Shrnutí: In 2026, sickness insurance provides financial support in the event of incapacity for work, maternity, caring for a child or a family member, and in other situations specified by law. Employees are required to be insured if they meet the conditions, while sickness insurance for self-employed individuals remains voluntary. The amount and eligibility for individual benefits vary depending on the specific situation and the length of insurance coverage.
Are you unsure whether you are entitled to sick pay or another benefit, or whether your employer is handling your incapacity for work correctly? Our attorneys will help you assess your specific situation and explain what rights you can assert.
Sickness insurance provides employees (and, in some cases, self-employed individuals who voluntarily pay into the sickness insurance system) with financial assistance in the event of temporary incapacity to work caused by illness, injury, quarantine, caring for a sick family member, or as a result of pregnancy, maternity, or childcare.
The rules governing sickness insurance are set forth in the Sickness Insurance Act. This Act specifies the insurance premiums paid by employees and employers, the conditions for eligibility for sickness insurance benefits, and the rules for the administration and oversight of the system. The Act also includes other specific provisions regarding the assessment of health status and the provision of benefits in various specific situations.
Health insurance is part of social insurance. Find out how much you pay for social insurance, what it consists of, and where all your money goes.
Employees become eligible for sickness insurance when they meet the conditions set forth in the Sickness Insurance Act. In 2026, the qualifying income for an employee’s participation in sickness insurance is 4,500 CZK per month.
A separate threshold applies to employees working under a contract for work (DPP). As of January 1, 2026, the qualifying amount for their participation in sickness insurance is 12,000 CZK per month.
For part-time employment—that is, when the agreed-upon income does not reach the qualifying income threshold or has not been agreed upon at all—participation in sickness insurance is assessed based on the actual income earned in each month.
Insurance premium payments include contributions from both the employer and the employee. The total social insurance rate is the product of the assessment base and the percentage rate. The employer’s assessment base is the sum of all the assessment bases of its employees. For the employer, this amounts to 24.8% of the assessment base (of which 2.1% goes toward sickness insurance). The employee then contributes an additional 0.6% toward sickness insurance .
For self-employed individuals, sickness insurance is voluntary. If a self-employed person wishes to receive benefits for which participation in sickness insurance is a requirement, they must enroll in the insurance and pay premiums regularly.
In 2026, the minimum monthly assessment base for sickness insurance for self-employed individuals is 9,000 CZK. The insurance premium rate is 2.7%, so the minimum monthly premium is 243 Kč. However, self-employed individuals may also choose a higher monthly assessment base within the limits set by law.
In practice: A common misconception among self-employed individuals is the belief that paying mandatory social insurance premiums automatically means they are also covered by sickness insurance. However, sickness insurance is voluntary for self-employed individuals, and without enrollment and fulfillment of the required participation period, entitlement to certain benefits may not arise at all.
Are you curious about how financial assistance for self-employed individuals works? Read on to find out when you’re eligible for sick pay and unemployment benefits.
Employers have a number of obligations under sickness insurance, which can be divided into reporting obligations, record-keeping obligations, and obligations related to processing benefit claims:
Starting in 2026, employers’ reporting obligations will also be governed by the Act on the Unified Monthly Employer Report. As a general rule, an employer must register in the employer registry no later than two business days before the date on which its first employee is scheduled to start work.
The employer must register the employee in the registry no later than the time the employee begins work. If the employment ends, the employer generally deregisters the employee from the registry within eight days. The Act also regulates the reporting of changes to registered data and the unified monthly report, through which the employer submits specified data to the government.
Are you wondering what an employer’s obligations are under a DPP and a DPČ? You’ll find the answer in our article.
Record-keeping obligations include maintaining records of employees covered by health insurance. This includes information about the employee, such as their identification details, information about their employment relationship, income, periods of temporary incapacity for work, and other relevant data, such as information about pensions or health insurance.
Another key area is the acceptance of applications for sickness insurance benefits. The employer must accept employees’ applications for benefits and the supporting documents required for their payment.
They must convert these documents into electronic form and submit them to the relevant district social security administration (OSSZ). For benefit applications such as paternity leave or caregiver’s allowance, the supporting documents must be submitted after the end of the benefit period or after a confirmation of the continued need for care is issued. For applications for sickness benefits, the employer is required to submit the supporting documents after the first 14 days of temporary incapacity for work have elapsed.
Are you wondering what your rights are while you’re on temporary sick leave, or do you think your employer has shortchanged you? Get advice from our experienced attorneys, who will answer your questions and help you find the right solution.
Sickness insurance includes a total of six basic benefits provided by the district social security administration. All benefits are paid on a per-calendar-day basis.
However, if a person holds multiple jobs that qualify for sickness insurance coverage, only one benefit is provided. The amount of this benefit is then determined based on the income from all of these jobs.
Now let’s take a closer look at the individual types of benefits:
Sickness benefits are provided in the event of temporary incapacity for work confirmed by your attending physician. You are entitled to sickness benefits starting on the 15th calendar day of your temporary incapacity for work. The benefit is paid until the end of this incapacity for work, but for no longer than 380 calendar days from the start of the incapacity. For self-employed individuals, a prerequisite is that they must have been enrolled in voluntary sickness insurance for at least three months prior to the onset of the incapacity for work.
During the first 14 calendar days of sick leave, employers provide their employees with wage compensation. This compensation is paid for workdays and is governed by the Labor Code. Self-employed individuals do not receive any benefits during this period.
Recipients of old-age or third-degree disability pensions are an exception. For them, sickness benefits are limited to a maximum of 70 calendar days and are payable only for the duration of their insured employment.
You may still receive sick pay even after the termination of employment that established your insurance coverage, provided that your temporary incapacity to work arose during the protection period. This period lasts 7 calendar days from the termination of employment. For employment lasting less than 7 days, the grace period corresponds to the duration of the employment.
However, the grace period does not apply to:
Did your employment end shortly before you became unable to work, or are you unsure whether the grace period applies to you? We’ll help you determine whether you may be eligible for sick pay even after your employment ends and how to properly file your claim.
Boththe protection period and the protection term safeguard employees in very specific situations where they are vulnerable and could easily find themselves without a job or financial means. How do these two very similar legal concepts differ, and under what circumstances do they apply? You’ll find out in the next article.
Maternity benefits are provided to insured persons in connection with pregnancy, childbirth, or the adoption of a child. You are eligible for maternity benefits if you have been covered by health insurance for at least 270 days over the past two years. There is also a 180-day grace period following the termination of your insurance coverage (leaving employment).
For self-employed individuals, an additional requirement is participation in sickness insurance for at least 180 days during the last year prior to the start of the benefit period.
Maternity benefits may be claimed from the 8th through the 6th week before the expected date of delivery. The benefit period lasts:
The benefit may be received until the child reaches 1 year of age at birth, or until the child reaches 7 years of age upon placement in foster care.
The law allows the mother and father of the child to alternate receiving maternity benefits. Based on a written agreement, both may receive the benefit during separate periods, provided that each meets the legal requirements. The father may begin receiving the benefit no earlier than the 7th week after birth, provided he cares for the child for at least 7 consecutive days.
You can read more about when you become eligible for maternity leave and how maternity leave works for the self-employed in our article.
Caregiver’s Allowance is a sickness insurance benefit provided to employees who are unable to perform their work because they must care for a close relative. The benefit serves to provide financial security during the period when care is necessary due to a health condition or extraordinary circumstances.
You are eligible if:
We’ve coveredeverything you need to know about sick pay in detail in another article.
The condition is that this person must share a household with you. This condition does not apply to the care of direct relatives (such as parents or children), a spouse, a registered partner, a sibling, or a mother-in-law or father-in-law.
Caregiver’s allowance cannot be claimed for a child for whom the other parent is already receiving maternity benefits or parental allowance (provided that person is capable of caring for the child). For a single instance of care, only one eligible person may receive the care allowance; alternatively, two eligible persons may take turns, but the benefit is provided only once.
Starting in 2025, certain individuals working under a DPP or DPČ contract, as well as self-employed individuals (OSVČ), may also be eligible for the care allowance if they meet the legal requirements. For self-employed individuals, the general requirement is that they have participated in voluntary health insurance for at least three months immediately prior to the need for care arising. Thus, being self-employed or working under a contract does not automatically exclude eligibility for the care allowance.
There is nowaiting period for nursing allowance; therefore, entitlement arises only upon active participation in sickness insurance.
The benefit period for nursing care allowance is:
Do you also always struggle when filling out forms, applications, and questionnaires? Read on to learn how to apply for sick leave benefits.
You are entitled to a compensatory allowance during pregnancy and maternity leave if you were transferred to a different, lower-paying job due to pregnancy, maternity, or breastfeeding. Its purpose is to compensate for the reduction in income that occurred through no fault of your own.
The compensation allowance is calculated as the difference between the daily assessment base you received before being transferred to a different job and the average income earned in your new position for each calendar month following the transfer.
The benefit is paid for the calendar days you work in your new position, starting from the date of reassignment but no later than the beginning of the 6th week before your expected due date. It may also be paid after childbirth if the reassignment to a different position continues due to maternity or breastfeeding.
Are you wondering what your rights are while you’re on temporary sick leave, or do you think your employer has shortchanged you? Get advice from our experienced attorneys, who will answer your questions and help you find the right solution.
The postnatal paternity leave benefit, also known as paternity leave, is financial support provided to the child’s father to help his wife or girlfriend care for the newborn.
The paternity leave must begin within 6 weeks of the child’s birth or within 6 weeks of taking the child into care (applies to children under seven years of age). If the mother or child is hospitalized, the 6-week period is extended by the duration of the hospitalization. However, the latest date to begin receiving the benefit is when the child reaches 1 year of age.
Paternity leave may last a maximum of two weeks and must be taken all at once, without interruption. Note that you are entitled to this benefit only once, even if, for example, you have twins.
Are you wondering how to apply for paternity leave and how much money you’ll receive? You’ll find the answer in our article.
Long-term care allowance is intended for individuals who care for a close relative requiring round-the-clock care. This benefit allows caregivers to temporarily suspend their employment so they can devote themselves to providing care.
To be eligible for long-term care allowance, several conditions must be met by both the person receiving care and the caregiver.
The person receiving care must have experienced a serious deterioration in their health that requires hospitalization for at least 4 days. Additionally, they must have a doctor’s confirmation that full-time care will be needed for at least another 30 days after discharge. In the case of an incurable condition (terminal illness), hospitalization is not a requirement; however, a doctor must confirm the need for long-term care. Additionally, the person receiving care must give written consent for a specific person to provide care.
The caregiver may be a spouse, partner, registered partner, direct relative, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, or any other person living with the person receiving care in the same household. Additionally, this person must have been insured for at least 90 days within the last four months (or, for self-employed individuals, within the last three months).
Caregivers may take turns providing care, but the benefit is not recalculated. The benefit period is a maximum of 90 calendar days, and a new entitlement to the benefit may arise no sooner than 12 months after the end of the previous period of care for the same person.
If an employee meets the legal requirements for providing long-term care, the employer is required to excuse the employee’s absence from work during this period. The rules governing time off for long-term care are set forth in the Labor Code, while the conditions for entitlement to the long-term care allowance itself are established by the Sickness Insurance Act.
We’ve coveredsick pay for self-employed individuals in a separate article.
Sickness insurance benefits are calculated based on the daily assessment base. The daily assessment base is determined as the average daily income of an employee or self-employed person. It is calculated based on earnings from the last 12 calendar months preceding the month in which the qualifying event occurred (e.g., illness, the need to care for a child). This income is divided by the number of days that can be included in this period.
For each type of benefit, a specific percentage of the daily assessment base is then applied:
Furthermore, this amount is reduced by three reduction thresholds, which are announced annually by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. For the year 2026, the following applies:
The reduction is calculated as follows:
Social security or health insurance debt can pile up quickly—all it takes is forgetting a single payment or failing to pay the full amount, and you’re in trouble. So how exactly does this work when self-employed individuals fail to pay their insurance premiums, and what if your employer doesn’t pay your insurance premiums?
Sickness insurance protects insured persons in the event of incapacity for work, maternity, care for a child or a close relative, and in other situations specified by law. Employees are required to participate in the system if they meet the legal requirements, while sickness insurance for self-employed individuals is voluntary. In 2026, the qualifying income for regular employees is 4,500 CZK per month and 12,000 CZK per month for those working under a DPP contract; the minimum sickness insurance premium for self-employed individuals is 243 CZK per month. Subject to specific conditions, the insurance provides benefits such as sickness benefits, maternity benefits, nursing care benefits, pregnancy and maternity compensation, paternity benefits, and long-term nursing care benefits.
No. Health insurance covers medical care, while sickness insurance provides cash benefits—for example, in the event of incapacity to work or when caring for a child—provided certain conditions are met.
An employee’s standard coverage is established by law based on their employment and income. The voluntary health insurance plan is typical primarily for self-employed individuals.
A breach of the employer’s obligations does not, in and of itself, mean that the employee should automatically be deprived of the rights arising from his or her participation in the insurance program. However, it is advisable to verify the specific situation with the relevant social security administration.
Health insurance and pension insurance are distinct components of the social security system. Simply paying into health insurance on a voluntary basis does not replace pension insurance for self-employed individuals.
Yes, participation in health insurance is voluntary for self-employed individuals. However, it is important to keep in mind that terminating participation may subsequently affect eligibility for benefits tied to the previous period of insurance coverage.
Have you applied for sickness, maternity, parental allowance or other benefit and instead of the expected support, you received a rejection? Or were you awarded a benefit in a lower amount than is appropriate for your situation?
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 15 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 15 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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