How do you get an online sick note in Germany?

What should you prepare before making a request?

Have your identity document ready and check that your device's camera and microphone work properly. A stable internet connection is one of the technical requirements for video consultations in our terms of service. Choose a quiet place where other people are unlikely to overhear your conversation with the doctor. Position your device so you can sit comfortably and your face remains clearly visible throughout.

Note when your symptoms began, ideally using a specific date and an approximate time of day. Include important changes, previous examinations and known pre-existing conditions that you want to discuss during the consultation. Also describe your work and the tasks that have become difficult because of your symptoms. Leave uncertain details open and label estimates, instead of choosing answers that merely seem suitable.

What happens between your request and the consultation?

The service begins with describing your symptoms and creating your personal patient account for the service. You then reserve the base fee before taking part in the doctor's video consultation. The reserved amount is €10.72; it does not promise that a certificate will subsequently be issued. Under the terms of service, only the amount actually incurred under the GOÄ is charged, after the consultation; before that the amount is only reserved.

If no consultation takes place, the reservation is released and no consultation is charged, according to the service. The terms of service contain additional cancellation and missed-appointment rules which you should read before making your booking. These details do not imply a particular waiting time or a doctor's availability at all times. For a specific appointment, follow the information displayed during the actual booking process for your consultation.

How does the medical assessment work?

Start with your main concern, then describe how your symptoms have developed since they first began. Add observations from specific situations in your daily life or during your most recent working day. If something is difficult, explain as precisely as possible what you tried and what happened. Allow the doctor to ask further questions and openly mention anything about which you remain uncertain.

The German Medical Association requires remote care to involve a medically appropriate, careful assessment taking its particular features into account. A certificate therefore cannot reliably be promised simply on the basis of completing a form. In our service, the doctor's video consultation expressly forms the basis for any assessment of incapacity for work. Before finishing, ask whether an additional examination at a local practice appears necessary in your case.

Which documents do you receive after the consultation?

If incapacity for work is established, the certificate is available as a PDF in your patient account, according to the service. The service also lists a PDF invoice under the German medical fee schedule (GOÄ) for the private consultation. Save the invoice and certificate separately so you select the correct document when forwarding it. Before sending anything, check that the downloaded file is complete and readable on your device.

According to our service, the employer's copy contains no diagnosis, but includes your name, the period and doctor details. Send the certificate specifically, avoiding accidental forwarding of other personal documents from your patient account. An invoice serves a different purpose and does not replace evidence of medically established incapacity for work. If documents are unclear, ask the provider before sending additional personal information to your employer.

What do you need to tell your employer?

Notify your employer without delay that you cannot work and how long you expect the absence to last. This legal duty to notify follows from § 5 paragraph 1 continued remuneration law (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, EFZG), the German continued remuneration law (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, EFZG). Where possible, send your notification before waiting for the video consultation to finish. If unsure, ask which reporting channel to use and who handles sickness notifications at work.

Keep your sickness notification separate from the medical evidence covering the period certified by the doctor. With this service, you receive a PDF for your employer after the doctor establishes incapacity for work. You submit it yourself; there is no electronic transmission to your health insurance fund here. Our terms of service explain this service limit alongside the procedure for the private medical consultation.

Before sending the certificate, check the recipient, your name and the period stated on it. Store your own copy and confirmation of submission somewhere protected for your personal records. If questions arise, you can then find and identify the documents you actually submitted more easily.

What are the limits and fees of this service?

Our service is for adults aged 18 and over whose symptoms can be assessed adequately by video. Generally accepted professional standards must allow your treatment without an in-person medical consultation. The certificate usually starts on the day of your video consultation. After careful medical assessment, the doctor may exceptionally backdate its start by up to three days. The doctor must also be able to establish your incapacity for work during that earlier period. There is no entitlement to backdating. The certificate still covers no more than three calendar days, including any backdated days. This service does not extend an existing certificate by video. Contact us on your first day of illness whenever possible. Further details are set out in our terms of service.

According to our service, a base consultation fee of €10.72 is reserved before the appointment. If a medically necessary visual examination is actually performed, the fee totals €21.44 plus applicable surcharges. The fee remains payable even if the medical assessment does not result in a certificate. Before booking, read the full pricing information carefully, including details of any possible surcharges.

People with statutory health insurance pay themselves; reimbursement by private insurance depends on their policy terms. Our terms of service do not guarantee reimbursement or acceptance of the certificate by your employer. Have your identity document and a device with a camera and microphone ready for the consultation. Check your internet connection and choose somewhere you can speak without being disturbed by others.

Where can you find further answers?

These related guides provide further information about the next steps in reporting your sickness absence:

• Is a sick note issued by video valid in Germany?
• How should you notify your employer about sick leave?
• What does a private video consultation for a sick note cost?
• What is the difference between electronic incapacity certificate (elektronische Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung, eAU) and a PDF sick note?

Editorial team Krankschreibung per Video, Drylabs GmbH

Updated: 26 October 2026