Sick leave rules in Spain at a glance
Statutory rules for Spain, 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 | Since 1 April 2023 not handed to the company; the INSS sends the data to the company by the first working day after receiving them |
| Waiting days | 3 days |
| Employer pays | The allowance for days 4 to 15 |
| State sickness benefit | Social Security from day 16; 60%, then 75% from day 21 |
| Maximum duration | 365 days, plus 180 |
| Last checked |
Who pays sick pay in Spain?
In Spain, employer pay: the allowance for days 4 to 15. State sickness benefit: Social Security from day 16; 60%, then 75% from day 21.
- Waiting daysDays 1 to 33 days
- EmployerDays 4 to 15The allowance for days 4 to 15
- State sickness benefitFrom day 16Social Security from day 16; 60%, then 75% from day 21
- Official body
- INSS (Social Security)
Work out your own figures with the sick pay calculator.
When do you need a doctor's note in Spain?
Official guidance we checked does not yet confirm from which day Spain requires a doctor's certificate, so ask your employer.
Self certification. Ask your employer
Certificate deadline. Since 1 April 2023 not handed to the company; the INSS sends the data to the company by the first working day after receiving them
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 Spain.
Worked example: 25 days off sick in Spain
How a 25 day absence runs in Spain, 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 | 3 days |
| Days 4 to 15 | Employer | The allowance for days 4 to 15 |
| Days 16 to 25 | State sickness benefit | Social Security from day 16; 60%, then 75% from day 21 |
Maximum duration: 365 days, plus 180
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 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.
What if you work in Spain but live in another country?
If you work in Spain 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 (INSS (Social Security)).
If your doctor is in another country, ask the paying body (INSS (Social Security)) which format it accepts.
More on working in one country and living in another. Related tool: Fit to fly readiness checklist
Frequently asked questions
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.
The certificate deadline in Spain: since 1 April 2023 not handed to the company; the INSS sends the data to the company by the first working day after receiving them.
Waiting days in Spain: 3 days.
The maximum duration of sick pay in Spain: 365 days, plus 180.
Sick leave rules in neighbouring countries
Compare Spain with Portugal and France, or see all 42 countries side by side.
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