What is the difference between eAU and a PDF sick note?

How does electronic reporting of incapacity for work operate?

§ 295 paragraph 1 SGB V governs electronic transmission of certain incapacity data from statutory insurance doctors to health insurance funds. Subject to its conditions, § 5 paragraph 1a EFZG simplifies submission of evidence for employees covered by those arrangements. The duty to notify your employer promptly under § 5 paragraph 1 remains unaffected by this process. Electronic handling therefore does not mean your employer learns about every absence without your own notification.

Treat sickness notification, medical assessment and transmission as three separate steps when considering administrative questions. First ask which type of care provided the examination and what evidence was actually issued. Then check which further information the responsible department at work still needs to receive from you. This avoids misunderstandings caused solely by using the same term for several different processes.

Why does this service provide a PDF certificate?

Our terms of service describe private medical care and a certificate which you submit to your employer yourself. The service expressly excludes eAU and transmission of your incapacity data to your health insurance fund. A PDF in your patient account therefore does not confirm that an electronic record was also sent. Explain this specific process to the responsible department at work if they expect electronic retrieval instead.

§ 5 paragraph 1a EFZG expressly excludes assessments by doctors outside statutory insurance care from its simplified submission arrangements. Whether electronic retrieval is available therefore cannot be determined solely by your statutory insurance status. The actual route through which you received treatment and medical assessment is also relevant to this question. When comparing services, carefully compare the type of care and the evidence each one provides.

What information does the employer's copy contain here?

According to our service, the certificate includes your name, issue date, period of incapacity and doctor details. The service information expressly states that the version intended for your employer contains no diagnosis. Before sending, check that you have selected the employer's certificate rather than another personal document. An invoice or your own symptom description belongs to a different process within your patient account.

Save the file somewhere you will reliably be able to find it again when needed. Open the document after downloading and check that all its pages are displayed in full. Compare your personal details and the certified dates with the outcome discussed during the consultation. If you notice an error, ask the issuing office to clarify it before making any changes yourself.

How should you submit the PDF to your employer?

Ask who should receive medical certificates and which submission method is used at your workplace. Write a short message clearly referring to the absence already reported and the period now certified. Avoid additional personal documents that are not intended for this particular medical evidence requirement. Keep the sent file and any confirmation of receipt together with your original sickness notification.

If your employer reports unsuccessful electronic retrieval, first explain the submission process for private medical care. Refer to the certificate available and ask which specific additional information they still consider missing. The exception in § 5 paragraph 1a EFZG explains the context without replacing an assessment of an individual dispute. Our service guarantees neither acceptance by your employer nor any particular decision in response to queries.

If incapacity continues, § 5 EFZG requires further evidence or, subject to its conditions, a renewed medical assessment. Arrange another examination in good time if the existing certified period no longer covers your symptoms. Our service does not extend existing certificates; backdating the start requires medical assessment. At your next consultation, have the existing certificate and details of the course so far available.

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 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 do you get an online sick note in Germany?
• How should you notify your employer about sick leave?
• Can your employer require a sick note from the first day?

Editorial team Krankschreibung per Video, Drylabs GmbH

Updated: 26 October 2026