Good to know · Work
Off sick from work: how sick leave (incapacidad temporal) works
If an illness or accident stops you working, the Spanish system calls it incapacidad temporal (IT). A doctor issues a parte de baja, and if you meet the conditions the Seguridad Social pays a benefit of a percentage of your base reguladora while you are off. This card explains how the official process works; it does not say whether you qualify.
- Why it matters
- In the US, sick pay depends on the employer. In Spain it is a Social Security benefit with its own rules on the first days, who pays, how long it can last and what happens to the paperwork, so it helps to know the process before you need it.
- When
- You are too ill or injured to work, or you want to know what happens if that occurs.
- How long it takes
- Benefit from day 4 of the baja for common illness (day after the baja for a work accident or occupational illness). 365 days, extendable by 180; the right ends at 545 days.
- Official page
- Incapacidad temporal (Información útil)
- Last checked
- 25 Oct 2026
In the guide: the 6 steps, what to bring (3 items), the 2 offices with addresses and hours, and 4 Easy to miss lines, with every official source.
One Easy to miss, on us
For common illness nothing is paid for days 1 to 3; the benefit starts on the fourth day. The Seguridad Social page says that employees' days 4 to 15 are paid by the employer and the INSS or mutua pays from day 16.