Is a sick note issued by video valid in Germany?

What does a certificate of incapacity for work confirm?

A sick note (Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung, AU) confirms that you are unable to work and states the expected duration. § 5 paragraph 1 continued remuneration law (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, EFZG) expressly requires both details in the medical certificate. Your own message to your employer separately fulfils the duty to report your absence promptly. The document and your notification therefore serve different purposes within the same sick leave process.

For doctors providing statutory insurance care, § 2 paragraph 1 Arbeitsunfähigkeits-Richtlinie bases the assessment on the work you last performed. Illness-related limitations or the risk of your actual work making the illness worse are decisive. Describe your real duties and the difficulties you experience during a normal working day. A job title alone often says little about physical demands or the concentration required.

When can a doctor assess you by video?

The German Medical Association explains remote care with reference to § 7 paragraph 4 and § 25 MBO-Ä. Medical appropriateness, careful assessment and information about the particular features of remote care are essential conditions. The model professional code is a template; the relevant regional medical association's professional code is binding. Offering a video appointment therefore does not promise any particular medical outcome.

Prepare a short account of your symptoms and how they have developed over time. Note which tasks are currently difficult, distinguishing your observations from possible explanations you have considered. Ask if the limitations of an examination through a camera are still unclear to you. Before finishing, also discuss what to do if your symptoms continue after the consultation.

Which rules apply specifically to statutory insurance care?

For video consultations, § 4 paragraph 5 Arbeitsunfähigkeits-Richtlinie distinguishes between patients personally known to the practice and those who are unknown. An initial certificate should generally not exceed 3 calendar days for unknown patients or 7 for known patients. The guideline also sets conditions for subsequent assessments and provides no entitlement to assessment by video. The version dated 14 November 2013, amended on 7 December 2023, has applied since 21 February 2024.

These rules concern statutory insurance care and do not automatically define the scope of our private service. Our terms of service limit any certificate to three calendar days at most, including any backdated days. This distinction explains why information about seven days through another care route does not apply here. When comparing services, first check who provides the care and how it is billed.

What should you do if someone queries your certificate?

First ask your employer exactly which information or submission method they consider unclear in your case. Keep the issued certificate available and check your name, its issue date and the stated period. If you notice an apparent error, ask the issuing practice to review the relevant information. Never change a medical certificate yourself, even when a mistake seems obvious to you.

§ 5 paragraph 1a EFZG excludes assessments outside statutory insurance care from the electronic submission arrangements described there. An unsuccessful electronic retrieval alone therefore does not explain the full circumstances of a private certificate. This general guide cannot provide a binding assessment of an individual dispute with an employer. If a disagreement continues, seek advice that takes the circumstances of your own case into account.

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:

• How do you get an online sick note 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