Frequently Asked
Questions

What is an online medical certificate, and is it the same as one from my regular GP?

An online medical certificate is a signed digital document issued by an EU-licensed doctor after a remote consultation. It states your medical condition, fitness, or absence reason — exactly the same content as a paper certificate from a clinic. It includes the doctor’s name, council registration, signature, date, and a verification code. Belgian, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, German, Irish and UK employers, schools, gyms, sports clubs and airlines accept digitally signed certificates by default under EU eIDAS Regulation (910/2014).

You complete a short online questionnaire (5 minutes) — personal details, medical history, reason for the certificate. An EU-licensed doctor reviews your case and may contact you by message or short call if more details are needed. Once approved, the signed PDF is emailed to you. Working hours: typical delivery is 30 minutes. Outside hours: next-morning delivery.

All consultations are conducted by physicians registered with EU/EEA national medical councils.

Yes. Under EU eIDAS Regulation 910/2014, electronically signed documents have the same legal force as handwritten signatures across all EU member states. National laws in Italy (DM 18/02/1982 for non-agonistic sports certs), Belgium (Royal Decree on sick-leave attestations), Spain (Real Decreto 1093/2010), France (Code de la santé publique), Germany (Bundesmantelvertrag-Ärzte) and Ireland (Statutory Sick Pay Act 2022) all recognise certificates issued by any EU-licensed doctor — including those issued via remote consultation.

The vast majority of European employers, schools, gyms, sports clubs and airlines accept our certificates without question. We have issued over 600 certificates across the EU with negligible rejection rates. If you work in a heavily regulated environment (military, aviation crew, certain public-sector roles), check your employer’s specific policy first — some require the certificate to come from an in-network occupational physician. For most people in private-sector roles, online certificates are accepted exactly like a GP-issued one.

Validity depends on the certificate type:

  • Sick-leave certificate: covers the dates you are absent (typically 1–14 days); single-use document.
  • Sports / fitness certificate (non-agonistic): 12 months from issue date.
  • Good-health / fit-to-fly certificate: 30 days from issue (airline-standard); some embassies require ≤14 days.
  • Gym / fitness-club membership certificate: 12 months, renewable.
  • Diving / spearfishing certificate: 12 months from issue date.

The flat fee is €34.99 for sick-leave, sports, fitness and gym certificates. €44.99 for fit-to-fly, good-health and visa medical letters (these require additional clinical assessment by the doctor). Both prices are one-time and all-inclusive — no subscription, no hidden fees, no upsells. Payment is processed in EUR by card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). VAT is included where applicable.

Our consultation fee is non-refundable once the doctor has reviewed your case. The fee covers the doctor’s clinical assessment of your submission — that work has happened whether or not a certificate is issued at the end of it. If the doctor determines that a certificate cannot be issued (for example your case requires in-person examination, or falls outside our service scope), you’ll receive a clear explanation and, where appropriate, a referral to the right pathway — but the consultation fee stands. Before paying, please review the FAQ above (Q9: When will the doctor NOT issue a certificate online?) so you know whether your case is a good fit for our service.

Our doctors decline cases where remote assessment isn’t clinically appropriate. The most common scenarios:

  • Italian agonistico sports certificates — by law (Decreto Balduzzi 2013) require in-person ECG, spirometry and urine testing at an authorised sports medicine centre.
  • Commercial / professional diving medicals — require in-person hyperbaric assessment.
  • Aviation crew (pilot / cabin crew) medicals — must be issued by an EASA-approved Aero-Medical Examiner.
  • Significant red-flag symptoms — chest pain, severe shortness of breath, neurological deficit, suspected fracture — we’ll direct you to A&E / urgent care instead.
  • Controlled-substance prescriptions — we don’t prescribe opioids, benzodiazepines or stimulants online.
  • First-time diagnosis of chronic conditions requiring ongoing prescriber relationship — we’ll suggest your local GP.

Our core service is medical certificates and doctor’s letters. We can prescribe simple, low-risk medications where clinically appropriate (common antibiotics for confirmed infections, asthma reliever inhalers for established patients, etc.) — but we do not prescribe controlled substances, ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, opioids, weight-loss injectables, or first-time treatments for chronic conditions. If a prescription is needed but falls outside our scope, the doctor will issue your certificate and direct you to your regular GP for the prescription.

Yes — for children aged 3 and over, with a parent or legal guardian present during the consultation. The questionnaire and consultation will be conducted with you on your child’s behalf. Common use cases: school absence notes, gym/sports club enrolment, swim-school medicals. For children under 3, we recommend an in-person paediatric assessment instead.

We issue certificato medico sportivo non agonistico (€34.99 online, in 30 minutes) — valid for: gym membership, recreational football (CSI, UISP, AICS leagues), amateur running, cycling, swimming, school and university sports, and any non-competitive activity organised by Enti di Promozione Sportiva.

We also issue certificato agonistico — this is required for FIGC, FCI, FIDAL, FIN and other CONI-recognised federations. By law (Decreto Balduzzi, 24 April 2013) . See our agonistico guide →

Since January 2026, Belgian employees can self-certify only 2 sick days per calendar year (previously 3 days × 3 occasions). From day 1 of any third absence — or day 3 of any single longer absence — a doctor’s certificate is mandatory. Our service issues a fully GDPR-compliant medisch attest / certificat médical from an EU-licensed doctor in 30 minutes, accepted by Belgian employers, schools and mutuelles. Apply for a Belgian medical certificate →

For recreational spearfishing licences and PADI/SSI/CMAS recreational diving certifications in most Spanish Comunidades Autónomas — yes. The doctor reviews a diving-specific risk questionnaire (cardiovascular, respiratory, ENT) and issues the medical statement at €34.99. For RFEPS federated competition at national or international level, Spanish federations require an in-person reconocimiento médico-deportivo with ECG and spirometry — that’s beyond our scope. Verify your Comunidad Autónoma’s specific requirements before applying. More on diving certificates → · Spearfishing certificates →

Yes for SSP. Under the Sick Leave Act 2022, employees are entitled to paid sick leave from day 1 with a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner — our doctors are registered with the Medical Council of Ireland (or other EU/EEA councils, recognised under EU professional-qualification directives). For Department of Social Protection Illness Benefit, the official MED-1 form must be submitted by your GP directly to DSP — that’s a separate process we don’t replace. We issue the certificate that confirms your work absence to your employer; your GP handles the MED-1 for state benefit claims.

We are GDPR-compliant under EU Regulation 2016/679. Specifically:

  • Medical data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256).
  • Only the consulting doctor and our medical-records team can access your file.
  • The certificate is emailed only to the address you provide; we never share your data with third parties.
  • You have the right to request deletion of your records at any time via care@getmedicalcertificate.com.
  • Operated by Health Ventures OU, registered in Estonia (Narva Mnt 5, Tallinn 10117) — under Estonian data-protection oversight.

Yes. Your certificate stays in your account for 12 months and can be re-downloaded anytime. You can forward the PDF to any third party — employers, schools, insurers, sports clubs — using the verification code at the bottom of the document, they can independently confirm authenticity via our verification page. After 12 months your certificate is archived; contact care@getmedicalcertificate.com to retrieve it.

Click the ‘Get Medical Certificate’ button at the top of any page. The form takes 5 minutes — choose your country, the type of certificate you need, and complete the medical questionnaire. Pay €34.99 (or €44.99 for travel/health certificates). An EU-licensed doctor will review your case and email you the signed PDF within 30 minutes during working hours.