Weeks 1 to 6
100%
employer continues salary
From week 7
70% / 90%
of gross / of net
2026 maximum
€135.63
gross per day
Longest
78 weeks
in 3 years, same illness
Statutory health insurance (GKV), 2026 rules checked in September 2026. Net figures are PayMetric Labs' own modeled estimates, labelled where they appear.
Start from your normal net pay
The 90% limit is based on it, so it tells you what Krankengeld will replace.
From Entgeltfortzahlung to Krankengeld
A long illness has two phases. For the first six weeks of incapacity from the same illness, your employer pays your normal salary under the Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz (§3 EFZG). You need to have been employed for at least four weeks. Your doctor sends the sick note electronically (eAU), but you still need to tell your employer you are ill on the first day.
From day 43, the employer stops and your statutory health insurer starts paying Krankengeld (§47 SGB V). Your Krankenkasse will send a form for your employer to certify your pay, which the benefit is based on. It is paid for every calendar day, weekends included, counted as 30 days a month.
Krankengeld calculation: two worked examples
Single, tax class I, no children, no church tax. PayMetric Labs' own modeled estimate, using our 2026 German engine for normal net pay and the statutory Krankengeld formula.
| Step | €3,500 gross a month | €5,000 gross a month |
|---|---|---|
| Normal net pay a month | €2,333 | €3,130 |
| 70% of gross, per day | €81.67 | €116.67 |
| 90% of net, per day | €70.00 | €93.90 |
| Krankengeld before deductions (the lower) | €70.00 | €93.90 |
| After 13% contributions, per day | €60.90 | €81.70 |
| Krankengeld for a 30-day month | €1,827 (78%) | €2,451 (78%) |
In both cases the 90%-of-net limit decides the amount, not the 70% headline. That is typical for single employees in class I. Then pension (9.3%), unemployment (1.3%) and care insurance (2.4% if childless, 1.8% with a child) come off. Your Krankenkasse pays the health insurance and the other half of those contributions.
High earners: above the ceiling of €69,750 a year, extra salary doesn't count. The absolute maximum is €135.63 a day before deductions, around €3,540 a month after them for a childless employee. On €10,000 gross, with normal take-home of about €5,712, that is at most 62% of your usual net pay. That gap is why many high earners add private Krankentagegeld cover.
Who gets what: employees, private patients and freelancers
| Your situation | Weeks 1 to 6 | After week 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Employee, statutory insurance (GKV) | Full salary from employer | Krankengeld from the Krankenkasse |
| Employee, private insurance (PKV) | Full salary from employer | Only private Krankentagegeld, if insured |
| Freelancer, GKV with Krankengeld option | Nothing | Krankengeld, usually from day 43 |
| Freelancer, PKV | Nothing, unless insured earlier | Private Krankentagegeld, if insured |
Weighing a Freiberufler contract against a permanent role in Berlin or Munich? The missing six weeks of sick pay is a real cost to price into a day rate. See Freiberufler vs Angestellter.
If you're off sick for more than a few weeks
- Make sure every sick note follows on without a gap. A gap of even one day can interrupt Krankengeld.
- Return the Krankenkasse's forms quickly. Payment only starts once your employer has certified your pay.
- Keep your normal payslips: they help you check the 70% and 90% figures.
- Plan for a small tax bill: Krankengeld raises the rate on your other income for the year.
- Approaching 78 weeks? Talk to your Krankenkasse and the Agentur für Arbeit early about what comes next.
Krankengeld questions
How is Krankengeld calculated in 2026?
It is 70% of your gross pay (the Regelentgelt, capped at the health insurance ceiling of €69,750 a year), but never more than 90% of your net pay, and at most €135.63 a day. It is paid per calendar day, 30 days a month. Your share of pension, unemployment and care insurance, about 12.4% to 13%, is then deducted.
When does Krankengeld start?
After six weeks. For the first six weeks of the same illness your employer keeps paying your full salary (Entgeltfortzahlung), provided you have worked there for at least four weeks. From day 43, your statutory health insurer (Krankenkasse) pays Krankengeld.
Why is my Krankengeld lower than 70% of my salary?
Usually because the 90%-of-net limit bites first. For a single employee in tax class I, 90% of net is lower than 70% of gross at most salaries. Then the social contributions come off. On €5,000 gross that leaves about €2,451 a month, 78% of normal take-home (PayMetric Labs' own estimate). Bonuses and Weihnachtsgeld from the last 12 months can raise it a little.
Is Krankengeld taxed?
No income tax is withheld, but Krankengeld is subject to the Progressionsvorbehalt. It raises the tax rate on your other income for the year, so you may owe a little when you file. If you received Krankengeld over €410 in a year, you must file a tax return.
How long can I get Krankengeld?
Up to 78 weeks within three years for the same illness, and the first six weeks of employer pay count toward that. If you are still unfit for work after that, you can usually apply for unemployment benefit (ALG I) while your capacity to work is assessed.
Do I get Krankengeld with private health insurance?
No. Private insurers don't pay statutory Krankengeld. You only get a daily sickness benefit if your private policy includes Krankentagegeld, and the amount is whatever you insured. Check it when you switch to private cover, especially if you earn well above the statutory maximum.
Does my tax class change my Krankengeld?
Yes, indirectly. The 90% limit uses your net pay, and net pay depends on your tax class. A married employee in class III has a higher net than in class V, so the limit is higher. A switch made during the illness doesn't count, because the calculation uses pay before you fell ill.
Can freelancers get Krankengeld?
Only if they are voluntarily insured with a Krankenkasse and chose cover that includes Krankengeld, which usually starts from day 43 and means paying the higher general contribution rate. Freelancers in private insurance need Krankentagegeld instead.
Methodology and limits
Rules come from §47 SGB V, §3 EFZG and betanet's Krankengeld guide (updated July 2026), checked in September 2026. The 2026 maximum of €135.63 is 70% of the health insurance ceiling of €69,750 divided by 360.
Normal net pay uses PayMetric Labs' 2026 German engine (tax class I, childless, no church tax, average Zusatzbeitrag). The examples leave out one-off payments, which your Krankenkasse adds at 1/360 a day, and assume the 13% childless deduction. Above the contribution ceiling, the net limit is worked out differently, so we give only the cap there. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Related Germany pay guides