Sick Pay in Austria: When and How Much the Health Insurance Pays Sick pay (Krankengeld) in Austria: from which day the health insurance pays, how much you receive, how to apply and how long payments last. Topics: Daily Life, Healthcare.

When you fall ill and stay off work for a long time, your income does not simply stop — first your employer pays, then the health insurance system steps in. Krankengeld (sick pay) is the benefit that the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK), Austria’s main health insurer, pays instead of lost wages once the employer-paid period is exhausted.

This guide covers the essentials: from which day the insurance fund starts paying, how much sick pay you receive as a percentage of your salary, how the benefit is calculated, how long payments last, and what you need to do to receive them. We rely on the current ÖGK rules, Arbeiterkammer data and official explanations from the Unternehmensserviceportal. For most employees in Austria, this information becomes relevant at least once — so it pays to understand the system before you need it.

What is Krankengeld and how it differs from employer-paid sick leave

Krankengeld is a cash sickness benefit from the statutory health insurance system. It is paid not by your company but by the Krankenkasse — in most cases the ÖGK. The benefit compensates part of the lost income once you no longer receive your salary from the employer.

Two distinct periods matter here:

• Entgeltfortzahlung — continued salary payment by the employer. It lasts 6 to 12 weeks depending on tenure: 6 weeks for up to 5 years of service, 8 weeks for 5–15 years, 10 weeks for 15–25 years, 12 weeks beyond 25 years.
• Krankengeld — the insurance benefit that kicks in after the Entgeltfortzahlung period is exhausted.

As the Unternehmensserviceportal explains, Krankengeld is paid from the fourth day of incapacity as a minimum guaranteed amount — but in practice sick pay starts flowing once the right to salary from the employer ends.

There is also a fundamental difference from the systems in Germany or the UK: in Austria, the employer covers roughly the first six weeks of illness, so the insurance fund steps in much later. That is convenient for the employee — early weeks bring nearly full salary rather than a reduced benefit. But it also means many people are surprised on day 43, when the salary is replaced by a calculated payment from the insurer.

From which day does the insurance pay: day 4, day 43 and other key dates

The answer to the central question — “when does the insurance start paying” — depends on your situation. There are three basic scenarios, and it is worth knowing all of them in advance.

The first payment day is day 4 of incapacity. Formally, Krankengeld is due from the fourth day of sick leave. In practice, however, your employer pays you during the first 42 days under Entgeltfortzahlung, so the insurance benefit is absorbed by your salary during that period.

The key date is day 43. From day 43, the benefit rises from 50% to 60% of the assessment base. This rule is anchored in § 141 ASVG and confirmed by the ÖGK. Employees with children may also claim the Familienzuschlag (family supplement) from this day onward.

Exceptions to the general rule:

• Freie Dienstnehmer (freelance-style contractors) receive no Entgeltfortzahlung from an employer — the insurance pays them from day 4.
• Unemployed people receive Krankengeld from day 4 in the amount of their last AMS benefit (Arbeitslosengeld or Notstandshilfe).
• Geringfügig Beschäftigte (mini-job holders with Selbstversicherung) — from day 4 at a fixed rate.

One important detail: the first three days of illness are not covered by anyone — neither the employer nor the fund. In practice, Entgeltfortzahlung covers them, so employees rarely lose money. The problem arises only for those whose right to employer pay is already exhausted: those three days simply drop out of the payments.

How much the insurance pays: 50% and 60% of the assessment base

The amount of sick pay depends on the Bemessungsgrundlage — the assessment base, i.e. your average daily earnings used to calculate the benefit.

The payment schedule for employees:

Period of illness	Share of assessment base
Days 4–42	50% (usually covered by Entgeltfortzahlung)
From day 43	60%

An additional 17% is added to the base — a supplement that accounts for Sonderzahlungen (the 13th and 14th salaries). This applies if the employer does not continue paying these bonuses during illness.

The benefit is partially taxable: the first €30 per day are tax-free, amounts above that are subject to 20% payroll tax. Important: if you received Krankengeld, filing a tax return (Arbeitnehmerveranlagung) is mandatory — any overpayment or underpayment is settled in the reassessment.

The Familienzuschlag (family supplement) deserves special mention. From day 43, you can claim it if you have dependants without their own income: children, a spouse who depends on you financially. The application goes to the ÖGK, and the supplement is added to the main benefit. Many families simply do not know about it and lose several hundred euros a month.

How the assessment base is calculated

Bemessungsgrundlage is the gross salary on which social insurance contributions were paid, for the calendar month before the end of the full entitlement to pay. Simply put — your last full monthly income before falling ill.

Calculation details:

• Only social-insurance gross income counts — the part subject to contributions.
• There is a cap — the Höchstbeitragsgrundlage. In 2026 it is €6,930 per month. Earnings above this amount are not included in the calculation.
• Sonderzahlungen (13th/14th salary) are added as a 17% supplement if you do not receive them in full during illness.
• Since 2025, valorisation of the benefit has been abolished — Krankengeld is no longer indexed annually as it was in 2023–2024. This change is also noted in the Arbeiterkammer article.

Example. With a gross salary of €3,000 per month, the assessment base is €3,000 × 1.17 = €3,510 (if the 13th/14th salary is not paid). The daily base is €3,510 / 30 = €117. From day 43 the benefit equals €117 × 60% ≈ €70.20 per day before tax. Over four weeks that adds up to roughly €1,966 — noticeably less than your salary, so a financial cushion for a long illness is worth having.

A practical tip: keep your pay slips and income certificates. If the fund makes a mistake in the Bemessungsgrundlage calculation — which happens, especially after a job change or with non-standard contracts — these documents are exactly what you need to contest the decision.

How long payments last: 26, 52 or 78 weeks

The duration of sick pay depends on your insurance history.

• 26 weeks — the base period for a single case of illness.
• 52 weeks — if you were insured for at least 6 months within the 12 months before falling ill (this applies to most employed people).
• Up to 78 weeks — in exceptional cases when the insurance’s medical service (Ärztlicher Dienst) confirms that recovery is expected within this period. The review happens at weeks 40–44 of receiving the benefit.

As AMS notes, the limits concern the benefit amount, not the sick leave itself: a Krankenstand can last as long as the illness continues, but the insurance payment has a maximum duration.

If you fall ill again with the same illness, previous benefit weeks count towards the total — the clock does not restart. After recovery and returning to work, the right to a fresh 26/52 weeks is restored.

The practical consequence: if you have been ill for a long time and the fund has already paid you almost the full term, consult your doctor and the ÖGK before going on sick leave again for the same reason. Sometimes it is wiser to wait for full recovery so you do not “burn” the remaining term on a short relapse.

Who is entitled to Krankengeld

The benefit is available to those insured in the statutory health insurance system. The specific groups include:

• Employees (Arbeiter, Angestellte, Lehrlinge) — the main group.
• Freie Dienstnehmer — freelance-style contractors.
• Unemployed people entitled to Arbeitslosengeld or Notstandshilfe — they receive the benefit in the amount of their last AMS payment.
• Geringfügig Beschäftigte with voluntary Selbstversicherung (§ 19a ASVG) — a fixed rate.

Who is not entitled:

• Pensioners — retirees (they have their own system).
• Mitversicherte Angehörige — family members insured through a working relative.
• Geringfügig Beschäftigte without voluntary Selbstversicherung.

Some recipient groups can combine Krankengeld with other social benefits — for example, parental leave (Elternzeit) or the top-up to the minimum income (Mindestsicherung). The combination depends on your specific situation, so it is worth checking the conditions with the ÖGK before applying.

Krankengeld is not an automatic payment. The benefit is only granted upon application, and you should file it with the Krankenkasse — ideally before the employer-paid period runs out.

— Advice from Arbeiterkammer Österreich

How to apply for Krankengeld: a step-by-step guide

The application is the key step that is often missed. Without it, the insurance will not start paying even if all conditions are met.

1. Get your sick note. The doctor records the start of your Krankenstand and reports it to the ÖGK electronically — this happens automatically when the sick note is issued.
2. Find out when Entgeltfortzahlung ends. Your HR department will give you the exact date. Apply in advance so there is no gap in payments.
3. Submit the application. The form can be filed online through the ÖGK portal, by post, or in person at a branch. The insurance may also request an Arbeits- und Entgeltbestätigung (income confirmation from the employer).
4. Provide your bank details (IBAN) — payments are made every 4 weeks in arrears.
5. Watch for decisions from the insurance. If the doctor extends your sick leave, the ÖGK may arrange a review by the Ärztlicher Dienst — especially for long Krankenstände.

Processing usually takes several weeks. The first payment arrives after the fund has handled the paperwork, so do not delay the application: a month of delay means you receive the first month’s money late.

Common mistakes when claiming sick pay

Even experienced employees make mistakes during the process. These are the most frequent ones that lead to delays or lost money.

• Waiting too long to apply. Many people wait until Entgeltfortzahlung runs out and file the application “later”. The fund then takes several weeks to process it — and a gap without money appears.
• Wrong bank details. A typo in the IBAN pushes the payment back another cycle. Double-check the number.
• Ignoring the Familienzuschlag. Families with children and dependants often do not know about the supplement from day 43 and lose hundreds of euros.
• Missing sick-leave extensions. If the doctor extends your Krankenstand but you do not inform the fund in time, the payment may be suspended.
• Losing supporting documents. When calculating the Bemessungsgrundlage, the fund relies on employer data; income certificates are needed to contest mistakes.

Sick pay after an accident: the difference from Verletztengeld

An important distinction: if your illness is caused by a workplace accident or a recognised occupational disease, the benefit is paid not by the ÖGK but by the AUVA (General Accident Insurance Institution) — and it is called Verletztengeld.

The key differences, as presented by karriere.at:

Parameter	Krankengeld (ÖGK)	Verletztengeld (AUVA)
Start of payment	Day 4 (after Entgeltfortzahlung)	Day 2 after the accident
Amount	50% → 60% of base	60% → 80% of base (from day 43)
Tax	Partially taxed	Tax-free
Maximum duration	26–78 weeks	Unlimited, until recovery

If your injury happened on the way to work (Wegeunfall) or at the workplace, make sure to inform your employer and doctor so the case is classified as occupational. This directly affects the amount and duration of your payments: Verletztengeld is higher, starts earlier and is tax-free.

What changed in 2025–2026: the end of valorisation and reform debates

Austria’s sick pay system is not static — recent years have brought changes worth knowing about when planning your budget.

The biggest change — the end of valorisation. In 2023–2024, the Bemessungsgrundlage and Krankengeld itself were indexed annually with an adjustment factor. Since 1 January 2025, this rule in the ÖGK statutes has not been renewed, and the benefit no longer rises with inflation. The practical implication: if you were ill in 2024 and again in 2026 with the same salary, the payment amount is identical — even though prices have risen over those two years.

Political debates continue in parallel. Proposals periodically surface to shorten the Entgeltfortzahlung period, introduce a “waiting day” or change the benefit percentage. None of these initiatives has become law yet, but it is worth following healthcare news — for example, how the government discusses health system reform.

What has not changed: the right to the benefit, the Höchstbeitragsgrundlage cap and the overall logic of “first the employer, then the fund” remain the same. For most employees, the practical procedure is unchanged: get your Krankenstand on time, wait for the Entgeltfortzahlung period to end, and file your application with the ÖGK.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get sick pay if I fall ill in my first month of work?

Yes, but Entgeltfortzahlung is shorter early in employment: with less than 5 years of service the employer pays 6 weeks. After that, Krankengeld starts if you are insured with the ÖGK.

Do I have to apply for Krankengeld myself?

Yes, definitely. The benefit is not paid automatically — file your application with the ÖGK before Entgeltfortzahlung ends to avoid a gap in payments.

Is Krankengeld taxed?

Partially. The first €30 per day are tax-free, amounts above that are subject to 20% payroll tax. Filing an Arbeitnehmerveranlagung is mandatory.

What happens if I fall ill again with the same illness?

Previous benefit weeks count towards the total — a fresh 26/52-week period does not start until you have recovered for a certain minimum period.

Do unemployed people receive Krankengeld?

Yes, from day 4 of incapacity, in the amount of their last AMS benefit (Arbeitslosengeld or Notstandshilfe).

What if the fund rejects my claim?

You can appeal the decision. Collect documents confirming your income and incapacity, and file an objection with the ÖGK. If the issue persists, contact the Arbeiterkammer, which provides free advice on labour and social matters.

What to remember about sick pay in Austria

Here is a short checklist of the essentials.

• The first 42 days of illness are paid by your employer (Entgeltfortzahlung) — the length depends on your tenure.
• From day 43, Krankengeld from the ÖGK kicks in: 60% of the assessment base (from days 4–42 it is 50%, but that period is usually covered by the employer).
• You must apply — without an application, payments will not start.
• Duration — 26 weeks in the base case, 52 weeks with 6+ months of insurance in the past year, up to 78 weeks at the insurance’s discretion.
• Tax — the first €30 per day are tax-free, then 20% payroll tax, and a tax return is mandatory.
• Familienzuschlag — the family supplement from day 43, often forgotten.

If you are navigating the Austrian health insurance system, you may also find useful our articles on what the insurance covers at the dentist, whether Krankenkasse pays for fitness training and how paid leave to care for a sick child works. For a guide on care leave for relatives (Pflegeurlaub), see our dedicated article.

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