Getting sick in a foreign country , or even in your own , can feel disorienting when you don't know the rules. In Austria, the process is actually well organized, but it hinges on two separate concepts that many guides blur together: notifying your employer that you're sick (Krankenstandsmeldung) and proving it with a valid medical certificate . Add the e-card system, ÖGK sick pay, and different rules for employees, self-employed workers, and expats, and it's easy to see why so many people search for a clear explanation of Austria sick leave rules: Krankenstandsmeldung and e-card system before they end up in a doctor's waiting room feeling worse than when they walked in.
This guide walks through what to do when illness strikes in Austria , who to tell, by when, what documentation you need, how the e-card works, how much you'll be paid, and what happens if you're self-employed, a student, or an expat without a physical e-card yet. We'll also flag the mistakes that trip up even long-term residents, and show you what to do if a clinic visit simply isn't possible.
Krankenstandsmeldung Austria: How to Report Sick Leave the Right Way
The word Krankenstand simply means "sick leave" in Austrian labor terminology, and Krankenstandsmeldung refers to the act of telling your employer you're unable to work due to illness. This is a notification obligation, not a paperwork obligation , and that distinction matters more than most articles admit.
Under Austrian labor law, you must inform your employer without undue delay , typically interpreted as before your shift starts or as soon as reasonably possible on the first day of illness. Most employment contracts or company policies specify how: a phone call, an email, or a message to HR. Some companies also use internal apps. The method isn't fixed by law , the timing is what counts.
Here's the part competitors often gloss over: notifying your employer and providing a medical certificate are two separate steps with two separate deadlines.
- Step 1 , Notify immediately: Call, message, or email your employer on the first day you're unable to work, before your shift begins if possible.
- Step 2 , Confirm your inability to work with a certificate: If your employer requests it (many do automatically), you generally need a certificate of incapacity to work. Employers can request this from the first day, though many company agreements or collective bargaining agreements only require it after three consecutive sick days.
Skipping Step 1 because you're waiting on a doctor's appointment is a common and costly mistake , your employer needs to know you're out today , not once you have paperwork in hand. If you're too unwell to call yourself, a family member, roommate, or colleague can notify your employer on your behalf.
Who Is Covered by These Reporting Rules
These notification rules apply to standard employees under Austrian labor law, including part-time workers, apprentices, and most fixed-term contract holders. Civil servants and certain specific labor categories may follow slightly different internal procedures, but the core principle , notify promptly, certify if required , remains consistent across the system.
Understanding the Austria E-Card System
The e-card is Austria's national health insurance chip card, and it's your key to accessing public healthcare , including the doctor visits that generate your sick leave certificate. If you're newly employed, newly self-insured, or an expat setting up residency, understanding the e-card system is just as important as understanding the Krankenstandsmeldung rules themselves.
How the E-Card Works at a Doctor Visit
When you visit a Kassenarzt (a doctor contracted with public health insurance, primarily the ÖGK , Österreichische Gesundheitskasse), you present your e-card, which is scanned to confirm your insurance status and log the visit. There's no cash exchanged for basic consultations covered under public insurance. If you instead see a Wahlarzt (a private doctor without a direct contract with ÖGK), you typically pay upfront and later submit a claim for partial reimbursement , the e-card isn't used the same way, and reimbursement is usually around 80% of the Kassenarzt tariff, not the full private fee.
For sick leave purposes, either type of doctor can issue a certificate of incapacity to work, but Kassenarzt visits are simpler because the documentation flows directly into the insurance system.
Registration Document Checklist and the Coverage Gap
This is where many guides fall short: what happens between starting a new job or registering as self-insured and actually receiving the physical e-card in the mail? There's often a gap of one to three weeks. During this window, you are still insured , the card itself is just a physical token of coverage that already exists in the system , but you need proof.
If you need medical care before your card arrives, bring these documents to the doctor's office:
- A copy of your employment registration confirmation (Anmeldung) from your employer, or your self-insurance confirmation from ÖGK
- Government-issued photo ID or passport
- Your social insurance number (Sozialversicherungsnummer), if issued
- Any temporary insurance confirmation letter sent by ÖGK during onboarding
Most doctor's offices and hospitals can verify coverage electronically even without the physical card in hand, but having paper backup avoids awkward delays or unexpected upfront charges. If your e-card is lost or stolen after you've received it, report it immediately to ÖGK or your insurance carrier , a replacement is usually issued within one to two weeks, and a temporary confirmation can bridge the gap.
There's also a small e-card service fee , charged annually (typically deducted automatically from wages for employees), which covers the administrative cost of maintaining the card system , it is not a fee per doctor visit.
Continued Pay and Sick Benefits: Entgeltfortzahlung and ÖGK Krankengeld
Once your Krankenstand is properly reported and certified, the next question is obvious: how much will you actually get paid? Austria splits this into two distinct phases.
Entgeltfortzahlung (Continued Pay from Your Employer)
The Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (Continued Remuneration Act) obligates your employer to keep paying your full regular wage for a period that depends on your length of service. This is not sick pay from insurance , it's your normal salary, continued.
| Years of Service | Full Pay Period | Half Pay Period (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 year | 6 weeks | , |
| 1–15 years | 6 weeks | 4 additional weeks at 50% |
| 15–25 years | 8 weeks | 4 additional weeks at 50% |
| Over 25 years | 10 weeks | 4 additional weeks at 50% |
These figures reset annually per "working year" (the twelve-month reference period tied to your employment anniversary, not the calendar year), and separate illnesses within the same working year can affect how much continued pay remains available.
ÖGK Krankengeld (Sickness Benefit)
Once your employer's continued pay obligation ends , for longer illnesses , the ÖGK sickness benefit (Krankengeld) takes over. This is a percentage of your average income, generally around 50% of your net earnings for the initial period, rising to about 60% after a set number of weeks, paid directly by ÖGK rather than your employer. Sickness benefit can continue for up to 52 weeks for the same illness, in most cases, though exact duration depends on your specific insurance history and contribution record.
To claim Krankengeld, your treating doctor submits the relevant medical documentation to ÖGK, and your certificate of incapacity to work needs to clearly state the diagnosis category and expected duration. Delays in submitting this documentation are one of the most common reasons sickness benefit payments get held up.
Self-Employed and Foreign Workers: Sick Leave Coverage Rules
Employees have the clearest path through Austria's sick leave system, but self-employed workers, freelancers, students, and foreign nationals each face different rules , and this is where confusion (and lost benefits) happen most often.
Self-Employed Sickness Benefit
Self-employed individuals insured under the SVS (Social Insurance for the Self-Employed) are generally not entitled to sickness benefit for the first weeks of illness in the same way employees are , coverage typically begins from around the 43rd day of continuous incapacity, unless you've opted into supplementary voluntary coverage that shortens this waiting period. This detail is barely explained elsewhere, but it matters enormously for freelancers and small business owners planning cash flow around illness.
Claims must be filed with supporting medical certificates promptly , waiting too long after recovery to submit documentation can result in a reduced payout or outright denial, since Austrian sickness benefit claims are generally subject to a strict filing window tied to the certified period of incapacity, not an open-ended timeframe. If you're self-employed, don't assume you can submit paperwork "whenever" , treat the certificate date as the start of a countdown.
Foreign Workers, Expats, and EHIC Coverage
If you're an EU/EEA national temporarily in Austria, your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) covers necessary medical treatment, but it does not replace registration with the Austrian system once you become a resident employee , at that point, you need an Austrian e-card through your employer's registration. Non-EU workers on Austrian visas are enrolled in the public system through their employer from day one of legal employment, with e-card issuance following shortly after.
Students and job applicants without an active employment contract typically fall under separate student insurance schemes or family co-insurance (Mitversicherung), which have their own registration steps , worth confirming directly with ÖGK if you're between jobs or just arriving in Austria.
Employer Obligations and Dismissal Protection During Sick Leave
Austrian labor law places real obligations on employers, not just employees. Once properly notified, an employer must accept the Krankenstand, continue paying wages according to the Entgeltfortzahlung schedule, and cannot dismiss an employee because they are sick, in most standard circumstances.
Dismissal protection during sick leave isn't absolute , an employer can still terminate employment for unrelated valid reasons (such as company closure or documented performance issues predating the illness), but termination timed specifically to avoid continued pay obligations is legally risky for the employer and can be challenged.
Employers are also required to keep proper documentation: the date of notification, the certificate of incapacity to work, and a confirmation of remuneration record if the employment relationship ends during or shortly after a sick leave period (needed for the employee's subsequent Krankengeld claim). If your employer isn't tracking this correctly, request written confirmation yourself , it protects your benefit eligibility down the line.
Common Pitfalls With Krankenstandsmeldung and the E-Card System
Even people who've lived in Austria for years get tripped up by a handful of recurring mistakes:
- Confusing notification with certification. Calling in sick is not the same as submitting a certificate , do both, on the correct timelines.
- Waiting for a doctor's appointment before telling the employer. This delays notification unnecessarily and can breach your notification obligation even if you're genuinely ill.
- Assuming the e-card fee is per-visit. It's an annual administrative charge, not a co-pay for each doctor visit.
- Not knowing what to bring during the e-card issuance gap. Arriving at a clinic with nothing but a job offer letter and no ID or registration proof causes unnecessary delays.
- Self-employed workers assuming Krankengeld starts on day one. The waiting period is real, and missing the filing window after recovery reduces or eliminates the payout.
- Believing a Wahlarzt visit is "free" like a Kassenarzt visit. You'll pay upfront and file for partial reimbursement instead.
- Forgetting that continued pay resets by working year, not calendar year. Multiple short illnesses can add up differently than people expect.
Getting a Medical Certificate Fast When a Clinic Visit Isn't Possible
Not everyone can walk into a Kassenarzt's office the moment they fall ill. Travelers between countries, remote workers far from a clinic, students facing tight submission deadlines, athletes needing a fitness confirmation, or anyone dealing with burnout and simply unable to sit in a waiting room , these situations are common, and Austria's system, while organized, assumes physical access to a doctor that not everyone has at the exact moment they need it.
If you're in this position, Get Medical Certificate offers a licensed, GDPR-compliant way to obtain a valid medical certificate online, reviewed by real doctors, typically within minutes rather than hours of waiting for an appointment slot. This isn't a workaround for the rules , it's a legitimate documentation route for people who genuinely can't reach a clinic in person, whether due to travel schedules, tight employer deadlines, or health conditions that make an in-person visit impractical.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Krankenstandsmeldung in Austria?
Krankenstandsmeldung is the act of notifying your employer that you're unable to work due to illness. It must happen promptly , ideally before your shift starts , and is separate from providing a medical certificate.
How quickly must I report sick leave to my employer in Austria?
You should notify your employer without undue delay, generally interpreted as before your shift begins on the first day of illness. Delaying notification while waiting for a doctor's appointment is not acceptable practice under Austrian labor norms.
Do I need a certificate from day one of sick leave?
It depends on your employer's policy and collective agreement. Some require a certificate of incapacity to work from day one; others only after three consecutive sick days. Always confirm your specific company's requirement.
How does the e-card work at a doctor's office?
You present your e-card at a Kassenarzt visit, it's scanned to confirm insurance coverage, and there's typically no direct payment for standard consultations. Wahlarzt visits require upfront payment with later partial reimbursement.
What if I don't have my physical e-card yet?
Bring your employment registration confirmation, ID, and social insurance number if available. Coverage exists from your registration date even before the physical card arrives.
How much continued pay am I entitled to during sick leave?
Entgeltfortzahlung ranges from 6 to 10 weeks of full pay depending on years of service, often followed by 4 additional weeks at half pay, per working year.
Are self-employed workers covered for sick leave in Austria?
Yes, but sickness benefit typically starts later , often around day 43 of continuous incapacity , unless supplementary voluntary coverage has been arranged, and claims must be filed within the applicable deadline after certification.
Can I be dismissed while on sick leave in Austria?
Employers generally cannot dismiss an employee specifically because of illness, though termination for unrelated, valid reasons remains possible.
Understanding Austria's sick leave rules , Krankenstandsmeldung and e-card system alike , comes down to timing and documentation. Notify your employer immediately, confirm your incapacity with a proper certificate, use your e-card correctly at the doctor, and know your continued pay and Krankengeld entitlements before you need them. If illness strikes while you're traveling, overwhelmed, or simply unable to reach a clinic, Get Medical Certificate provides a licensed, GDPR-compliant medical certificate online within minutes, so you're never left without valid documentation when it matters most.