Caring for a Relative in Austria: Insurance, Pension Credits and Support in 2026

In Austria, around 75 percent of people who need care are looked after at home by family members. If you care for a close relative, the state may provide free pension and health insurance, care leave and financial support. The following overview explains the main options and their general conditions.

Key points

• If your relative receives Pflegegeld at level 3 or above, reduced-cost and free pension insurance for the person providing care may be possible.
• Pflegekarenz or Pflegeteilzeit can generally last between 1 and 3 months, with Pflegekarenzgeld payable during this period.
• The Angehörigenbonus is 134.30 euros per month in 2026 where the person receiving care has at least Pflegegeld level 4.
• Support for Ersatzpflege can amount to a maximum of between 1,200 and 2,200 euros per year, with an additional 300 euros in cases involving dementia.
• Care training may be supported by up to 200 euros per year for each person receiving care.

Who counts as a close relative?

The rules use the term naher Angehöriger, meaning close relative. This includes:

• a spouse, partner, registered partner and their children,
• a parent, grandparent, adoptive parent, step-parent or foster parent,
• a child, grandchild, stepchild, adopted child or foster child,
• a sibling, parent-in-law, daughter-in-law or son-in-law.

You do not have to live in the same household as the person receiving care in order to qualify for Pflegekarenz or the Angehörigenbonus.

Pension insurance while providing care

There are two subsidised options for building pension insurance periods. In both cases, the federal government (Bund) pays the contributions, so there is no cost to you if the conditions are met. These periods count as Beitragszeiten for pension purposes.

Begünstigte Selbstversicherung and begünstigte Weiterversicherung

• Care level: at least Pflegegeld level 3 for both options.
• Care setting: care must take place at home.
• Begünstigte Selbstversicherung: possible alongside employment covered by compulsory insurance. You need an Austrian residence and a significant care burden.
• Begünstigte Weiterversicherung: available where care takes up your entire working capacity and you have the required previous insurance period.

For begünstigte Weiterversicherung, the contribution base is linked to the year before compulsory insurance ended. In 2026, the minimum contribution base is 1,084.20 euros, the maximum is 8,085.00 euros and the contribution rate is 22.8 percent. The Bund pays the full contribution.

Deadline for begünstigte Weiterversicherung: if you have fewer than 60 insurance months, you must apply within six months of the end of compulsory insurance. With more than 60 months, you can apply at any time.

Only one person can be covered by self-insurance for the same care case at a time. A temporary stay by the person receiving care in residential care does not interrupt care provided at home.

Applications must be submitted to the pension insurance provider, Pensionsversicherung. For begünstigte Weiterversicherung, apply to the provider with which you were most recently insured.

Health insurance for the person providing care

If you care at home for a relative receiving Pflegegeld level 3 or above, and caring takes up most of your working capacity, beitragsfreie Mitversicherung may be available in certain cases.

If this is not possible and you cannot work because of the care responsibilities, beitragsfreie Selbstversicherung may be available if you are in financial need. The application must be submitted to the Austrian health insurance fund, Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK). An Austrian main residence is required.

Pflegekarenz and Pflegeteilzeit for employees

Employees can agree with their employer to take Pflegekarenz, with their salary suspended completely, or Pflegeteilzeit, with a proportional reduction in salary and working hours reduced to no more than 10 hours per week.

Main rules

• The arrangement lasts between 1 and 3 months and must be taken as one uninterrupted period.
• The usual requirement is Pflegegeld level 3 or above. For a minor or a person with dementia, level 1 is sufficient.
• You must have had at least three months of uninterrupted employment immediately beforehand.
• At companies with more than 5 employees, there is a legal entitlement for up to four weeks.

During this period, employees receive protection against dismissal motivated by the use of the entitlement (Motivkündigungsschutz), contribution-free health and pension insurance, and continue to build entitlement to severance pay (Abfertigungsanspruch).

Important: if you previously only had a low-income geringfügig job, neither Pflegekarenzgeld nor the related insurance is payable.

How much is Pflegekarenzgeld?

The amount depends on income. It is calculated in the same way as unemployment benefit: 55 percent of daily net income, but at least the monthly geringfügig threshold, which is 551.10 euros in 2026. An additional payment is available for dependent children. For Pflegeteilzeit, the amount is calculated proportionally.

For one person receiving care, Pflegekarenzgeld can be paid for a maximum total of 12 months. Eligibility is decided by the Sozialministeriumservice (SMS).

Application deadline: if you apply within two months of the start of the leave, payment can be made from the beginning. If you apply later but before the leave ends, payment starts on the application date. Applications submitted after the leave has ended are rejected.

Other support: bonus, replacement care and training

• Angehörigenbonus: where the person receiving care has at least Pflegegeld level 4, the amount is 134.30 euros per month in 2026.
• Ersatzpflege: where the usual carer is prevented from providing care, the maximum support is between 1,200 and 2,200 euros per year. The amount is 300 euros higher in cases involving dementia. Pflegegeld level 3 is normally required; level 1 is sufficient for a minor or a person with dementia.
• Care training: where the person receiving care has at least Pflegegeld level 1, up to 200 euros per year can be paid per person receiving care.

The Angehörigenbonus is paid automatically to people with subsidised pension insurance. Other people, including pensioners, must apply. They must have provided most of the care for at least one year and their average net income must not exceed 1,710.90 euros per month.

Support for Ersatzpflege is available if you have mainly cared for the relative for at least one year and are prevented from doing so because of illness, holiday or another important reason. The application must be submitted to the Sozialministeriumservice.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work while building pension credits through care?

Yes. Begünstigte Selbstversicherung may be possible alongside employment covered by compulsory insurance. With begünstigte Weiterversicherung, however, care must take up your entire working capacity.

Do I have to live with the person receiving care?

Not for Pflegekarenz or the Angehörigenbonus. For pension insurance, the care must be provided in a home setting.

Can two people take care leave for the same parent?

Yes. For example, two siblings can take leave during different periods, with each taking up to three months. This can result in a total of up to six months.

Can the Pflegegeld procedure be completed faster if I want to take leave?

In the event of a sudden need for care, if you indicate your intention to take Pflegekarenz, the decision-makers generally complete the procedure within two weeks.

Practical steps

1. Check the Pflegegeld level of the person receiving care and confirm whether the care is provided at home.
2. Identify whether begünstigte Selbstversicherung, begünstigte Weiterversicherung or health insurance through ÖGK may apply.
3. Discuss Pflegekarenz or Pflegeteilzeit with your employer and check the required three-month employment period.
4. Submit the relevant pension insurance application to Pensionsversicherung, or to the provider with which you were most recently insured for begünstigte Weiterversicherung.
5. Apply to Sozialministeriumservice for Pflegekarenzgeld and, where applicable, Ersatzpflege support.
6. Observe the two-month Pflegekarenzgeld deadline and keep evidence of your employment, income and care responsibilities.

This article is based on information available online and is not legal, employment, medical or financial advice. For advice relating to your situation, contact an appropriate qualified professional. Source: oesterreich.gv.at