Yes. You can get a medical certificate in Bern online today. A licensed doctor reviews your case and issues a same day PDF from CHF 34.99, valid for use with employers, schools and other institutions across Switzerland.
Last updated: 10 September 2026
Reviewed by Dr. Anjum Ilahi (MBBS, MS) GMC · Cardiology and MRCPI
✓ 140+ customers served in Bern
Getting a Medical Certificate in Bern
Bern is Switzerland's federal capital, Canton of Bern, home to the federal government and a large share of the national civil service alongside a broad services and healthcare sector. Public-sector employers here typically run a formal, well-documented absence process, while the city's smaller private employers may handle sickness leave far more informally — both sit on the same underlying Swiss Code of Obligations framework.
The city is also home to the University of Bern, one of Switzerland's larger universities. Illness affecting exams, coursework or a placement is generally handled through the university's own process, with its own evidence requirements, so check what your specific faculty asks for before requesting documentation.
There's no premises attached to this service in Bern: the assessment behind your Arztzeugnis is completed entirely online by a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland, so being too unwell to travel across the city plays no part in the process.
Federal government and administration
Bern's public-sector employers, including the federal administration, generally run a formal, written absence process. Check your own department's specific procedure.
University of Bern
Illness affecting exams, coursework or a placement is generally handled through the university's own process, with evidence requirements set by the faculty.
Services and healthcare
A broad services and healthcare sector sits alongside the public administration, each with its own internal absence policy rather than a single citywide rule.
The country's political and transport hub
People travel into Bern for work from across the canton and beyond. Being too unwell to make that trip is exactly what an online assessment is for.
All Certificate Types Available in Switzerland
Every certificate type is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland, based on a genuine assessment of your situation rather than an automatic approval. Choose the one that matches what you need.
Sick Leave Certificate (Arztzeugnis)
For work absence, matched to what your employer's contract or collective agreement typically expects. Many Swiss contracts ask for a certificate from around day 3, though some require one earlier. Check yours.
From CHF 34.99Sports Fitness Certificate
For Swiss sports clubs, associations, and competitions that request medical clearance before competitive or youth participation.
From CHF 34.99General Fitness Certificate
For gym membership sign-up and personal training in Switzerland where a health declaration is requested.
From CHF 34.99General Medical Certificate
For insurance claims, education-related requests, and other general documentation needs in Switzerland.
From CHF 34.99How It Works in Bern
Complete assessment
3-5 minutes. Select your certificate type, confirm Switzerland as your country, and answer relevant health questions honestly and in full: this is what the doctor bases their review on. No payment is taken yet.
Doctor reviews your case
Reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland, during business hours (Central European Time, Monday-Friday). The doctor may request more information before deciding, and will not issue a certificate that isn't clinically appropriate.
Receive your PDF
Emailed same day, usually within 30 minutes of approval, with your doctor's credentials and a verification reference so whoever receives the certificate can check it's genuine.
Who Asks for a Medical Certificate in Bern
Bern employers
A certificate from a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland satisfies the documentation your employer is entitled to ask for. Switzerland has no single nationwide day-threshold for when one is required — it generally comes down to your employment contract or, where one applies, a collective bargaining agreement (GAV). Many employers ask from around the 3rd day of continuous absence in practice, a figure often linked to the area around Art. 324a of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), but this is common practice rather than a fixed rule — check your own contract or GAV.
University of Bern and colleges
Commonly requested as supporting documentation where illness has affected exams, coursework or a placement. Each institution sets its own evidence requirements.
Sports clubs and gyms
Medical clearance is frequently requested before participation, particularly for contact sport or a new training programme. The club or provider sets the requirement.
Insurers and other bodies
General medical certificates are sometimes requested to support insurance claims or similar administrative matters. What generally matters is that a genuine assessment took place, not the particular format it arrived in.
Switzerland Pricing: All Certificate Types
| Certificate Type | Our Price | Typical Private Doctor Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Sick Leave Certificate | CHF 34.99 | €50-€120 |
| Sports Fitness Certificate | CHF 34.99 | €50-€120 |
| General Fitness Certificate | CHF 34.99 | €50-€120 |
| Fit to Fly Certificate | CHF 34.99 | €50-€120 |
| Return to Work Certificate | CHF 34.99 | €50-€120 |
| General Medical Certificate | CHF 34.99 | €50-€120 |
Typical private consultation costs in Switzerland are generally higher than in many other countries, reflecting the overall cost of Swiss healthcare. CHF 80-150 is a general range for a private in-person consultation and varies by canton, provider, and appointment type. It's shown here as a general point of reference, not a quote for any specific clinic.
Switzerland Legal Snapshot: What Applies in Bern
Sick-leave and certificate rules are set nationally, so what follows applies in Bern exactly as it does anywhere else in Switzerland.
Switzerland does not set one single nationwide day-threshold for when a sick-leave certificate, an Arztzeugnis in German or certificat médical in French, is required. Timing is generally set by your individual employment contract or, where one applies, a collective bargaining agreement (Gesamtarbeitsvertrag). In common practice, many Swiss employers ask for a certificate from around the 3rd day of continuous absence, a figure often linked to the framework in the Swiss Code of Obligations (Obligationenrecht, OR) on continued salary during illness, but plenty of contracts require one from day 1, and some allow longer before asking. Always check your own contract or ask your employer directly. For sport, gym, travel, or general purposes such as insurance or education-related documentation, a separate certificate type applies: see the full list below. In everyday English this is often just called a doctor's note for Switzerland, even where the official local term differs.
| Local document name | Arztzeugnis (German) / certificat médical (French): in English, simply a "medical certificate." |
|---|---|
| Notification to employer | Employees in Switzerland are generally expected to notify their employer promptly once they know they will be absent through illness, typically before any certificate is even requested. |
| When a certificate is typically required | Many Swiss employment contracts require a medical certificate from around the 3rd day of absence: this reflects common practice, not a single fixed statutory rule. Your specific employer or collective agreement may set a different threshold, including from day 1. |
| Who can legally issue it | A licensed physician in Switzerland. |
| Submission deadline | Generally as soon as reasonably possible, per your employer's own policy. |
| Governing framework | General reference to the Swiss Code of Obligations (Obligationenrecht, OR), particularly the area around Art. 324a on continued salary payment during illness; treat this as a general framework rather than a guarantee of how a precise clause applies to your own case. |
| Data protection law | The Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (revised nFADP), in force since September 2023. |
Note on variability: Unlike countries with one statutory certificate day-rule, Switzerland leaves much of this to individual employment contracts, cantonal practice, and collective bargaining agreements. The "around day 3" figure above reflects common practice referencing the Swiss Code of Obligations, not a single nationwide legal deadline that applies to everyone. Some employers require a certificate from the very first day of absence, and others set their own longer window. Confirm your own contract's wording, or ask your HR department, before assuming any specific day applies to you.
Read the full Switzerland rules, glossary and national FAQ →
Our Switzerland Medical Team
Every Switzerland certificate is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland. A clinician will only issue a certificate after a genuine assessment of your case and only if it is clinically appropriate to do so: if it is not, you receive a full refund rather than a certificate that shouldn't have been issued. We do not offer instant certificates without review; every case, whatever the certificate type, is looked at individually by a doctor before anything is issued.
Registered practitioners, not a call centre.
Every doctor is independently verified against their national medical council before they see a single patient - including for patients in Bern.
Dr. Claudia B.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000545855Dr. Sacha P.
Reg. #GLN 7601000361745Dr. Thomas S.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000710437Dr. Thomas D.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000954817Medical Certificates in Bern: Common Questions
No. The assessment is completed online and reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland, so where you are in the country makes no difference to the process or the price. This page exists because people search for their own city, not because the service works differently in Bern.
Our certificate is CHF 34.99 flat, including the doctor's review, the PDF and its verification reference. A typical private consultation in Switzerland commonly falls in the CHF 80-CHF 150 range and can run higher for a same-day slot in a major city like Bern. A certificate is not a substitute for care, though — if you need to be examined or treated, see a doctor in person.
Not the underlying legal position — Switzerland still has no single nationwide day-threshold, and the same contract- or GAV-dependent framework applies. What differs in practice is that many public-sector employers, including federal administration roles, have a clearly written internal policy setting out exactly when a certificate is expected, so it's worth checking that rather than assuming the common '3rd day' practice applies by default.
Generally yes, provided it is issued by a licensed physician in Switzerland following a genuine assessment — that is what matters, not whether the consultation happened in person or online. Individual employers also apply their own internal policy on top of that, so if you're unsure it's worth asking before you need the certificate rather than during.
Same day, usually within 30 minutes of the doctor approving your case during business hours. Some cases take longer where the doctor needs more information from you before deciding.
A certificate anyone can check - in seconds.
Every certificate is issued by a doctor registered with their national medical council, after a real assessment, and carries a reference code that resolves instantly - whether your employer is in Dublin, Berlin or Warsaw.
- ✓Issued only after a genuine clinical review
- ✓Unique reference code, checkable by anyone
- ✓Covers sick leave, fitness-to-work & carer's leave
- ✓Delivered as a signed PDF within the hour
