Leave Policy in Estonia

Estonia sets clear statutory minimums for employee leave across annual, parental, sick, and public holiday entitlements. Foreign employers hiring in Estonia must meet these minimums or face compliance exposure under the Employment Contracts Act and related legislation.

• Annual leave: 28 calendar days minimum per year under Employment Contracts Act §68; minors and employees with disabilities receive at least 35 days.
• Maternity leave: 140 calendar days, compensated at 100% of average earnings by the Health Insurance Fund.
• Paternity leave: up to 30 calendar days within three years of the child's birth, paid at 100% of average wage by the Social Insurance Board.
• Public holidays: 13 per year, including Easter Sunday and Pentecost, all mandatory non-working days.
• Sick leave: days 4 to 8 paid by the employer at 70% of salary; days 9 to 182 covered by the Health Insurance Fund at 70%.

Managing these obligations across multiple leave categories adds administrative complexity for international employers. Gloroots supports entity-free employment in Estonia with local execution and centralized governance across payroll, benefits, and statutory filings.

Leave Policy at a Glance

Overview and Legal Basis for Leave in Estonia

Estonian leave entitlements are governed by a set of specific statutes, each covering a distinct category of leave. Employers must comply with all applicable laws, not just the Employment Contracts Act (töölepingu seadus).

The core statutes are:

• Employment Contracts Act (töölepingu seadus): Annual leave, study leave, caregiver leave, and general employment terms
• Health Insurance Act (ravikindlustuse seadus): Sick leave benefits and temporary incapacity payments
• Parental Benefits Act (vanemahüvitise seadus): Maternity, paternity, and parental leave compensation
• Family Benefits Act (perehüvitiste seadus): Child-related allowances and family support payments
• Adult Education Act (täiskasvanute koolituse seadus): Paid and unpaid study leave entitlements
• Defence Forces Service Act: Leave rights during compulsory military or alternative service

Statutory minimums set the floor. Employment contracts and company policies may provide more generous terms, but cannot fall below what the law requires. Employers operating through an entity-free model should understand how does EOR work to ensure every statutory obligation is met from day one of employment.

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Annual Leave (Earned / Privilege Leave)

Estonian employees accrue annual leave at approximately 2.33 calendar days per month from the first day of employment, under Employment Contracts Act §68. This produces a standard entitlement of 28 calendar days per year.

Employees become eligible to take leave after completing six months of employment. Employers must publish a holiday schedule by 31 March each year, as required by Employment Contracts Act §69.

Key rules governing how leave is taken and managed:

• Employers may refuse to split leave into parts shorter than 7 calendar days (Employment Contracts Act §69(3))
• Unused leave carries forward to the next calendar year but expires at the end of that following year
• The expiry clock is suspended during maternity, paternity, parental, and adoptive parent leave, as well as compulsory military and alternative service
• Leave may not be paid out in cash during active employment; encashment is permitted only on termination (Employment Contracts Act §70)

Certain roles carry longer entitlements. Government officials and academic staff receive more than the standard 28 days by law. For a comparable European framework, see the leave policy in Germany.

Public Holidays

Estonia recognises 13 public holidays under the Public Holidays and Days of National Importance Act. The list includes two variable-date holidays: Easter Sunday and Pentecost, which shift each year.

When a public holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, it is not transferred to the following Monday. Employees required to work on a public holiday must receive at minimum double their regular pay, as set out in §44 of the Employment Contracts Act.

Note: Easter Sunday and Pentecost dates change annually. This table covers 2025 and should be reviewed each year before publication.

Sick Leave

Estonian employees can take up to 182 days of sick leave per year, extended to 240 days for tuberculosis cases. A medical certificate (haigusleht) is required to claim any sick leave benefit.

The first three days are unpaid. From day 4 to day 8, the employer pays 70% of the employee's average income. From day 9 onward, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF) pays 70% of average income, up to a daily cap of EUR 126.87 per calendar day under the Health Insurance Act amendment effective 1 January 2026.

• Occupational disease or workplace injury: EHIF pays 100% of average income from day 2.
• Pregnancy-related illness: EHIF pays 70% of average income from day 2.
• Standard illness or non-occupational injury: employer pays 70% for days 4 to 8; EHIF pays 70% from day 9.

Employers managing Estonian payroll must track which sick-leave category applies to each absence, since the payer and rate differ by cause. For a comparison of how employer sick-pay obligations work in a neighbouring EU country, see the leave policy in Poland.

Casual Leave

Estonia does not have a statutory casual leave category separate from annual leave. Short-duration absences for personal matters are drawn from an employee's annual leave entitlement or arranged informally with the employer.

Employers may define casual leave in employment contracts or collective agreements, provided the terms meet or exceed the statutory floor. Two specific leave types serve purposes that casual leave covers in other jurisdictions: caregiver leave (5 days per 12-month period) and child leave (10 days per year for parents of children under 14).

Maternity Leave

Estonia provides 100 calendar days of maternity leave. Leave can begin up to 70 days before the expected due date, and at least 30 days must be taken after the birth.

Maternity benefit is paid by the Social Insurance Board at 100% of the employee's average earnings from the previous calendar year. For 2026, the minimum benefit is EUR 820 per month and the maximum is EUR 3,806 per month gross.

The timing of when leave starts affects the shared parental benefit pool of 475 days. Starting leave 31 to 69 days before the due date adds any unused maternity days to that pool. Starting leave 30 or fewer days before the due date means unused maternity days are forfeited.

A one-time childbirth allowance is also payable under the Family Benefits Act, administered by the Social Insurance Board:

• EUR 320 for a single birth
• EUR 1,000 per child for triplets or more
• Payable for stillbirth from the 22nd week of pregnancy

Employers managing maternity leave obligations across multiple countries can use Gloroots EOR services to track entitlements, coordinate benefit filings, and maintain compliance under local employment law.

Maternity benefit payments are made directly by the Social Insurance Board, not the employer. Employees must notify their employer at least 30 days before starting leave.

Paternity Leave

Fathers in Estonia are entitled to 30 calendar days of paternity leave under the Parental Benefits Act. Ten working days may be taken within two months before the expected due date. The remaining days are available within three years of the child's birth.

If a father works for multiple employers, the leave must be taken simultaneously across all of them. Paternity benefit is paid at 100% of the father's average wage, capped at three times the national average wage. The Social Insurance Board administers the payment.

Paternity leave periods count toward annual leave accrual under Employment Contracts Act §68(2), so fathers do not lose leave entitlement while on paternity leave.

Adoption and Surrogacy Leave

Employees who adopt a child under 10 years of age are entitled to 70 days of adoption leave, starting from the date of adoption. The existing page incorrectly stated the threshold as under 18; the correct age limit is under 10.

For adoptive parents of children under 3, additional parental leave is available from the shared 475-day parental leave pool. Adoption benefit is paid at 100% of average earnings by the Estonian Health Insurance Fund under the Health Insurance Act.

Estonia has no separate statutory surrogacy leave category. Surrogacy arrangements are handled by analogy under adoption or parental leave rules, depending on the circumstances. Employers should seek legal advice when a surrogacy situation arises, as no dedicated statutory framework exists.

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Bereavement Leave

Estonia's Employment Contracts Act does not mandate statutory bereavement leave. Entitlement depends entirely on the individual employment contract or an applicable collective agreement.

In practice, many employers grant one to three days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family member, including a spouse or partner, parent, child, or sibling. This is a common workplace norm, not a legal requirement.

Employers are encouraged to include clear bereavement provisions in employment contracts. Doing so reduces ambiguity and helps avoid disputes when employees face a loss.

Other Leave Types

Estonian law provides several additional leave categories beyond the standard entitlements. Three of the most relevant for employers are child leave, reservist leave, and civic duty leave.

Under Employment Contracts Act section 63a, each parent is entitled to 10 paid working days of child leave per child under 14, or under 18 if the child has a disability. Parents may also take an additional 10 unpaid days. A parent of a disabled child receives one paid working day per month. The Social Insurance Board pays the benefit at 50% of the parent's average earnings.

Employees called up for reserve training or mobilisation drills under the Defence Forces Service Act are entitled to paid reservist leave. The employer must hold the employee's position, or an equivalent role, open during the absence.

For compulsory civic duties such as jury service or serving as an election official, the Employment Contracts Act and relevant public duty legislation require employers to grant paid time off. The duration and compensation rate vary depending on the specific duty.

Carry-Forward and Leave Encashment Rules

Unused annual leave in Estonia carries forward to the next calendar year but expires at the end of that following year. For example, unused 2024 leave must be taken by 31 December 2025.

This expiry deadline is suspended during maternity leave, paternity leave, adoptive parent leave, parental leave, compulsory military service, and alternative service, as set out in the Employment Contracts Act. The clock resumes once the employee returns to work.

Encashment of annual leave during active employment is not permitted under Employment Contracts Act §70. On termination, however, the employer must pay out all accrued unused leave in full.

One accrual point requires attention. Parental leave periods do not count toward annual leave accrual. Maternity and paternity leave periods do count, under Employment Contracts Act §68(2). This distinction matters when calculating entitlements for employees returning from extended child-related leave. For a comparison with a different carry-forward model, see the leave policy in the UK.

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Best Practices for Managing Leave Compliantly in Estonia

Compliance with Estonian leave law requires written policies, accurate records, and timely communication. The following practices reduce legal exposure and support consistent workforce governance.

• Statutory compliance: Maintain written leave policies aligned with the Employment Contracts Act, Health Insurance Act, and Parental Benefits Act. Review them annually, particularly ahead of changes such as the 2026 EHIF benefit cap adjustment.
• Communicating entitlements: Provide each employee with a written summary of all leave entitlements at onboarding. Publish the annual holiday schedule by 31 March, as required by law.
• Documenting requests and approvals: Use a formal leave request and approval process. Retain medical certificates and adoption rulings for the periods required by statute.
• Flexibility above the statutory floor: Consider offering bereavement leave and enhanced sick pay in employment contracts. Neither is mandated, but both reduce employee relations risk.

Teams managing these obligations across multiple countries benefit from centralised tracking. Employer of record software can automate leave balance tracking, approval workflows, and compliance reporting in one place.

Managing Leave Policy in Estonia with Gloroots

Estonia's leave framework spans four statutes and draws on three separate funding sources: employer payroll, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF), and the Social Insurance Board. For foreign employers, calculating accurate payroll across these sources is a recurring compliance risk.

Gloroots tracks leave balances across all statutory leave types, integrates employer-paid and EHIF-reimbursed days into a single payroll run, and manages the official public holiday schedule automatically. Compliance reporting is generated centrally, giving HR and Finance teams clear visibility into obligations at any point in the year.

Two statutory changes take effect in 2026: the EHIF daily benefit cap is revised, and the maternity pay calculation range is updated. Gloroots applies these updates at the system level, so your payroll figures stay accurate without manual reconfiguration. See pricing for country-specific plan details.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Leave Policy in Estonia

What is the standard workweek in Estonia?

The standard workweek in Estonia is 40 hours, spread across five working days. Most employment contracts follow this schedule.

Collective agreements or individual contracts may set shorter hours, but 40 hours per week is the statutory default under the Employment Contracts Act.

How many days of annual leave are employees entitled to in Estonia?

Employees in Estonia are entitled to a minimum of 28 calendar days of annual leave under Section 68 of the Employment Contracts Act. Minors and employees with disabilities receive at least 35 days.

Leave accrues from day one at approximately 2.33 days per month. Employees may begin taking leave after six months of employment.

How many public holidays does Estonia observe?

Estonia observes 13 public holidays under the Public Holidays and Days of National Importance Act. The list includes two variable-date holidays: Easter Sunday and Pentecost.

Public holidays that fall on a Saturday or Sunday are not transferred to the following Monday. Employees receive no substitute day off in those cases.

How is sick leave paid in Estonia?

The first three days of sick leave are unpaid. Days 4 through 8 are paid by the employer at 70% of the employee's average income. From day 9 onward, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund (EHIF) pays 70%, subject to a 2026 daily cap of EUR 126.87 per calendar day.

How long is paternity leave in Estonia?

Fathers are entitled to 30 calendar days of paternity leave under the Parental Benefits Act. Up to 10 working days may be taken within 2 months before the due date. The remainder must be used within 3 years of the child's birth. The Social Insurance Board pays the benefit at 100% of average earnings.

Can unused annual leave be encashed in Estonia?

Unused annual leave cannot be encashed during active employment under Employment Contracts Act §70. On termination, the employer must pay out all accrued unused leave. Employees should note that unused leave expires at the end of the calendar year following the year it was earned.

Does unused annual leave carry forward in Estonia?

Yes, unused annual leave carries forward to the next calendar year. It expires at the end of that following year. For example, 2024 leave expires at the end of 2025. Expiry is suspended during maternity, paternity, parental, and military service leaves under the Employment Contracts Act.

What is the shared parental leave pool in Estonia?

Under the Parental Benefits Act, parents share a pool of 475 calendar days of parental benefit, usable until the child turns 3. Both parents may take up to 60 days simultaneously. Unused maternity days are added to this pool if the mother starts maternity leave 31 to 69 days before the due date.