff who submitted the seizure order.

If you feel that your income or dependents have not been taken into account, contact the bailiff directly – only they can change the conditions for withholding benefits. You can find the bailiff's contact details on the website of the Chamber of Bailiffs and Bankruptcy Administrators.

Information about enforcement proceedings initiated against you can be found on the eesti.ee website under "Enforcement proceedings initiated against me."

If enforcement proceedings have been initiated against you, the Health Insurance Fund will withhold part of your sickness benefit and transfer it to the bailiff who submitted the seizure order.

Information about enforcement proceedings initiated against you can be found on the eesti.ee website under "Enforcement proceedings initiated against me."

If you fall ill abroad

If you fall ill abroad, you must contact a local medical institution to obtain a certificate of temporary incapacity for work.

The Health Insurance Fund will pay sickness benefit if you have health insurance in Estonia and submit a certificate issued by a foreign doctor in Estonia, which includes:

your first and last name and date of birth,
the reason for your absence from work (e.g., illness, accident at work, etc.),
the start and end dates of your absence from work, including the year,
the name of the doctor and medical institution.

Submit the certificate obtained from a foreign country to your employer, who will add the employer's certificate to it and forward the information to the Health Insurance Fund.

If you fall ill abroad, you must contact a local medical institution to obtain a certificate of temporary incapacity for work.

The Health Insurance Fund will pay sickness benefit if you have health insurance in Estonia and submit a certificate issued by a foreign doctor in Estonia, which includes:

your first and last name and date of birth,
the reason for your absence from work (e.g., illness, accident at work, etc.),
the start and end dates of your absence from work, including the year,
the name of the doctor and medical institution.

Submit the certificate obtained from a foreign country to your employer, who will add the employer's certificate to it and forward the information to the Health Insurance Fund.

A certificate issued by a foreign doctor must be accompanied by a certified Estonian translation by a sworn translator. The costs of translating the certificate shall be borne by the patient.

For further information, please contact info@tervisekassa.ee or call +372 669 6630.

A certificate issued by a foreign doctor must be accompanied by a certified Estonian translation by a sworn translator. The costs of translating the certificate shall be borne by the patient.

For further information, please contact info@tervisekassa.ee or call +372 669 6630.

Important to know!

As of March 19, 2025, the legal assistance agreement between Estonia and Russia will no longer be valid. This means that all documents issued in Russia (such as certificates of incapacity for work and school certificates used when applying for health insurance) must be apostilled. Without this, the document will not be valid in Estonia.

Information on the apostille procedure and options is available from the Russian Embassy.

Important to know!

Information on the apostille procedure and options is available from the Russian Embassy.

When can the Health Insurance Fund refuse to pay sickness benefits?

The Health Insurance Fund pays sickness benefits only on the basis of sick leave certificates containing correct information. Sick leave certificates with incorrect or missing information will not be compensated.

If sick leave has already been compensated, but after the compensation has been paid, the doctor or employer submits a correction to the Health Insurance Fund, the Health Insurance Fund will recalculate the compensation. If it turns out that there was no basis for the payment of the benefit, the Health Insurance Fund may reclaim the amount paid without justification or withhold it from subsequent sickness or care benefit payments.

Refund of overpaid compensation

Unjustifiably received compensation can be returned:

by offsetting – the Health Insurance Fund will deduct the unjustifiably paid amount from the next sickness or care benefit payments;
by repaying the amount in one lump sum or in installments (by agreement).

If the prescribed amount is not repaid by the deadline, the Health Insurance Fund may issue a writ of execution to a bailiff. In this case, the person who received the unjustified compensation must also pay the costs of the enforcement proceedings.

Unjustifiably received compensation can be returned:

by offsetting – the Health Insurance Fund will deduct the unjustifiably paid amount from the next sickness or care benefit payments;
by repaying the amount in one lump sum or in installments (by agreement).

Before reclaiming compensation, the Health Insurance Fund will send a letter to the person explaining the situation and asking them to submit a written opinion or objections by a specified deadline.