The short answer: self-employed Canadians aren't automatically covered by EI, but you can opt in through Service Canada. For 2026 you'd pay $1.63 per $100 of insurable earnings outside Quebec ($1.30 in Quebec), up to a maximum of $1,123.07 ($895.70 in Quebec). In return you can claim special benefits only — maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care, and family caregiver — at 55% of your average weekly earnings. You can never collect regular job-loss EI. Enter your income to see your own numbers.
Net profit after expenses — the figure on line 15000 of your return, not your gross billings.
Outside Quebec you pay the federal EI rate of $1.63/$100 of insurable earnings.
Your EI premium if you opt in
$978.00 / year
$60,000 of insurable earnings × $1.63 per $100
One year's premium of $978.00 could unlock up to $31,731 for a new child — about 32× the cost, if you claim.
Register 12 months ahead
You must sign up with Service Canada at least 12 months before your first claim — you can't opt in the week you need it.
No regular EI, ever
Opting in covers special benefits only. You can never collect regular (job-loss) EI on self-employed income.
Minimum earnings apply
You need at least $9,254 of net self-employed earnings in the prior year to qualify for a 2026 claim.
Estimate only — a decision aid, not advice. Figures use the live-verified 2026 EI maximum insurable earnings ($68,900), the federal ($1.63) and Quebec ($1.30) premium rates, and the 55% benefit rate. Extended parental (up to 61 weeks) is paid at 33%, not 55%, so it isn't shown above. Your actual entitlement depends on your circumstances and Service Canada's assessment. See Sources below.
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A worked example
Say you earn $60,000 in net self-employment income and live outside Quebec. Your insurable earnings are $60,000 (under the $68,900 ceiling), so your 2026 premium is $60,000 × 1.63% = $978.00 for the year — about $81.50 a month.
Your average weekly insurable earnings are $60,000 ÷ 52 = $1,153.85, and EI pays 55% of that = $634.62 a week. If you took a new-child leave — 15 weeks maternity plus 35 weeks standard parental, 50 weeks in total — that's up to about $31,730. So one year's $978 premium could return roughly 32× its cost if you claim. If you never claim, it's $978 spent for peace of mind you didn't use. That trade-off is the whole decision.
The three things that make this honest
- You must register at least 12 months before your first claim. The opt-in is a plan-ahead decision — you can't sign up the week you need maternity or sickness benefits.
- You can never collect regular EI. Opting in buys special benefits only (maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care, family caregiver). If your business slows down or you lose a client, EI won't pay you — that door stays closed even though you pay premiums.
- There's a minimum-income threshold. You need at least $9,254 of net self-employed earnings in the prior year to qualify for a 2026 claim. Below that, paying premiums buys no entitlement. And once you've claimed even once, you must keep paying premiums for as long as you're self-employed.
EI is only one of the deductions self-employment brings. Its natural pair is CPP — see exactly what you owe with the self-employed CPP calculator. For the whole picture, read the self-employed taxes guide, compare your real take-home with the employee vs self-employed calculator (it already models CPP and EI), or work out how much tax to set aside.
People also ask
How much EI do self-employed Canadians pay?
If you opt in, you pay the same rate as an employee — but only the employee portion, not the employer portion. For 2026 that is $1.63 for every $100 of insurable earnings outside Quebec (a maximum of $1,123.07), or $1.30 per $100 in Quebec (a maximum of $895.70), because the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan covers maternity and parental leave there. Insurable earnings are capped at the 2026 maximum of $68,900, so income above that does not increase your premium.
Is opting in to EI worth it for the self-employed?
It depends entirely on whether you expect to use a special benefit. The premium is a fixed annual cost; the payout only happens if you claim maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care, or family caregiver benefits. For someone planning a child, one year of premium can be a fraction of a 50-week maternity-plus-parental payout. For someone who will never claim, it is a cost with no return. The calculator above shows both sides so you can decide for your situation — it is a decision aid, not advice.
What EI benefits can self-employed people actually claim?
Only EI special benefits: maternity (up to 15 weeks), parental (up to 35 weeks standard at 55%, or up to 61 weeks extended at 33%), sickness (up to 26 weeks), compassionate care (up to 26 weeks), and family caregiver benefits (up to 35 weeks for a child, 15 for an adult). You can NEVER collect regular EI (job-loss benefits) on self-employed income — that door stays closed even though you pay premiums.
When can I first claim after opting in?
You must have registered with the Canada Employment Insurance Commission through Service Canada at least 12 months before you make your first claim, and you must have earned at least the minimum net self-employed earnings in the prior year ($9,254 for a 2026 claim). You also have to reduce the time spent on your business by more than 40% for at least one week. In short: you cannot opt in the week you need the money — plan a year ahead.
Can I stop paying EI once I opt in?
Yes, you can cancel — but only if you have never made a claim. Once you receive any EI special benefit as a self-employed person, you must keep paying premiums on your self-employed income for as long as you are self-employed. That is a key reason to run the numbers before you register rather than after.
Sources
All 2026 figures verified against canada.ca and the Canada Employment Insurance Commission on 2026-07-30. Maximum insurable earnings $68,900; premium rate $1.63/$100 federal ($1,123.07 max), $1.30/$100 Quebec ($895.70 max); benefit rate 55% of average weekly earnings (2026 max $729/week); minimum net self-employed earnings $9,254 for a 2026 claim; 12-month waiting period before a first claim.
- canada.ca — EI for self-employed people: Premiums
- canada.ca — EI for self-employed people: Who can qualify (minimum earnings + 12-month rule)
- canada.ca — EI for self-employed people (55% benefit rate, $729/week 2026 maximum)
- canada.ca — EI caregiving benefits (compassionate care 26 wk, family caregiver 35 wk child / 15 wk adult)
- canada.ca — 2026 EI premium rate and maximum insurable earnings
Estimate only, and a decision aid — not financial, tax, or legal advice. Your actual premium and entitlement depend on your circumstances and Service Canada's assessment. Always confirm current figures on canada.ca before you register.
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