Sick Leave in Poland for Foreigners (L4): Pay, Waiting Period and ZUS
Citizenship does not matter for sick pay in Poland: insurance does. Here is what you get, from when, and who pays it.
80%of your average salary for most sick leave
30 daysof sickness insurance before benefits start (90 if voluntary)
33 daysa year paid by the employer (14 days if you are over 50)
Who is entitled
If you work on an umowa o pracę, sickness insurance is mandatory. On an umowa zlecenie or as a sole trader it is voluntary. The rules are in the Sickness Benefits Act (ustawa zasiłkowa) and apply to foreigners in the same way as to Poles. A missing PESEL does not block a sick note: the doctor can use your passport number.
Waiting period
Benefits start after 30 days of uninterrupted sickness insurance (90 days if insurance is voluntary). Earlier insurance counts if the break was no longer than 30 days. Before the waiting period ends, your absence is excused but unpaid. Exceptions include accidents at work and school leavers who start work within 90 days of graduating.
How much and who pays
Situation
Rate
Standard illness
80%
Hospital stay
70%
Pregnancy, accident at work or on the way to work
100%
The base is your average salary from the last 12 months, minus social contributions. During the first 33 days of illness in a calendar year your employer pays wynagrodzenie chorobowe (14 days if you turned 50 in the previous year or earlier). After that ZUS pays zasiłek chorobowy; at employers with up to 20 insured people ZUS pays the benefit directly.
Sick pay lasts up to 182 days (270 days for tuberculosis or illness during pregnancy).
The e-ZLA sick note
The doctor issues an electronic note (e-ZLA); your employer and ZUS see it on PUE ZUS automatically.
Sick-note days are calendar days, including weekends and holidays.
If you have two employers, ask the doctor for a note for each.
Your employer and ZUS may check that you use the leave properly; working or travelling against the doctor’s instructions can cost you the benefit.
Sick leave and your residence permit
Being on L4 does not by itself affect a residence permit. If your permit depends on your job, an employer may still end the contract after a long absence under the Labour Code’s rules, so keep your documents and see employee rights in Poland.
Frequently asked questions
Do foreigners get paid sick leave in Poland?
Yes, on the same terms as Poles, if they have sickness insurance in Poland (mandatory on an employment contract).
Why was my first L4 unpaid?
Benefits start after 30 days of uninterrupted sickness insurance. Before that the absence is excused but unpaid.
How much is sick pay?
Usually 80% of average salary; 70% in hospital; 100% during pregnancy or after an accident at work.
Who pays sick pay?
The employer for the first 33 days a year (14 days if over 50), then ZUS.
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