Krankentagegeld in Germany: daily sickness benefit

Updated:
05.10.2026

Krankentagegeld — daily sickness benefit.
A reliable way to protect against loss of income due to illness. This is relevant for both the self-employed and employees, especially in cases of serious illness, complex injuries, pregnancy, or other situations that require a long-term sick leave. This is voluntary supplementary insurance, which gives you a fixed daily payout if you are unable to work. The insured daily rate is tax-free.

How to take one out, how much it costs and when it comes in handy — we explain in the article.

Krankentagegeld

Daily sickness benefit, which compensates for loss of income if you are unable to work for a long period. It is voluntary supplementary insurance.

Krankengeld

Sickness benefit that compensates for loss of income if you are unable to work for a long time. It is paid by the statutory Krankenkasse — gesetzliche Krankenkasse (GKV).

Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer)

Health insurance organisations in Germany whose name literally translates as “sickness funds”. You pay insurance contributions, and when you need medical care, the Krankenkasse pays for the treatment.

What does public health insurance (GKV) cover?

Krankengeld (sickness benefit)

In Germany, 100% of the salary is paid only for the first 6 weeks of sick leave. After that, the Krankenkasse pays sickness benefit for a maximum of 72 weeks — but only 70% of gross salary, capped at 90% of net salary. From 1 January 2027, if your employment ends while you are ill, the Krankenkasse will pay only 60% of net pay from the following day, or 67% if you or your spouse or civil partner have a child who qualifies for Kindergeld (child benefit) or the Kinderfreibetrag (child tax allowance). Prolonged absence from work due to illness can lead to serious financial losses, as after the 6th week the amount of payments decreases significantly, and after 78 weeks they stop altogether. Some companies offer an enhanced allowance up to actual salary, which makes daily sickness benefit insurance unnecessary, but as a rule this is rare.

A cold clears up in a week, but recovery from surgery, an accident or overcoming a serious illness often takes longer. Daily sickness allowance makes it possible to receive a fixed payment when you are unable to work due to illness or pregnancy. When taking out this insurance product, you are paid an agreed amount to compensate for lost income from the 43rd day of sick leave. If you are an employee, your employer keeps paying your salary for the first 6 weeks (42 days) – this is Entgeltfortzahlung (continued pay) – and from the 43rd day the Krankenkasse pays sick pay (Krankengeld). It is noticeably lower than your salary, and the daily sickness allowance (Krankentagegeld) makes up the difference.

For the self-employed, who have not opted for Krankengeld with their Krankenkasse (by a Wahlerklärung, i.e. a declaration of choice, with payments from day 43, or by a Wahltarif, i.e. an optional tariff), there are various options for the start of payments when taking out Krankentagegeldversicherung (daily sickness allowance insurance), including the possibility of receiving compensation from the first day of illness.

Difference between Krankengeld and Krankentagegeld

It is easy to confuse Krankengeld (KG) and Krankentagegeld (KTG).

Krankengeld is paid by the GKV – statutory health insurance. KG is capped at a maximum of 70 per cent of the monthly income threshold of €5,812.50 (2026). This means that you will not receive more than €135.63 a day (≈ €4,068.90 for 30 days) gross as sickness benefit, even if you earn twice as much. Pension, unemployment and long-term care contributions are deducted from this amount; Krankengeld is not taxed, but it raises the tax rate on your other income for the year (Progressionsvorbehalt).

Krankentagegeld – is paid by a private insurance company. Together with Krankengeld, payments can amount to up to 100% of your net income and are tax-free.

Both are paid in the event of proven incapacity. On the first day of illness, it is necessary to obtain a medical certificate. Most often, for KTG there is a waiting period for payment, and it will only start from the date on which your incapacity for work was recorded by a doctor.

Who definitely needs additional Krankentagegeld insurance

For the self-employed and freelancers - unlike employees, the self-employed do not receive sick pay from their employer. Krankentagegeld will help them cover their living expenses in the event of temporary incapacity for work.
High earners - if an employee’s income exceeds the established limit for Krankengeld payments, the statutory insurance company does not cover the full amount. Supplementary insurance covers this difference.
For people with high financial commitments and sole breadwinners - individuals with loans, mortgages or other major financial commitments can protect themselves against financial hardship in the event of temporary incapacity.

Insurance calculation example

Various factors affect the cost of the insurance. We have identified 11 main criteria:

Date of birth
Employee/Self-employed
Profession
Insurance status (private/state insurance)
Daily allowance amount
Start period of payments
Health status
Security of the insured (in some cases “reliable insurance”. This means that the insurer waives its right to terminate the contract and you eliminate the situation where, in the event of illness, the insurance company terminates the contract at the end of the year)
The ability to add sick days – in the event of a recurring illness, the days are accumulated. This will come in very handy if you are off sick several times due to the same medical condition
Reintegration – the opportunity to continue receiving payments if you are gradually returning to work after an illness
Various additional services, such as the option to receive payments for medical treatment and rehabilitation

Calculators can be used for comparison. To do this, you need to calculate the benefit amount. To do this, work out your current monthly expenses and divide by 30 days.

For example — a calculation for a person Born in 1988 who is self-employed. Desired total payout — 30 euros a day starting from the 8th day of the illness. We set the “Very Important” flag in the “Reliable Insurance” field.

Taking these inputs into account, the resulting premium range was from €49.50 to €85 a month.

If you are an employee, you need to enter your regular earnings into the calculator and the programme will work out the amount of your benefit. Using the same input details, except for the payment start date (set here by default to day 43 of illness), the price range is from €11 to €35 a month.

If you are employed and €25–30 a day is enough for you, you can calculate and take out Krankentagegeld cover online yourself – with the Hallesche policy from the example below. If you are self-employed or need a higher daily amount, it is better to fill in our form: a lot depends on the day the payments start and on whether the insurer can cancel the contract, and that is easier to sort out together.

Nuances

Please note that the daily sickness allowance (Krankentagegeld) together with the sickness benefit (Krankengeld) must not exceed your previous net income. This ban on self-enrichment applies to both employees and the self-employed.

Krankentagegeld pays the amount agreed in your policy, not a percentage that the Krankenkasse recalculates. But what it insures is lost earnings, so it is not independent of your job either: under the model conditions MB/KT 2009 (§ 15), the contract ends if a condition for insurability set out in the tariff no longer applies; for an incapacity for work that has already started, the insurer then pays for no more than three further months. What counts as such a condition, and what happens if you lose your job, differs from tariff to tariff. From 2027 this matters more: anyone who loses their job while ill will get only 60 or 67 % of net pay from the Krankenkasse. I check this point separately when choosing a tariff.

If your income falls, let your insurer know; they will reduce your insured daily benefit and the amount of your premium.

You are also required to notify the insurance company if you change your occupation, as this may affect the level of cover.

If you decide to work whilst on sick leave, you must likewise notify your insurance company, and they will stop your payments. Before taking out Krankentagegeldversicherung, you should carefully compare the offers from various companies. As most tariffs are calculated with Alterungsrückstellungen (ageing reserves), a portion of the premiums is set aside to help cover higher costs in later life. For this reason, it makes no sense to keep switching insurers; it is simply not cost-effective, as when you terminate your contract, you lose these reserves. To save you time, you can contact us – we will find the best offer from all the companies that suits you specifically.

At the same time, insurance can provide financial support and help you overcome any financial difficulties you may face.

Frequently asked questions about Krankentagegeld

How does sick pay work in Germany?

For the first six weeks your employer keeps paying your salary (Entgeltfortzahlung, continued pay). In the first four weeks of a new job you are not yet entitled to it, and the Krankenkasse (statutory health insurer) usually steps in straight away. From week seven the Krankenkasse pays Krankengeld (statutory sickness benefit): 70% of gross pay, but no more than 90% of net pay. For the same illness it is paid for up to 78 weeks within three years, counting the employer’s weeks. People insured in PKV (private health insurance) get no Krankengeld: after six weeks only a Krankentagegeld (daily sickness allowance) replaces their income, if their policy includes one.

How much Krankentagegeld should I take out?

The ceiling is set by the PKV (private health insurance) terms: together with Krankengeld (statutory sickness benefit), payments may not exceed your daily net income. Employees in the GKV (statutory health insurance) need the gap between net pay and Krankengeld. In 2026 Krankengeld is capped at €135.63 a day before deductions, and contributions to pension, unemployment and Pflege (long-term care) insurance still come off it, so on a high salary the gap is large. Self-employed people without Krankengeld and privately insured employees can cover up to their daily net income. I suggest working from your fixed monthly costs.

What does “ausgesteuert” mean, and what happens after 78 weeks?

You are ausgesteuert once your Krankengeld (statutory sickness benefit) has run its full course: 78 weeks within three years for the same illness, including the weeks your employer paid. If you still cannot work, register with the Agentur für Arbeit (employment agency) on the first day after Krankengeld ends at the latest. Until the Deutsche Rentenversicherung decides on rehabilitation or an Erwerbsminderungsrente (reduced earning capacity pension), you usually receive Arbeitslosengeld (unemployment benefit); apply for the pension at the same time. A private Krankentagegeld (daily sickness allowance) has no 78-week limit: under the PKV model terms it pays for as long as you are unfit for work, within the scope of the policy.

How much does Krankentagegeld insurance cost?

It depends on your age, occupation, health, the daily amount and the day payments start. As a guide, Stiftung Warentest (prices for healthy model customers as at 1 April 2026) found that a 35-year-old employee insuring €20 a day from day 43 pays between €7 and €23 a month, while a 35-year-old self-employed person pays between €76 and €150 for €150 a day from day 29. Prices for the same cover differ by a factor of two to three. Apart from the price, check whether the insurer waives its right to cancel the policy in the first three years.

Self-employed: Krankengeld from the Krankenkasse or Krankentagegeld?

Self-employed members of the GKV (statutory health insurance) only get Krankengeld (statutory sickness benefit) if they opt in. The simplest route is a Wahlerklärung (declaration of choice): your contribution is then calculated at 14.6% instead of 14.0%, which on €4,000 a month is €24 more, and from day 43 of illness the Krankenkasse pays 70% of your income, here about €93 a day. The choice binds you for three years, as does a Wahltarif (optional tariff) with an earlier start. From 2027, a Wahlerklärung that arrives more than 14 days after you become self-employed only takes effect after three months. With Krankentagegeld (private daily sickness allowance) you set the start day and the amount yourself. The two can be combined: private cover for the first weeks, the Krankenkasse from day 43.

When does Krankentagegeld stop paying?

Under the PKV (private health insurance) model terms, MB/KT, the policy ends once Berufsunfähigkeit (occupational disability) sets in: medical findings show you are more than 50% unable to work in your previous occupation for an indefinite period. For an incapacity already under way, the insurer then pays for three more months at most. The policy also ends when you start drawing an old-age pension, and if you move to a country outside the EU and EEA, unless agreed otherwise. That is why I would cover a long illness with a Berufsunfähigkeitsversicherung (income protection insurance) as well, which Stiftung Warentest also recommends.

Take out Krankentagegeld

If you are an employee and are happy with a daily payment of 25–30 euros whilst on sick leave, you can take out insurance yourself using the links below. In other cases, please complete the form below and we will arrange insurance tailored to your situation and requirements.