Sick leave for a self-employed worker: daily allowances in 2026, conditions and limits

A self-employed tradesperson, shopkeeper, or professional on sick leave receives a daily allowance equal to 1/730th of their average annual business income. This allowance cannot exceed €65.84 per day. The number of allowances is limited: a maximum of 360 over a 3-year period for a self-employed tradesperson or shopkeeper. For a professional, the service-public.fr website indicates allowances limited to 90 days, with a possible extension but not exceeding 360 allowances over 3 years. To be eligible, one must have contributed to the health and maternity insurance scheme for at least one year and send the sick leave certificate to the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) within 48 hours.

This page covers the mandatory social security scheme for self-employed tradespeople, business owners, and professionals, based on information from service-public.fr verified on October 8, 2026. It does not address the minimum benefit amount (the pages consulted do not provide this information), payment deadlines, the tax and social security treatment of benefits, or the situation of non-residents. Supplementary insurance contracts are covered on a separate page.

Conditions for receiving compensation

Three conditions are imposed on artisans and traders. Liberal professions, whether regulated or not, are subject to the same.

How is the compensation calculated?

The daily allowance (IJ) is equal to 1/730th of the average annual earnings (RAAM). According to the page, this earnings are calculated over the 3 years preceding the work stoppage.

The RAAM (Revenu d'Assurance Maladie Agricole - Annual Reimbursement for Medical Accidents) is capped at €48,060. Therefore, the daily allowance cannot exceed €65.84 per day. Income exceeding the cap does not increase the allowance.

The amounts in the table are calculated using the formula from the official pages. The amount of your compensation depends on your RAAM.

For how long?

The number of allowances is limited, but the rule described differs according to status.

Craftsmen and traders. The service-public.fr page indicates that they cannot receive more than 360 daily allowances, for one or more periods of sick leave, over a period of 3 years.

Liberal professions. The service-public.fr website states that daily allowances are limited to 90 days. This period can be extended, but cannot exceed 360 daily allowances for one or more periods of sick leave over a 3-year period. This page does not detail the circumstances under which this period can be extended: please check with your local health insurance fund.

At €65.84 per day, 360 allowances represent a maximum of €23,702.40 over 3 years.

The waiting period

The waiting period is 3 days. According to the information provided, this only applies to the first period of sick leave resulting from an accident. The information provided does not describe any other cases: for sick leave not resulting from an accident, check with your local health insurance fund (CPAM).

Therapeutic part-time work

During periods of therapeutic part-time work, the allowance is reduced by half. For self-employed tradespeople and shopkeepers, the service-public.fr website indicates that these allowances are limited to 90 days, a period that can be extended in exceptional circumstances, up to a maximum of 360 daily allowances.

Regulated liberal professions: the contact person changes on the 90th day

For regulated professions, the page indicates that from the 90th day of sick leave, the contact is no longer the CPAM (French National Health Insurance Fund): you must contact your pension fund. The service-public.fr page specifies this only in the section for regulated professions. It does not mention it for unregulated professions. Depending on your status, check with your pension fund to see which one pays your benefits after three months of sick leave.

Workplace accidents and occupational diseases

Self-employed tradespeople and shopkeepers do not contribute to workers' compensation insurance. According to the website, they are entitled to benefits in case of illness. Individual voluntary insurance can be purchased from the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund). This section does not address the situation of the self-employed.

In addition to sick leave: disability and death benefits for tradespeople and shopkeepers

Self-employed tradespeople and shopkeepers also contribute to disability and death insurance. The service-public.fr website indicates a rate of 1.30 % for incomes equal to or less than €48,060, and 0 % for incomes exceeding that amount. It specifies that contributions paid in 2026 are calculated on 2025 income declared in 2026. It also indicates that the calculation basis for social security contributions, as well as certain contribution rates, will change in 2026. Among the texts cited is Decree No. 2025-708 of July 25, 2025, concerning the basis for calculating the CSG (General Social Contribution) and social security contributions for self-employed workers.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Camille is a craftswoman. Thomas is a shopkeeper. Both have been contributing to the sickness and maternity insurance scheme for over a year. Camille's average annual business income is €36,000. Thomas's is €90,000. Each submits their sick leave certificate within 48 hours. For simplicity, we assume their monthly income is equal to their average annual sickness allowance divided by 12, and that one month of sick leave corresponds to 30 benefits.

Issue. What proportion of income does the allowance represent?

Strategy. Apply the formula: RAAM capped at €48,060, divided by 730, then compare 30 allowances to the monthly income.

Result.

For Thomas, the cap reduces his compensation: 30 days of sick leave leaves a gap of €5,524.80 compared to his average monthly income. This calculation ignores the waiting period, fixed costs for the practice or business, taxes, and social security contributions. These profiles are hypothetical. The figures illustrate the formula. They do not reflect your specific situation.

What changes depending on your situation

• Your status : craftsman, trader, regulated or unregulated liberal profession. The compensation period described on the pages is not the same for craftsmen and tradesmen and for liberal professions.
• Your length of service : less than one year of sickness-maternity contributions, and the condition is not met.
• Your income for the last 3 years : it sets the RAAM, therefore the compensation, within the limit of the ceiling.
• The number of compensation payments already received over a period of 3 years.
• The case of the stoppage : the 3-day waiting period is described for the first of the stops that result from an accident.

The rule depends on your situation. No amount is promised.