Sick leave rules in Estonia at a glance
Statutory rules for Estonia, checked against official government guidance on 15 October 2026.
| Tell your employer | Ask your employer |
|---|---|
| Self certification | Ask your employer |
| Doctor's certificate needed from | Ask your employer |
| Certificate deadline | The doctor sends the electronic certificate to the Health Insurance Fund; you do not send it |
| Waiting days | Days 1 to 3 |
| Employer pays | Days 4 to 8 |
| State sickness benefit | Tervisekassa: 70% from day 9, up to €126.87 a day |
| Maximum duration | 182 days per case (240 for tuberculosis) |
| Last checked |
Who pays sick pay in Estonia?
In Estonia, employer pay: days 4 to 8. State sickness benefit: Tervisekassa: 70% from day 9, up to €126.87 a day.
- Waiting daysDays 1 to 3Days 1 to 3
- EmployerDays 4 to 8Days 4 to 8
- State sickness benefitFrom day 9Tervisekassa: 70% from day 9, up to €126.87 a day
- Official body
- Tervisekassa
Work out your own figures with the sick pay calculator.
When do you need a doctor's note in Estonia?
Official guidance we checked does not yet confirm from which day Estonia requires a doctor's certificate, so ask your employer.
Self certification. Ask your employer
Certificate deadline. The doctor sends the electronic certificate to the Health Insurance Fund; you do not send it
Telling your employer. Ask your employer
Check your own dates with the "do I need a note" tool, or see how to get a doctor's note in Estonia.
Worked example: 25 days off sick in Estonia
How a 25 day absence runs in Estonia, step by step. No money is worked out here.
| When | What happens | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Tell your employer | Ask your employer |
| Days 1 to 3 | Waiting days | Days 1 to 3 |
| Days 4 to 8 | Employer | Days 4 to 8 |
| Days 9 to 25 | State sickness benefit | Tervisekassa: 70% from day 9, up to €126.87 a day |
Maximum duration: 182 days per case (240 for tuberculosis)
For your own figures, use the sick pay calculator. It reads the same checked data as this page.
What is different about sick leave in Estonia?
Your doctor sends the certificate to the national database, so you do not deliver it.
What if you work in Estonia but live in another country?
If you work in Estonia and live in another country, you are usually covered by the social security system where you work, so the rules on this page apply.
Ask your employer how and when to report sick, and send any certificate to the body that pays you (Tervisekassa).
If your doctor is in another country, ask the paying body (Tervisekassa) which format it accepts.
More on working in one country and living in another. Related tool: Fit to fly readiness checklist
Frequently asked questions
The certificate deadline in Estonia: the doctor sends the electronic certificate to the Health Insurance Fund; you do not send it.
Waiting days in Estonia: days 1 to 3.
The maximum duration of sick pay in Estonia: 182 days per case (240 for tuberculosis).
Official guidance we checked does not yet confirm when you must tell your employer in Estonia. Ask your employer.
Sick leave rules in neighbouring countries
Compare Estonia with Latvia and Finland, or see all 42 countries side by side.
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