A medical certificate, also known as a doctor’s certificate or a sick note, is an official document issued by a licensed online medical practitioner that confirms a patient’s medical illness. It will certify your illness and provide details about the expected duration of recovery. Medical certificates are used to support requests for sick leave, disability benefits, or insurance claims. They can also be required by employers, schools, or other organizations as proof of a legitimate absence due to illness.

If you work for an Australian employer, you may be required to produce a valid medical certificate if you are unfit for work due to medical reasons. An employee has to let their employer know that they are unfit to work and need sick or carer’s leave. This has to be done as soon as possible, and can be after the leave has started. Employees need to specify how long they expect to be unable to work.

An employee who doesn’t give their employer evidence when asked may not be entitled to be paid for their sick or carer’s leave

An employer may request evidence from an employee to confirm that their leave was taken due to:

Inability to work as a result of illness or injury, or the need to care for or support an immediate family or household member affected by illness, injury, or an unforeseen emergency.

Employers can request evidence even for a single day or less of absence.

If an employee fails to provide the requested evidence, they may not be eligible for paid sick or carer’s leave.

Awards or registered agreements can outline when an employee must submit evidence and the type of evidence required. The requested evidence should always be reasonable given the situation.

The completion of a medical certificate is subject to the doctor’s assessment of the presented issue and its clinical reasonability. This evaluation relies on the information provided in the online clinical declaration and the subsequent telephone or video consultation with the doctor.

Please note that not all medical certificate requests will be approved. If deemed necessary, you might receive advice to visit a local General Practitioner for an in-person clinical assessment.

Online medical certificates are legally valid in Australia and can be used as acceptable evidence for sick or carer’s leave. Employers, insurance companies, and other organisations often accept online certificates as proof of illness or injury.

To issue a certificate, the doctor must assess your condition and decide if it’s clinically appropriate. Not all requests will be approved — if a face-to-face examination is necessary, you may be advised to visit a local GP.

Yes.  An online medical certificate is valid if it has been issued by an Australian registered doctor. This serves as a valid proof for your employer.

Start by filling in a simple questionnaire to help the doctor understand your current illness. They will give you a quick call to ask a few more questions and offer helpful advice.

Please note this is a clinical request — doctors may decline to issue a certificate if it’s not considered safe or appropriate.

If approved, your certificate will be sent quickly and securely to your email.

With Medmate you can get an online medical certificate for:

• Work
• School
• University
• Carer’s Certificates

Medmate online medical certificates are $19.90 single day or $39.00 multi-day.

Medmate abides by strict privacy principles.

Your medical details are completely confidential between you and the doctor.

It is not reasonable, and not supported by the Fair Work Act, for employers to ask details about your illness.

Medmate will reasonably confirm the validity of medical certificates as required. No details about your medical issues will ever be provided to an employer.