Care allowance

If you need to take time off work to care for a sick family member, your family doctor will issue a care certificate.

Payment of compensation

The Health Insurance Fund pays the care allowance at a rate of 80% from the first day of the care period.
Compensation is paid for up to 60 days for caring for a child under 12 years of age or a child under 19 years of age with a disability.

The Health Insurance Fund pays the care allowance at a rate of 80% from the first day of the care period.
Compensation is paid for up to 60 days for caring for a child under 12 years of age or a child under 19 years of age with a disability.

When caring for a sick family member at home, you can receive compensation for up to 7 days.
When caring for a child under the age of 3 or a disabled child under the age of 16, if the child's actual caregiver is ill or receiving maternity care, you can receive care allowance for up to 10 days.

A sick child, disabled child, or family member may be cared for by several people in succession. In this case, the doctor will issue a separate care certificate to each of them. This will not extend the period of compensation payment.

A care certificate may also be issued for a longer period, but the compensation payment period remains the same, which means that although you may be absent from work on the basis of a care certificate issued for a period longer than the compensation period, you will not receive compensation for those days.

Calculation of compensation

The care allowance is calculated based on your previous calendar year's income subject to social tax, which the Health Insurance Fund obtains from the Tax and Customs Board. The Health Insurance Fund calculates the daily allowance based on this information.

If you had no income last year or it was less than the current minimum wage, the benefit will be calculated on the basis of the current minimum wage.

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 care sheet.

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

The Health Insurance Fund will pay the compensation within a few working days after the employer has confirmed the care sheet.

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

The Health Insurance Fund will pay the compensation within a few working days after the employer has confirmed the care sheet.

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

Special conditions and situations, refusal and return

Kui hakkad saama töötuskindlustushüvitist, aga oled veel hoolduslehel

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 in 2026 is €126.87.

A new upper limit is set for each calendar year.

The upper limit does not apply to sick pay paid by the employer.

Example of applying the upper limit of compensation

1
According to data from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, the average daily income per person is €183.
2
the maintenance allowance rate is 80%, or €146.40;
3
The calendar day compensation of €146.40 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 data from the Estonian Tax and Customs Board, the average daily income per person is €183.
2
the maintenance allowance rate is 80%, or €146.40;
3
The calendar day compensation of €146.40 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 for recipients of parental benefit 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 year or part of the year preceding the year of incapacity for work and you received:

maternity parental benefit,
shared parental benefit, or
adoptive parent's parental benefit.

The Health Insurance Fund calculates the most favorable option for the recipient of the benefit, either:

based on the 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 daily rate calculated on the basis of income is calculated by the Health Insurance Fund on the basis of social tax data received from the Tax and Customs Board.

The Health Insurance Fund calculates the most favorable option for the recipient of the benefit, either:

based on the 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 daily rate calculated on the basis of income is calculated by the Health Insurance Fund on the basis of social tax data received from the Tax and Customs Board.

If your income has been garnished

If enforcement proceedings have been initiated against you, the Health Insurance Fund will withhold part of your care allowance 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 the benefit. You can find the bailiff's contact details on the website of the Chamber of Bailiffs and Bankruptcy Administrators.

You can find information about enforcement proceedings initiated against you under the eesti.ee service  "Enforcement proceedings initiated against me".

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

You can find information about enforcement proceedings initiated against you under the eesti.ee service  "Enforcement proceedings initiated against me".

If the person under care falls ill abroad

If your child or dependent falls ill while you are abroad, you must contact a medical institution in the foreign countryto obtain a certificate of temporary incapacity for work.

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

your first name, surname, and date of birth;
the first name, surname, and date of birth of the person in your care;
the reason for release from work (e.g., caring for a sick child or family member);
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 your child or dependent falls ill while you are abroad, you must contact a medical institution in the foreign countryto obtain a certificate of temporary incapacity for work.

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

your first name, surname, and date of birth;
the first name, surname, and date of birth of the person in your care;
the reason for release from work (e.g., caring for a sick child or family member);
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.

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.

The Health Insurance Fund may request that a certificate issued by a foreign doctor be accompanied by a certified Estonian translation. The costs of translating the certificate shall be borne by the applicant for care allowance.

For more information, please contact info@healthinsurancefund.ee or +372 669 6630.

When can the Health Insurance Fund refuse to pay compensation?

The Health Insurance Fund pays care allowance only on the basis of certificates containing correct information. Certificates with incorrect or missing information will not be compensated.

If care allowance 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.

The Health Insurance Fund pays care allowance only on the basis of certificates containing correct information. Certificates with incorrect or missing information will not be compensated.

Refund of overpaid compensation

Unjustly received compensation can be returned

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.