Sick leave by country / Romania
Sick leave and sick pay in Romania
Who pays when someone is ill, how much, for how long, and what the certificate rules are — in plain English, whether you run a team in Romania or work on one.
Romania changed its sick pay rules for 2026: the first day of each episode of ordinary illness is no longer paid, the employer covers days 2 to 6 from its own funds, and the national health insurance fund pays from day 7. The rate depends on how long the episode lasts — 55% of the calculation base for episodes up to 7 calendar days, 65% for 8 to 14 days and 75% from 15 days — with a maximum of 183 days a year for ordinary illness.
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How it works
Sick pay is governed by OUG 158/2005 and is calculated from the average insured income of the six months before the leave. The 2026 amendments made three changes that matter in payroll: the first day of each episode carries no indemnity at all, the employer’s own period runs from day 2 to day 6, and the percentage now varies with the length of the episode rather than being flat — 55% up to seven calendar days, 65% from eight to fourteen, and 75% from fifteen. Higher rates still apply to the special codes: 100% for tuberculosis, infectious diseases, work accidents and occupational disease, and 85% for maternity risk. Ordinary illness is capped at 183 days in a year, extendable on medical grounds. The certificate is issued electronically by the doctor and submitted with the monthly declaration; employers recover the FNUASS portion by offsetting it against health contributions.
Worth knowing: Because the rate follows the length of the episode, two separate three-day absences are paid at 55% while a single fifteen-day absence is paid at 75%. The calculation base is the average insured income of the previous six months, capped at twelve times the minimum gross wage.
If you run a team in Romania
Apply the 2026 rules carefully: no indemnity on day one, your own funds for days 2 to 6, and the rate set by the length of the episode rather than a single percentage. Collect the electronic certificate, declare it in the monthly filing and offset the FNUASS share against contributions — amounts not claimed within 90 days are lost. Sick leave does not reduce annual leave.
If you work in Romania
Ask your doctor for the electronic concediu medical certificate and give the code to your employer. Expect nothing for the first day, then 55% of your calculation base for a short absence — the percentage rises to 65% and 75% only if the episode itself is longer, so a series of short absences is paid at the lowest rate.
Sickness and annual leave
Annual leave accrues during sick leave and cannot be reduced because of it. Illness during annual leave interrupts the leave, and the remaining days are rescheduled by agreement.
The annual leave entitlement itself is covered on our Romania annual leave page — 20 working days minimum.
Keeping the record straight
Sick pay rules turn on dates: the day the illness started, the day the certificate was due, the day the employer's obligation ends and the benefit takes over. In Romania those dates decide who pays and how much, and they have to be provable months later — to a payroll auditor, an insurer, or the employee. A shared spreadsheet rarely survives that; a tracker like Leavo records each absence with its dates and approvals alongside annual leave, so the record exists before anyone asks for it. We compare the options in our leave management software guide, and the policy side — carryover, payout, accrual — in our guides.
Sick leave in Romania: common questions
What changed in Romania in 2026?
The first day of each episode of ordinary illness became unpaid, the employer period moved to days 2 to 6, and the indemnity rate now depends on the length of the episode — 55%, 65% or 75% — instead of a flat percentage.
Who pays after day 6?
The national single health insurance fund (FNUASS). The employer usually advances the payment in payroll and offsets it against its health contributions, claiming within 90 days.
How long can sick leave last?
183 days within a calendar year for ordinary illness, extendable on medical grounds, with longer limits and higher rates for tuberculosis, infectious disease, work accidents and occupational disease.
What happens if I fall ill during my annual leave in Romania?
Annual leave accrues during sick leave and cannot be reduced because of it. Illness during annual leave interrupts the leave, and the remaining days are rescheduled by agreement.
Source
Primary source: OUG 158/2005 on leave and health insurance indemnities, as amended with effect from 2026. Rates and caps change — often every January or April — and collective agreements frequently improve on the statutory scheme. Confirm against the current text before acting. See our methodology.