How can you get a sick note at weekends or on holidays?

How do days off count towards the certified period?

Calendar days include every day within a period, regardless of your individual work or shift schedule. Our service limits certificates to a maximum of three calendar days including any backdated days. A three-calendar-day period beginning on Friday therefore ends on the following Sunday, rather than later. The treating doctor decides whether three days are actually needed based on your individual assessment.

For statutory insurance doctors, § 5 paragraph 5 Arbeitsunfähigkeits-Richtlinie provides that ongoing incapacity is also certified for days without work. Examples include weekends, public holidays and days off under flexible working time arrangements. The guideline dated 14 November 2013, amended 7 December 2023, has applied since 21 February 2024. Distinguish its statutory insurance care scope from the separate limitations of our private medical service.

When must you notify your employer at the weekend?

The duty to report incapacity and its expected duration without delay follows from § 5 paragraph 1 continued remuneration law (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, EFZG). If symptoms begin at the weekend, check how your workplace receives notifications of sickness absence. Particularly for shift work, an agreed contact method helps your message reach the right person promptly. Use specific dates and state the expected period as far as you can currently assess it.

The general evidence rule applies when incapacity for work lasts more than three calendar days. § 5 paragraph 1 EFZG specifies the following working day while also allowing employers to require earlier medical evidence. Having Sunday off therefore does not automatically mean that waiting until Monday to contact a doctor is sufficient. First check your evidence requirement, then the examination options that are actually available to you.

Which weekend and evening surcharges does the service list?

Our terms of service generally list a surcharge of €12.82 for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. During consultation hours on Saturdays, however, this surcharge is only half the stated amount. At certain times, surcharge B or C may apply in addition, but never both together. Surcharge B also requires the medical service to take place outside regular consultation hours. The actual consultation start determines the charge; an estimate displayed beforehand may differ from it. This table only summarises existing service prices and does not promise appointments at those times.

Under the terms of service, the applicable surcharge B or C is added to the weekend surcharge at night. Add these amounts to the base fee or the fee including a visual examination, as applicable. If a bill is unclear, ask about the recorded consultation start and each individual charged item. Keep your booking information together with the invoice so you can compare both sets of details.

What help is available if video care is unsuitable?

The medical on-call service on 116117 treats urgent, non-life-threatening symptoms that cannot wait until the next normal consultation hours. Call 116117 for guidance on suitable care and out-of-hours practices near your current location. Describe your symptoms and their urgency first, then any request concerning medical evidence if relevant. For life-threatening symptoms, medical on-call service on 116117 directs people to the emergency ambulance service on telephone number 112.

Our service is not an emergency service; any backdating remains subject to careful medical assessment. If your condition worsens, do not wait for a later video appointment merely to obtain a document. If symptoms persist, arrange an examination at a local practice in good time for further assessment. Ongoing care needs an appropriate medical route even when several days off fall together.

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 should you notify your employer about sick leave?
• Can your employer require a sick note from the first day?
• When is a backdated sick note possible in Germany?
• What does a private video consultation for a sick note cost?

Editorial team Krankschreibung per Video, Drylabs GmbH

Updated: 26 October 2026