Care Leave in Austria: Pflegeurlaub and Pflegefreistellung Explained

Care Leave in Austria: Pflegeurlaub and Pflegefreistellung Explained Care leave in Austria: who qualifies for Pflegeurlaub, how many paid days, what documents are required, and how to apply for time off to care for a sick relative. Topics: Daily Life, Healthcare.

If your family member falls ill and needs care, Austrian labour law gives you the right to care leave — known as Pflegeurlaub or Pflegefreistellung. These are paid days off that allow you to care for a sick relative without losing your salary.

This article covers: how many days of care leave you are entitled to, who qualifies as a “close relative”, how to apply, what documents are needed, and the difference between short-term Pflegeurlaub and long-term Pflegekarenz. The information is based on the Angestelltengesetz (AngG), Urlaubsgesetz (UrlG), and collective agreements.

What Is Pflegeurlaub and How Is It Different from Pflegefreistellung

In Austrian labour law, Pflegeurlaub and Pflegefreistellung are used almost interchangeably, though Pflegefreistellung is the more precise legal term. Both refer to paid time off from work to care for a sick family member.

The right to care leave is governed by two main laws: § 8 Angestelltengesetz (AngG) for salaried employees and § 16 Urlaubsgesetz (UrlG) for wage workers. Collective agreements (Kollektivverträge) often expand on these basic provisions.

It is important not to confuse Pflegeurlaub with Krankenstand (your own sick leave) or Pflegekarenz (long-term unpaid care leave). Pflegeurlaub is specifically a short-term paid leave to care for a sick family member.

Who Is Eligible for Care Leave

Every employee in Austria is entitled to care leave, regardless of the type of employment contract — full-time, part-time, or temporary. The key requirement is having an active employment relationship.

Exceptions include:

• Self-employed individuals (Selbstständige) — they have no automatic right but can arrange insurance through Sozialversicherung
• Employees during the probation period (Probezeit) — the right begins after the probation ends
• New employees during the first two weeks of work — in some cases

The right to Pflegeurlaub applies from the first day of work after the probation period. To apply, you need a doctor’s certificate (Krankenstandsbestätigung) confirming that care is necessary.

How Many Days of Care Leave Per Year

The basic law guarantees one working week of care leave per year. However, most collective agreements in Austria expand on this minimum:

Category	Duration	Legal basis
Statutory minimum	1 week per year	§ 8 AngG / § 16 UrlG
With children under 12	up to 2 weeks per year	§ 16 UrlG
With collective agreement	1–2 weeks	depends on KV
Multiple children	up to 3 weeks	special cases

For parents with children under 12, the law increases the leave to 2 weeks per year. If you have two or more children, some collective agreements provide up to 3 weeks.

Important: care leave days do not carry over to the next year. Unused days expire.

Which Relatives Qualify for Care Leave

The law defines a specific circle of people you can care for under Pflegeurlaub. These include:

• Spouse or registered partner (Ehepartner, eingetragener Partner)
• Children (including stepchildren and foster children)
• Parents (including foster parents)
• Grandparents
• Grandchildren
• Siblings
• Cohabiting partners (Lebensgefährten) — under some collective agreements

Care leave is allowed not only for family members but also for anyone living in your same household. For instance, a grandparent living with you qualifies.

According to the Arbeiterkammer (Austrian Chamber of Labour), an employer cannot refuse care leave if the need for care is confirmed by a medical certificate. A refusal is only lawful if there is a serious procedural violation, such as failure to provide the Krankenstandsbestätigung.

— Arbeiterkammer Österreich

How to Apply for Pflegeurlaub: Step by Step

The process for requesting care leave in Austria is straightforward but requires following certain formalities.

Step 1. Get a medical certificate. Visit your doctor (Hausarzt) to confirm that care is necessary. The certificate should include: the diagnosis, expected duration of care, and the doctor’s signature.

Step 2. Notify your employer. Inform your employer about the need for care leave immediately — as soon as you learn about your relative’s illness. Oral notification is legally sufficient, but a written request is more reliable.

Step 3. Submit the certificate. Hand over the medical certificate to your employer no later than the third day after the leave starts. Missing this deadline may result in unpaid leave.

Step 4. Extend if needed. If care is needed longer than expected, get a new certificate and notify your employer again.

A sample application form is available on the Arbeiterkammer or ÖGB website. Your employer must keep your job position open during your care leave.

Payment During Care Leave: Who Pays and How Much

During Pflegeurlaub, you receive your full salary. The employer pays your wages and can then claim partial reimbursement from the health insurance fund (Krankenkasse).

How reimbursement works:

• Your employer pays you 100% of your salary
• The employer submits a claim to Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK)
• ÖGK reimburses the employer for part of the cost (typically up to 70%) — under certain conditions

In practice, most employees simply receive their full salary on time, and the employer’s accounting department handles the reimbursement process.

Important note: if you take care leave while you yourself are on sick leave (Krankenstand), payment follows the sick leave rules, not care leave rules. You cannot receive both benefits simultaneously.

Care Leave for Parents: What You Should Know

Parents of children under 12 have enhanced care leave rights. Instead of one week per year, the law guarantees up to two weeks. If a child is seriously ill, the employer must grant leave regardless of how many days have already been used.

Additional options for parents:

• Sonderbetreuungszeit — special care leave for a sick child (introduced during COVID-19, extended for children under 12)
• Leave can be used alternately by both parents
• If a child is hospitalised, one parent has the right to continuous presence — this also counts as care leave

Austria actively supports work-life balance — read more in our article about work-life balance in Austria.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my employer refuse care leave? Only if you violate the procedure — for example, by not providing a medical certificate or submitting it later than three days. If properly documented, a refusal is unlawful.

Do unused care leave days carry over to the next year? No. Care leave days expire at the end of the calendar year if not used.

Do I have to make up the time later? No. Pflegeurlaub is paid time off, not a favour. No make-up work is required.

Does care leave apply to pets? No. The law only covers human family members. However, for a seriously ill pet, you can take regular vacation (Urlaub) or sick leave if the animal’s condition severely affects your mental health.

Key Takeaways: Care Leave Checklist

Here is what you need to remember about care leave (Pflegeurlaub/Pflegefreistellung) in Austria.

Important points:

• All employees are entitled from the first day after the probation period
• Duration: 1–2 weeks per year (up to 3 weeks for parents)
• Payment: 100% of your salary paid by your employer
• Medical certificate required — submit within 3 days
• Eligible relatives: spouse, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings
• Unused days expire — use them or lose them
• For long-term care (over 2–3 weeks), consider Pflegekarenz — unpaid leave for up to 3 months

If a family member falls ill, do not postpone the paperwork. The sooner you notify your employer and obtain a doctor’s certificate, the smoother the process will be. Your health and your family’s well-being come first.