Are the first days of sick leave paid in Estonia?
They are not — and those three days are on you. No benefit is paid for the first three days of illness. The employer pays the benefit for days 4 to 8, at 70% of the employee's average pay over the last six months. From day 9 the Health Insurance Fund takes over, also at 70% — but on a different basis: the average income subject to social tax in the previous calendar year. And from 2026 the Fund's benefit has a ceiling: €126.87 per day. Note that this cap does not apply to the employer's benefit for days 4–8. In practice, a long illness bites hardest for higher earners, because it is their benefit that runs into the daily ceiling.
📋 The rules
- First 3 days: no benefit
- The employer pays for days 4–8
- Rate: 70% of the six-month average
- The Fund pays from day 9, also 70%
- 2026 daily ceiling: €126.87
🔓 Exceptions
- The Fund's daily ceiling does not apply to the employer's benefit for days 4–8
- The Fund calculates the benefit from last calendar year's income subject to social tax
- Work accidents and occupational diseases follow separate compensation rules
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Two lots of 70% are not the same 70%. The employer calculates the benefit from your average pay over the last six months, while the Health Insurance Fund uses last calendar year's income subject to social tax — so if your salary has risen recently, the Fund's benefit is lower than you expect, because it rests on an older year. And from 2026 there is a ceiling: the Fund's sickness and care benefits are capped at €126.87 per day, which means that above a certain salary the benefit stops growing. The first three days remain yours to carry — though an employer may choose to pay for them voluntarily, and some collective agreements provide exactly that. Ask.
📎 Official sources
- Health Insurance Fund · Sickness benefit →
- Riigi Teataja · Health Insurance Act →
- Health Portal · Benefits →
❓ Frequently asked
Are the first days paid?
They are not. No benefit is paid for the first three days of illness and they fall on the employee. An employer may pay for them voluntarily, and some collective agreements provide for it.
Who pays for days 4 to 8?
The employer. The compulsory sickness benefit for days 4–8 is 70% of the employee's average pay over the last six months. The Health Insurance Fund's daily ceiling does not apply to it.
When does the Health Insurance Fund start paying?
From the ninth day of illness. The Fund also pays 70%, but calculates it from the average income subject to social tax in the previous calendar year rather than the last six months' pay.
Why is the Fund's benefit lower than expected?
Because it rests on the previous calendar year's income. If your salary has risen recently, the benefit is calculated on the older and lower base, so the amount falls short of what you assumed.
What is the 2026 daily ceiling?
The Fund's sickness and care benefits are capped at €126.87 per day in 2026. Above that level the benefit does not grow, so a long illness hits higher earners hardest.
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