Can I go on sick pay in Hungary?
Yes — the system has two steps: first the employer pays, then health insurance. Once a doctor declares you unfit for work, step one is sick leave: 15 working days a year at 70 % of absence pay, on the employer. From day 16 (or immediately for hospital care, or once the quota is spent) comes sick pay (táppénz): 60 % — or 50 % with under two years' continuous insurance or in hospital — capped in 2026 at ~21,500 HUF a day (one-thirtieth of twice the minimum wage). Sick pay runs at most 1 year (and no longer than your continuous insurance record). A separate branch is child-care sick pay (GYÁP) for staying home with a sick child, with age-dependent day quotas. Fine print: sick pay bears 15 % income tax but no contributions; occupational-accident sick pay is 100 %; and working while on sick pay is fraud territory the health fund's inspectors actively hunt.
📋 The key rules
- Step 1: sick leave — 15 working days/year at 70 % (employer-paid)
- Step 2: sick pay at 60 % (50 % under 2 years' insurance / in hospital)
- Daily cap 2026: ~21,500 HUF; duration max 1 year
- Child-care sick pay: age-dependent quotas
- Occupational accidents: 100 % accident sick pay, uncapped by the quota
🔓 Exceptions
- Sick leave exists only in employment — the self-employed go straight to sick pay (if contributions are paid)
- Working while on sick pay is banned — instant loss of entitlement and repayment
- Occupational accidents skip the 15-day sick-leave stage: accident sick pay applies, at 100 %
⚠️ Penalties
Working while on sick pay, or feigning incapacity, comes dear: payments stop, the sums drawn are reclaimed with interest, and in serious cases fraud proceedings follow — the health fund's inspectors specifically hunt undeclared work during sick pay. The employer can't duck either: denying sick leave or withholding the 70 % is a labour violation, and the difference is claimable with interest. Note that sick pay bears 15 % income tax (though no contributions), so your net is less than a straight 60 % suggests — and at higher wages the daily cap cuts it further.
📎 Official sources
- State Treasury · Sick pay and sick leave (HU) →
- Officina · Sick-pay amounts 2026 (HU) →
- Bank360 · Sick-pay calculator (HU) →
❓ Frequently asked questions
What do I get on sick leave?
70 % of your absence pay for up to 15 working days a year, paid by the employer. It runs from day one — there are no waiting days or 'excess'. Once the 15 days run out, sick pay takes over at 60 % (or 50 %).
And on sick pay?
60 %, or 50 % if your continuous insurance is under two years or you are hospitalised. The 2026 daily cap is ~21,500 HUF (one-thirtieth of twice the minimum wage), which bites hard on higher salaries.
How long can I stay on sick pay?
At most 1 year, and never longer than your continuous insurance record — so a short record shrinks the quota. If it runs out while the incapacity remains, the road leads on to rehabilitation and disability benefits.
My child is sick. Do I get sick pay?
Yes — child-care sick pay (GYÁP): the doctor certifies you under 'caring for a sick child', so it rests on the child's illness, not yours. The day quota follows the child's age: generous when small, equity-based above 12.
Is it still 60 % after a workplace accident?
No — occupational accidents draw accident sick pay at 100 %, and it doesn't eat into the 15-day sick-leave quota. The employer must investigate and minute the accident's occupational character: that classification is the basis of the benefit.
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