Sickness benefit
Sickness benefit is paid by the employer and the Health Insurance Fund.
A certificate for sick leave can be issued by a doctor to a person insured through their employer. The doctor decides whether or not to issue a certificate for sick leave based on the person’s state of health.
The employer and the Health Insurance Fund pay the sickness benefit to a person based on a certificate of sick leave, the purpose of which is to partially compensate the employee for the loss of earnings during the period of sickness. No benefit is paid for the first three days of sickness. The employer pays the sickness benefit on days 4–8 of sickness. The Health Insurance Fund pays the benefit from the 9th day.
As a rule, the Health Insurance Fund pays out the benefit within a few working days of receiving the information from the employer. The procedure takes longer if, for example, an enforcement agent has issued a legal instrument of seizure, the employer is late with the insurance details, etc.
The benefit is usually calculated on the basis of income taxed with social tax in the previous calendar year. Social tax paid by a rural municipality, city, or artistic association or from a doctoral grant is not taken into account.
You can view and extract information from the certificates of temporary incapacity for work
- in the www.eesti.ee service ‘Certificates of temporary incapacity for work’;
- at www.terviseportaal.ee under ‘Work Ability’.
Please note! The employer does not have to pay the sickness benefit if the reason for the release from work is
- an occupational disease;
- an accident at work (including a traffic accident);
- complications/illness resulting from an accident at work;
- injury suffered while defending the interests of the state or society or preventing a crime;
- transfer to lighter work;
- illness or injury during pregnancy.
In those cases, the Health Insurance Fund pays the benefit.
Reimbursement of sick and care leave for a person receiving the parental benefit
Certificates for sick and care leave are reimbursed on more favourable terms for those receiving the parental benefit
- whose child is up to 3 years old (incl.) in the calendar year preceding the calendar year of the certificate of incapacity for work;
- who were on parental leave for part or all of the calendar year preceding the calendar year in which the certificate of temporary incapacity for work is issued; and
- who have received
- the maternity benefit,
- the shared parental benefit; or
- the parental benefit for adoptive parents.
The Health Insurance Fund calculates sickness and care benefits on the following basis:
- the daily rate of benefit calculated on the basis of the income subject to social tax of the previous calendar year, or
- the daily amount of parental benefit to be paid.
The benefit will be paid at the most favourable rate for the recipient.
The daily rate of the shared parental benefit is forwarded to the Health Insurance Fund by the Social Insurance Board. You can find out more about the daily rate of the parental benefit on the website of the Social Insurance Board.
The daily rate of income subject to social tax for the previous calendar year is calculated by the Health Insurance Fund on the basis of social tax data received from the Tax and Customs Board.
If enforcement proceedings have been initiated against a person, the Health Insurance Fund is obliged to withhold from the benefit for temporary incapacity for work the amount to be attached and to transfer the amount to the official account of the enforcement agent who sent the attachment notice.
If a person feels that the attachment has not taken into account their income and dependants, they should contact a bailiff. Only the enforcement agent can modify the attachment order. Contact details can be found on the website of the Estonian Chamber of Enforcement agents and Trustees in Bankruptcy.
For information on enforcement proceedings against you, see the ‘Execution proceedings commenced against a debtor’ page of the state portal
Comparison of benefits for incapacity for work
| Reason for release from work | Number of the reason | Type of certificate | Reimbursement procedure | Duration of payment for an insured event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illness or domestic injury | 1 | Certificate for sick leave | The employer pays the benefit from day 4 to day 8 of the illness. EHIF pays from day 9, the benefit rate is 70%. | Up to 182 days (up to 240 days in case of tuberculosis) |
Traffic injury Complication/illness as a result of a traffic injury | 4
18 | Certificate for sick leave | The employer pays the benefit from day 4 to day 8 of the illness. EHIF pays from day 9, the benefit rate is 70%. | Up to 182 days |
| Quarantine | 10 | Certificate for sick leave | Based on the certificate issued due to quarantine, the employer pays the benefit from day 4 to day 8. EHIF pays from day 9, the benefit rate is 70%. | Up to 7 days |
| Occupational diseases | 2 | Certificate for sick leave | EHIF pays the benefit from day 2, the benefit rate is 100%. | Up to 182 days |
Occupational injury Occupational injury in traffic Complication/illness as a result of an occupational injury | 5 6
7 | Certificate for sick leave | EHIF pays the benefit from day 2, the benefit rate is 100%. | Up to 182 days |
| Injury received while preventing a criminal offence, protecting national or public interests | 8 | Certificate for sick leave | EHIF pays the benefit from day 2, the benefit rate is 100%. | Up to 182 days |
| Giving pregnant people work appropriate to their state of health (the start date of the first sick leave is from 22 December 2024). | 17 | Certificate for sick leave | The Health Insurance Fund will pay the difference between the average salary and the salary paid by the employer on the day before the first certificate for sick leave started. During the period of lighter work, the employer must pay the pregnant person at least 50% of their average salary before the start of the certificate for sick leave for the transfer to lighter work. If a pregnant person is released from work due to the absence of lighter work, the Health Insurance Fund will pay compensation from the second day at a rate of 70% of their average salary before the start of the first certificate for sick leave. | Until maternity leave or up 182 days |
| Illness or injury during pregnancy | 19 | Certificate for sick leave | EHIF pays the benefit from day 2, the benefit rate is 70%. | Up to 182 days |
| Nursing a child under the age of 12 or a disabled insured person under the age of 19. | 14 | Certificate for care leave | EHIF pays the benefit from the first day of release, the benefit rate is 80%. | Up to 60 days |
| Nursing a sick family member who is ill at home | 12 | Certificate for care leave | EHIF pays the benefit from the first day of release, the benefit rate is 80%. | Up to 7 days |
| Caring for a child of under 3 years of age or for a disabled child of under 16 years of age when the child’s mother is ill or is receiving obstetrical care | 13 | Certificate for care leave | EHIF pays the benefit from the first day of release, the benefit rate is 80%. | Up to 10 days |
| Organ or haematopoietic stem cell donation | 20 | Certificate for sick leave | EHIF pays from day 1, the benefit rate is 100%. | Up to 182 days |
| Temporary relaxation of working conditions not earlier than from day 61 of the sick leave (the start date of the first sick leave is from 15 May 2024). | 21 | Certificate for sick leave | "The Health Insurance Fund reimburses the difference between the salary for the calendar month preceding the start of the first certificate for sick leave and the salary for the calendar month of the period of transfer to lighter work. During the period of temporary relaxation of working conditions, the employer must pay the person a salary of at least 50% compared to the salary before the start of the first certificate for sick leave." | Up to 122 days |
| Temporary relaxation of working conditions not earlier than from day 61 of the sick leave (the start date of the first sick leave is from 22 December 2024). | 21 | Certificate for sick leave | The Health Insurance Fund will pay the difference between the average salary and the salary paid by the employer on the day before the first certificate for sick leave started. During the period of temporary relaxation of working conditions, the employer must pay the person a salary of at least 50% compared to the average salary before the start of the first certificate for sick leave. | Up to 122 days |