How to use this tool
Choose the country where you work and pay social security.
Pick your worker type if the tool asks, such as employee or self employed. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, also pick your entity.
Enter how many days you have been off sick, if you want to see where you stand today.
Read the cards for notice, certificate, waiting days, who pays and the maximum duration.
Check your contract or collective agreement, which may give you more than the legal minimum.
Send the result to the sick pay calculator or the "do I need a note" tool for the next step.
What differs across Europe?
Every country protects workers who fall ill, but each builds that protection differently. The main differences are the notice deadline, the certificate threshold, the waiting days and the split between employer and state.
Notice is the first rule you meet. Some countries ask you to tell your employer immediately. Others set a clock: within 2 hours of your start time in Denmark, by the second day in the Netherlands and Poland.
The certificate threshold decides when you need a doctor. In the UK and Sweden you can go 7 days without one. In Germany a certificate is needed after 3 days. Across most of South East Europe and Italy, it is needed from day 1.
Waiting days are days at the start of an illness when the statutory benefit does not pay. France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Andorra and Monaco all start their allowance on day 4. The UK removed its waiting days for Statutory Sick Pay from 6 April 2026.
The payer changes over time in most countries. Your employer often pays first, from 2 days in Lithuania to 6 weeks in Germany and 104 weeks in the Netherlands. Then a health insurer or social security body takes over.
Rates and limits vary widely. Malta pays a flat daily amount. Most others pay a share of your earnings, often with a cap. Maximum durations range from 6 months in Albania to 1,095 days in Portugal, and Serbia and Lithuania set no fixed maximum.
Sick leave rules by country: comparison of 42 countries
The tables below group the 42 countries by region. They show the statutory rules we have checked against official government guidance. Your contract or collective agreement may give you more, never less.
Some rules are not yet confirmed. Where a cell says "Ask your employer", check notice and certificate rules with your employer or HR team. Where it says "Check with your insurer", ask the body that pays your sickness benefit. The tool fills these in once a reviewer confirms them.
Sick leave rules in Western Europe
| Country | When a doctor's certificate is needed | Waiting days | Who pays first | State sickness benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Fit note from day 8; self certify for up to 7 days | None from 6 April 2026 | Employer: Statutory Sick Pay of £123.25 a week or 80% of normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to 28 weeks | None while Statutory Sick Pay runs; New Style ESA may follow if you paid enough National Insurance |
| Ireland | From day 1 for statutory sick pay | None for statutory sick pay; 3 days for Illness Benefit | Employer: 70% of normal pay, up to €110 a day, for up to 5 days a year | Illness Benefit, up to €254.00 a week in 2026, if you have enough PRSI contributions |
| France | A doctor's sick leave form (arrêt de travail) is needed for allowances | 3 days; 7 days for the employer top up | Health insurance allowance from day 4, plus an employer top up after 1 year of service | 50% of daily base salary, up to €42.97 a day |
| Belgium | Only when a collective agreement, work rules or your employer require it | None | Employer guaranteed salary: white collar workers 100% for 30 days; manual workers in phases | Health insurance fund: 60% of earnings, up to €183.1311 a day |
| Netherlands | Ask your employer | Up to 2 days, only if your contract or CAO says so | Employer: at least 70% of wages for up to 104 weeks | Ziektewet: 70%, up to €304.25 a day, only if you have no employer |
| Luxembourg | After 2 working days; your employer may ask from day 1 | Check with your insurer | Employer: full salary to the end of the month in which the 77th day falls | CNS sickness benefit after that, between the social minimum wage and 5 times it |
United Kingdom. From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay starts on the first full day of sickness instead of the fourth. A GP, hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist can issue a fit note.
Ireland. Two schemes run one after the other. Your employer pays statutory sick pay after 13 weeks of service, then Illness Benefit may apply. Claim it within 6 weeks.
France. Since 1 January 2026, sending your form late can cut allowances by up to 100%. Since 1 September 2026, a first prescription is normally limited to 31 days.
Belgium. You can skip the certificate for the first day of illness 3 times a year. Send the certificate to your health insurance fund within 14 days (manual workers) or 28 days (white collar), or lose 10% of benefit a day.
Netherlands. Your employer may not ask about your illness. Only the company doctor or health and safety service may, and your employer must involve them within 1 week.
Luxembourg. The 77 day count runs over 18 consecutive months. The certificate must reach your employer, and part 1 must reach the CNS, by the 3rd day.
Sick leave rules in Central Europe
| Country | When a doctor's certificate is needed | Waiting days | Who pays first | State sickness benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | After 3 calendar days; your employer may ask from day 1 | None set out | Employer: full pay for up to 6 weeks, after 4 weeks in the job | Krankengeld: 70% of regular gross pay, no more than 90% of net |
| Austria | When your employer asks; often from day 4 under collective agreements | None for employer pay; 3 days for Krankengeld | Employer: full pay for 6 to 12 weeks by length of service, then half pay | Krankengeld from day 4: 50%, rising to 60% from day 43, reduced while pay continues |
| Switzerland | Generally from day 4; contracts often require it sooner | None under the legal minimum; 1 to 3 days under daily allowance insurance | Employer: at least 3 weeks of full pay in the first year, or insurance usually at 80% | No mandatory state sickness cash benefit |
| Poland | From day 1 (electronic eZLA) | None (30 day qualifying period) | Employer: up to 33 days a year (14 if aged 50 or over), usually 80% | ZUS: 80% from day 34 (day 15 if aged 50 or over) |
| Czechia | From day 1 (electronic eNeschopenka) | None | Employer: days 1 to 14 at 60% of reduced average earnings | Sickness insurance from day 15: 60%, 66% from day 31, 72% from day 61 |
| Slovakia | From day 1 (electronic ePN) | None, but days 1 to 3 are paid at 25% | Employer: days 1 to 14, at 25% then 55% | Social Insurance Agency: 55% from day 15 |
| Hungary | From day 1, by a doctor contracted with the national health insurer | None found | Employer: up to 15 working days a year at 70% | Sickness benefit: 60% (50% with shorter insurance), up to HUF 21,520 a day |
| Slovenia | From day 1 (electronic eBOL) | None found | Employer: first 30 working days, rate usually set by collective agreement | ZZZS from working day 31: 80% for illness, 90% after 90 days |
Germany. With statutory health insurance, your employer retrieves the electronic certificate from your insurer. You must still report sick yourself.
Switzerland. There is no state sickness cash benefit. Most employers take out daily allowance insurance, which usually pays 80% of salary for 720 or 730 days within 900. The certificate must not show a diagnosis.
Poland. Tell your employer at once, and no later than the second day. The electronic certificate does not replace this notice.
Slovenia. Tell your employer or your doctor within 3 days. Ask your doctor to issue the eBOL before each month ends, or your employer cannot calculate pay.
Sick leave rules in the Nordic countries
| Country | When a doctor's certificate is needed | Waiting days | Who pays first | State sickness benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweden | From day 8, from a doctor or dentist | One waiting deduction of 20% of a week's sick pay | Employer: 80% of salary for days 1 to 14 | Försäkringskassan from day 15: normally 80% of SGI, up to 1,259 kronor a day |
| Norway | From day 4 if your employer requires it, or when self certification days run out | None | Employer: first 16 days | Nav from day 17, covering income up to 6G |
| Denmark | No fixed day; your employer can ask at any point and pays for it | None | Employer: 30 calendar days, after 8 weeks and 74 hours of work | Municipality: sygedagpenge up to 5,085 kroner a week (2026) |
| Finland | Day 1 or day 4, as your employer decides | Day of onset plus 9 working days, normally covered by employer pay | Employer: full pay to the 9th working day after onset, after 1 month of service | Kela sickness allowance, at least €31.99 per working day (2026) |
| Iceland | When your employer asks | Check with your insurer | Employer: at least 2 paid sick days per month worked | Icelandic Health Insurance from day 15, if you cannot work for 21 days or more |
Denmark. Report sick no later than 2 hours after your working time starts, unless your workplace sets another deadline. Report late and employer paid benefit starts only the next day.
Sweden. The waiting deduction equals one day of sick pay on a five day week. Report sick on the first day, or you can lose sick pay for earlier days.
Norway. Self certification (egenmelding) needs 2 months with your employer. The minimum is 3 days at a time, 4 times in 12 months, and many employers allow more.
Iceland. Most practical cover comes from collective agreements and union sickness funds, which vary by union.
Sick leave rules in the Baltic states
| Country | When a doctor's certificate is needed | Waiting days | Who pays first | State sickness benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Ask your employer | Days 1 to 3 unpaid | Employer: days 4 to 8 | Tervisekassa from day 9: 70%, up to €126.87 a day for new cases from 2026 |
| Latvia | From day 1 (sheet A, then sheet B from day 10) | Day 1 unpaid | Employer: days 2 to 9, at least 75% then 80% | VSAA from day 10: 80% |
| Lithuania | Ask your employer | None | Employer: days 1 and 2, between 62.06% and 100% | Sodra from day 3: 62.06% |
Estonia. Your doctor sends the certificate to the national database, so you do not deliver it.
Sick leave rules in Southern Europe
| Country | When a doctor's certificate is needed | Waiting days | Who pays first | State sickness benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Ask your employer | 3 days | Employer pays the allowance from day 4 to day 15 | Social Security from day 16; 60% from day 4 to 20, 75% from day 21 |
| Portugal | A 3 day SNS 24 self declaration twice a year; your employer may ask for proof | 3 days | No legal duty for the employer to pay | Sickness benefit from day 4: 55%, rising in steps to 75% |
| Italy | From day 1, even for a one day absence | 3 days | Employer advances the INPS benefit in your pay | INPS: 50% from day 4 to 20, 66.66% from day 21 to 180 |
| Greece | From day 1; a Health Committee decides beyond 15 days a year | Check with your insurer | Check with your insurer | EFKA, if you are off more than 3 days: 50% of a notional daily wage |
| Cyprus | From day 1, for sickness benefit | 3 days | Check with your insurer | Social Insurance Services from day 4, if you are not on full wages |
| Malta | From day 1 (Blue Medical Certificate) | 3 working days, paid by your employer | Employer: sick leave under the Wage Regulation Order or agreement | Sickness Benefit from day 4: €25.81 or €17.21 a day |
Spain. A public health service doctor certifies the illness. Since April 2023 you no longer hand a copy to your employer; the social security body sends the data.
Portugal. You must request the SNS 24 self declaration within 5 days of the first day off. Official pages do not confirm whether those days are paid.
Italy. Private sector workers must be at home for checks from 10:00 to 12:00 and 17:00 to 19:00. Many contracts make the employer pay the first 3 days.
Greece. For the first 15 days of absence, only half the benefit is paid. You need at least 120 days of work in the previous year.
Malta. Send the Blue Medical Certificate to Social Security within 10 days, with a copy to your employer. Renew it every 2 weeks if you stay off.
Sick leave rules in South East and Eastern Europe
| Country | When a doctor's certificate is needed | Waiting days | Who pays first | State sickness benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia | From day 1; tell your doctor within 3 days | None | Employer: first 42 days, at least 70% | HZZO refund from day 43: 70%, then 80% after 6 months |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | From day 1 in both entities | None found | Federation: employer for 42 days, at least 80%.Republika Srpska: employer for 30 days, 70% | Federation: cantonal institute from day 43.Republika Srpska: Health Insurance Fund from day 31 |
| Serbia | From day 1; certificate to employer within 3 days | None | Employer: first 30 days, at least 65% | Republic Health Insurance Fund from day 31: 65% |
| Montenegro | From day 1; certificate to employer within 3 days | None | Employer: first 60 days, at least 70% | Health Insurance Fund refunds 70% after 60 days |
| North Macedonia | From day 1 | None found | Employer: up to 30 days | Health Insurance Fund from day 31: 70% |
| Albania | From day 1 (raport mjekësor) | None | Employer: first 14 days, at least 80% | Social insurance from day 15: 70% or 80% by insurance record |
| Romania | Ask your employer | Check with your insurer | Employer: days 1 to 5 | FNUASS from day 6: 55%, 65% or 75% by certificate length |
| Bulgaria | Ask your employer | None | Check with your insurer | NSSI: 80% of average daily gross earnings, no more than average net |
| Moldova | From day 1 (medical leave certificate) | Check with your insurer | Employer: first 5 days, at most 15 a year, at 75% | CNAS: 60% to 100% by contribution record |
| Ukraine | Ask your employer | None found | Employer: first 5 days | Pension Fund from day 6: 50% to 100% by insurance record |
Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Federation and Republika Srpska each have their own labour and health insurance laws. In the Federation, tell your employer in writing within 3 days. In Republika Srpska, deliver the doctor's certificate within 3 days.
Croatia. Give your employer the certificate within 3 days. After 18 months for the same diagnosis, pay usually drops to 50%.
Bulgaria. Official sources give different answers on how many days the employer pays first. Ask your employer until this is settled.
Ukraine. Sick leave is fully electronic. Give your employer the number of the certificate your doctor creates.
Sick leave rules in the microstates
| Country | When a doctor's certificate is needed | Waiting days | Who pays first | State sickness benefit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liechtenstein | Ask your employer | Allowance from the 2nd day after onset | Employer: 3 weeks in the first year, unless insurance covers at least 80% | Compulsory Krankengeld insurance: at least 80% of the last wage |
| Andorra | Ask your employer | 3 days | Check with your insurer | CASS from day 4: 53%, 66% from day 31 |
| Monaco | Ask your employer | 3 days | Check with your insurer | CCSS from day 4: 50%, up to €166.67 a day |
| San Marino | Ask your employer | None found | Check with your insurer | ISS: 86% for days 1 to 14, 100% for days 15 to 180, 86% to day 365 |
Liechtenstein. Like Switzerland, it relies on insurance. Your employer must insure you with a health insurance fund, which sets reporting deadlines.
Andorra. Give your employer the initial certificate within 48 hours of issue. The certificate also goes to CASS within 48 hours, unless it was issued electronically.
Monaco. Send the stoppage notice to the CCSS within 48 hours. You must also meet a minimum hours condition, such as 120 hours in the month.
San Marino. Cross border workers must send their certificate within 3 days of issue. Resident workers' doctors send it directly.
How do you read the rules for your country?
Start with the country where you are insured, not where you are staying. Then read the rules in the order they happen: notice, certificate, waiting days, payer, end date.
Notice. This is about telling your employer, not proving anything. Miss the deadline and you can lose pay. In Denmark, late notice delays employer paid benefit to the day after you report.
Certificate. This is the proof. The day count usually includes weekends and holidays. The UK counts non working days toward its 7 day limit, for example.
Waiting days. These are unpaid by the statutory scheme, not always unpaid by your employer. In Italy many contracts make the employer pay the first 3 days, and in Malta the employer covers them.
Payer. Watch for the handover from employer to insurer. You may need to file a claim yourself at that point, as with Illness Benefit in Ireland or Kela in Finland.
Rate. Read whether the percentage applies to gross or net pay, and whether there is a cap. Germany pays 70% of gross but never more than 90% of net.
Maximum duration. Check the period the limit applies to. Italy counts per calendar year. Germany counts 78 weeks within 3 years for the same illness. Latvia counts 26 weeks of continuous incapacity.
Your contract. Collective agreements and contracts often add to the statutory floor. The tool shows the floor. Your payslip and HR team show what you will really get.
Worked example: how a phased sick pay system adds up
Phased systems pay different rates at different points of the same absence. This example uses the Spanish rates above with a made up daily base.
Say your daily calculation base is €50 and you are off for 25 days with a common illness. The allowance starts on day 4.
| Days | Rate | Daily amount | Days counted | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 | No statutory allowance | €0.00 | 3 | €0.00 |
| 4 to 20 | 60% | €30.00 | 17 | €510.00 |
| 21 to 25 | 75% | €37.50 | 5 | €187.50 |
| Total | 25 | €697.50 |
Your employer pays the allowance from day 4 to day 15. Social Security pays from day 16. Your collective agreement may top this up.
A UK example works differently. If your normal weekly earnings are £100, 80% is £80. That is lower than £123.25, so £80 a week is your Statutory Sick Pay.
For your own figures, use the sick pay calculator. It reads the same checked data as this page.
What happens if you work in one country and live in another?
You are covered by one country's social security system at a time. For most cross border workers, that is the country where you work.
Under EU rules, you pay contributions to, and are covered by, the country where you work. You can still get medical treatment in the country where you live.
Posted workers are a different case. If your employer sends you abroad for a short assignment, you usually stay covered by your home system. Form A1 proves which country's legislation applies to you.
Form S1 matters for healthcare. It is a certificate of entitlement to healthcare if you do not live in the country where you are insured. You hand it to a health insurance body where you live.
In practice, follow the sick leave rules of the country that insures you. Tell your employer by its deadline, and send any certificate to the body that pays you. In San Marino, for example, cross border workers send their own certificate within 3 days.
If your doctor is in another country, ask the paying body which format it accepts. Some want a specific national form. Others accept a signed certificate in a language they can read.
Related tool: Fit to fly readiness checklist
When to see a doctor straight away
Some symptoms need urgent care before any paperwork.
- chest pain or pressure, or sudden breathlessness
- sudden weakness, numbness, facial droop or slurred speech
- a severe headache unlike any before, or confusion
- heavy bleeding, or a serious injury
- thoughts of harming yourself
See a doctor soon if a fever lasts more than a few days, symptoms keep getting worse, or you are pregnant and unwell. A certificate never replaces a medical assessment.
How getmedicalcertificate.com can help
Once you know your country's rules, you may need proof for your employer.
getmedicalcertificate.com offers a sick leave certificate, a general medical certificate, a fitness certificate and a sports fitness certificate valid for 12 months.
A doctor reviews your case and decides whether a certificate is right for you. You pay only after that review. If the doctor cannot issue it, you get a full refund. The price is €34.99 per certificate with no added fees at checkout.
Approved certificates arrive as a signed PDF, usually within about 30 minutes of the doctor's approval. Each has a reference code anyone can check. Certificates are issued in English, across 42 countries in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Sick leave rules across the 42 European countries on this page cover four things: when to tell your employer, when you need a medical certificate, whether the first days are unpaid, and who pays. Germany asks for a certificate after 3 days, the UK and Sweden after 7 days, and Italy from day 1. Always check official government guidance for your country.
In the UK you can self certify for up to 7 days. If you are off sick for more than 7 days in a row, including weekends and bank holidays, your employer can ask for a fit note. A GP, hospital doctor, registered nurse, occupational therapist, pharmacist or physiotherapist can issue it after assessing you.
UK Statutory Sick Pay is £123.25 a week or 80% of your normal weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Your employer pays it for up to 28 weeks. From 6 April 2026, pay starts from the first full day of sickness absence instead of the fourth day.
In Germany you need a doctor's certificate of incapacity for work if you are off longer than 3 calendar days. Your employer can ask for one from the first day. Tell your employer without delay when you fall ill. After 4 weeks in the job, your employer keeps paying your wages for up to 6 weeks.
In France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Andorra and Monaco, the statutory sickness allowance starts on day 4. In Estonia no benefit is paid for days 1 to 3, and in Latvia day 1 is unpaid. Sweden makes one waiting deduction instead. Your contract may still cover these days, so check with your employer.
Switzerland has no mandatory state sickness cash benefit. If your job has lasted more than 3 months, your employer must pay at least 3 weeks of full salary in the first year of service. Most employers instead take out daily allowance insurance, which usually pays 80% of salary for 720 or 730 days within 900.
In the Netherlands your employer pays at least 70% of your wages for up to 2 years, which is 104 weeks. In the first year, your employer must top this up to the minimum wage if 70% falls below it. Report sick no later than the second calendar day of illness.
In Spain, a public health service doctor certifies your illness, and the social security body sends the data to your employer. The allowance starts on day 4 at 60% of the calculation base, rising to 75% from day 21. Your employer pays it from day 4 to day 15, then Social Security takes over.
If you work in one EU country and live in another, you are usually covered by the country where you work. You can still get treatment where you live. Posted workers on short assignments usually stay in their home system, proven by form A1. Follow the rules of the country that insures you.
Yes. The statutory rules are a minimum. Contracts and collective agreements in the countries covered here can pay more, start sooner or last longer. Official guidance for France, Italy, Croatia and Serbia mentions such agreements directly, and Dutch rules set 70% as a minimum. Check your contract or ask your HR team.
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