Maternity, paternity and sickness benefits exist in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic, but the amounts and duration differ. Slovakia pays maternity at 75 % of the daily assessment base for up to 34 weeks; Czechia pays 70 % for 28 weeks. Both countries give fathers two weeks of paternity leave, and in both the employer covers the first stretch of sick leave before the social insurance authority takes over.
Which benefits are we comparing?
Both systems draw these benefits from sickness insurance: maternity (in Czechia called financial assistance in maternity), paternity, and sickness pay for ordinary incapacity. In each country the entitlement depends on being covered by sickness insurance, and the parental benefits require a qualifying period of insurance – 270 days over the last two years in both Slovakia and Czechia.
The split between employer and state is the common design in both countries: the employer pays the early days of sick leave, while longer benefits come from the social insurance authority – the Sociálna poisťovňa in Slovakia and the ČSSZ in Czechia.
How does maternity benefit compare?
Slovakia is more generous on the headline figures. Maternity there is 75 % of the daily assessment base for 34 weeks (37 for a single mother, 43 for multiple children). The Czech Republic pays 70 % of a reduced daily base for 28 weeks (37 weeks for twins or more). Both require 270 days of insurance in the previous two years.
The gap is therefore two-fold: a higher percentage and six more weeks in Slovakia. In both countries, though, the amount is capped – Slovakia through a maximum assessment base, Czechia through reduction thresholds – so higher earners do not receive the full percentage of their real salary.
What about paternity leave?
Here the countries line up closely. Both grant fathers two weeks (14 days) to be taken within the first six weeks of the child’s life. The only real difference is the rate, which follows each country’s maternity level: 75 % of the daily base in Slovakia and 70 % in Czechia. In both systems the father can draw paternity benefit while the mother is on maternity benefit.
How is sick leave handled?
Both countries make the employer pay first, but the details differ. In Slovakia, from 2026 the employer covers the first 14 days – 25 % of the daily base for days one to three and 55 % from day four – and the Sociálna poisťovňa pays 55 % from day 15. In the Czech Republic the employer also covers the first 14 days (from the very first day, with no waiting period since 2019), after which the ČSSZ pays a rising rate: 60 % from day 15, 66 % from day 31 and 72 % from day 61.
So while both hand over to the state on day 15, Slovakia keeps a flat 55 %, whereas Czechia increases the rate the longer the illness lasts. Slovakia raised its employer period from 10 to 14 days in 2026, aligning the handover point with the Czech model.
What caps the benefit amount?
Neither country pays the headline percentage on an unlimited salary. Slovakia caps the daily assessment base – for 2026 at roughly 100.21 € per day – so benefits are calculated from that ceiling once earnings exceed it. Czechia instead reduces the daily base through three thresholds (1,633 CZK, 2,449 CZK and 4,897 CZK for 2026), counting less of the income above each step.
The effect is the same in both systems: a higher earner does not receive the full percentage of their real pay. The mechanics simply differ – a hard cap in Slovakia against a sliding reduction in Czechia.
Do the self-employed get the same rights?
In both countries, employees are covered automatically, but the self-employed are not. A Slovak SZČO or a Czech OSVČ is entitled to maternity, paternity and sickness benefits only if they pay voluntary sickness insurance and meet the qualifying period. Czechia adds a stricter condition for maternity: on top of 270 days over two years, at least 180 days of participation in the last year.
The practical message is the same on both sides of the border: without voluntary sickness insurance, an entrepreneur has no income during illness or after childbirth. It is a decision worth making before it is needed, not after.
Unsure which benefits your employees are entitled to and how to split the payment between the company and the social insurance authority? We are glad to set up your payroll to the 2026 rules.
FAQ
How long does the employer pay sick leave in Slovakia and Czechia?
In both countries the employer covers the first 14 days of incapacity. Slovakia extended its employer period from 10 to 14 days in 2026, paying 25 % of the daily base for days one to three and 55 % afterwards. Czechia has paid from the first day since 2019, with no waiting period. From day 15 the state authority takes over in both countries.
Is maternity benefit higher in Slovakia or Czechia?
Slovakia is higher on both counts: 75 % of the daily assessment base for 34 weeks, versus 70 % of a reduced base for 28 weeks in Czechia. Both require 270 days of sickness insurance in the previous two years, and both cap the amount – Slovakia via a maximum assessment base, Czechia via reduction thresholds.
Are self-employed people entitled to these benefits?
Only if they pay voluntary sickness insurance. Both a Slovak SZČO and a Czech OSVČ must meet the 270-day qualifying period, and Czechia additionally requires at least 180 days of participation in the last year for maternity benefit. Without voluntary sickness insurance, the self-employed receive no income during illness or after childbirth.