Medical Certificate in Slovakia and Doctor's Note in Slovakia: What's the Difference?
In Slovakia, work absence due to illness is generally described as "PN" (práceneschopnosť, incapacity for work), certified via a "potvrdenie o dočasnej pracovnej neschopnosti," issued by a doctor and processed through Sociálna poisťovňa, the Social Insurance Agency. For sport, gym, travel, or general purposes such as insurance or visa applications, a separate certificate type generally applies. See the full list below. In everyday English this is often just called a doctor's note for Slovakia, even where the official local term differs.
Slovakia Legal Snapshot: PN / Incapacity for Work
| Local document / status name | "PN" (práceneschopnosť): incapacity for work, generally certified via a "potvrdenie o dočasnej pracovnej neschopnosti." |
|---|---|
| Self-certification period | Slovakia does not apply a single nationwide self-certification window in the way some other countries do: a period of PN is generally expected to be supported by a doctor's certificate from the outset. Exact employer expectations can vary, so always check your own employer's sickness policy. |
| When a certificate is generally required | A doctor typically certifies incapacity for work from the point of assessment, with the certificate confirming the covered dates. |
| Who can generally issue it | Typically a licensed doctor, with the process running through Sociálna poisťovňa, particularly for longer periods of absence. |
| Submission deadline | Generally as soon as reasonably possible after your assessment, following your employer's own policy and any Sociálna poisťovňa processing steps that apply for the length of your absence. |
| Governing framework | Sociálna poisťovňa: Slovakia's Social Insurance Agency. |
| Data protection law | Slovakia applies the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) alongside national implementing legislation. |
Note on employer policies: PN and potvrdenie o dočasnej pracovnej neschopnosti processes, and the point at which Sociálna poisťovňa becomes involved, can vary by employer and by the length of absence, and related thresholds are reviewed periodically. Confirm current requirements with Sociálna poisťovňa or your employer's HR policy at the time you need them, as these details can change.
Exact requirements can generally vary by employer and by how long a period of PN lasts, and Sociálna poisťovňa involvement typically increases for longer periods. A certificate reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia, issued after a genuine online assessment, is generally treated the same as one obtained in person, and it can support your employer's own PN process rather than replacing it outright.
PN can cover a wide range of conditions, and a doctor assessing your case online will ask about your specific situation rather than defaulting to a single standard answer. Where a longer period is involved, Sociálna poisťovňa's role in confirming and processing the potvrdenie o dočasnej pracovnej neschopnosti generally increases, which is one reason exact timelines can vary from one case to another and are best confirmed directly with Sociálna poisťovňa or your employer for anything beyond a short absence.
Outside of work-related PN, general medical certificates are also commonly requested in Slovakia for insurance paperwork, university mitigating-circumstances claims, and visa applications where a doctor's written statement is asked for as supporting evidence. In each of these cases, the underlying principle is the same: a doctor needs to genuinely review your situation before a document confirming it can be issued, whether that review happens in a clinic or through a structured online assessment.
This overview is general information rather than legal advice for a specific case, and it does not cover every employer policy or edge case you might encounter. Last reviewed July 2026. Always confirm current rules before relying on them for a specific case.
All Certificate Types Available in Slovakia
Every certificate type is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia. Choose the one that matches your situation, or start the assessment and answer a few questions to be routed to the right type before you pay anything. Most requests we see from Slovakia fall into sick leave, sports fitness, or general medical categories, though all types are available to everyone regardless of which one you start with.
Sick Leave Certificate
For work absence, reviewed against general Slovak requirements. Confirms a doctor's assessment of your condition and the dates it covers, for your employer's records.
From €34.99Sports Fitness Certificate
For clubs, gradings, and competitions requiring medical clearance. Typically requested before registration or a grading, particularly for contact sports or higher-intensity training.
From €34.99General Fitness Certificate
For gym membership and training sign-up health declarations. Many gyms and personal trainers ask new members to confirm they have no condition that would make exercise unsafe.
From €34.99General Medical Certificate
For insurance, visa, education, and other official uses. Suits situations where an institution asks for a general doctor's statement rather than a specific certificate type.
From €34.99How It Works in Slovakia
Complete assessment
3-5 minutes. Select your certificate type, confirm Slovakia as your country, and answer relevant health questions covering your condition and the dates you need covered. No payment yet. You're only charged if a certificate is issued.
Doctor reviews your case
Reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia, generally during business hours (9am-6pm CET/CEST, Monday-Friday). The doctor may request more information through the same portal, or in some cases advise that your situation needs an in-person examination instead of an online certificate.
Receive your PDF
Emailed same day in most cases, with doctor credentials and a verification reference your employer, club, or institution can scan to confirm authenticity directly.
Who Accepts These Certificates in Slovakia
A certificate is only useful if the institution asking for it will actually accept it. Below is who we most commonly hear from, and what each one is typically looking for when a certificate lands on their desk. Individual institutions set their own acceptance policies, so it is always worth confirming directly with them if you are unsure before you rely on a certificate for something time-sensitive.
Employers
A certificate reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia can support PN documentation and general sickness absence records, alongside the potvrdenie o dočasnej pracovnej neschopnosti process your employer and Sociálna poisťovňa may require for longer periods. HR teams can generally use the reference number to check the certificate independently rather than taking it purely on trust.
Schools & universities
Can support mitigating-circumstances requests and sports medical clearance in many educational settings, particularly ahead of contact sports or intensive training, though each institution sets its own submission process and deadlines.
Gyms & sports clubs
Can support gym membership sign-up and club or league medical clearance requirements, particularly for higher-risk or contact activities, where a health declaration is often requested before a first session.
Airlines & travel providers
Fit-to-fly certificates can support medical clearance requests from airlines or travel insurers ahead of a flight after surgery, illness, or later-stage pregnancy, and are generally requested close to the travel date.
Government & insurance
General medical certificates can support insurance claims, visa applications, and other official processes that ask for a doctor-issued medical statement, though the exact wording an institution accepts can vary.
GetMedicalCertificate in Slovakia's Major Cities
Our service is fully online and available across Slovakia, wherever you are based. The assessment and delivery process is identical everywhere. These are the cities we hear from most.
Bratislava
The capital: the largest share of requests across every certificate type
Košice
Slovakia's second city: steady demand for sick leave and general medical certificates
Prešov
Eastern Slovakia: requests across return-to-work and fitness certificates
Žilina
Northern Slovakia: growing demand for sports fitness certificates
Nitra
South-western Slovakia: steady sick leave and general medical requests
Banská Bystrica
Central Slovakia: demand across return-to-work and fitness certificates
Trnava
Near Bratislava: regular sick leave and sports fitness requests
Trenčín
Western Slovakia: steady general medical certificate requests
Slovakia Pricing: All Certificate Types
| Certificate Type | Our Price | Typical Private Consultation |
|---|---|---|
| Sick Leave Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€120 |
| Sports Fitness Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€120 |
| General Fitness Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€120 |
| Fit to Fly Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€120 |
| Return to Work Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€120 |
| General Medical Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€120 |
Typical private consultation costs are a general range reported for private clinics in Slovakia and vary by location and provider.
The difference between our pricing and a typical private consultation generally reflects the lower overhead of an online assessment compared to an in-person clinic visit: you are paying for the doctor's review and the certificate itself, not a waiting room, receptionist time, or travel to and from a clinic. Pricing is higher for sports fitness and fit-to-fly certificates because those assessments generally involve more detailed questions about activity type or travel circumstances before a doctor can reach a decision. None of our certificate types requires an upfront payment before a doctor has reviewed your case, so you are never charged for a request that does not result in a certificate.
GetMedicalCertificate vs In-Person Options in Slovakia
Slovakia does not have a single dominant named online certificate service the way some larger markets do, so the more useful comparison is between an online medical assessment and a typical in-person private consultation.
Our sick leave certificate costs €34.99 against the €50-€65 typically charged for many private consultations in Slovakia, and the same online-versus-in-person comparison applies across our other five certificate types, with pricing set higher where the underlying assessment takes more time. The main practical differences tend to be convenience and turnaround rather than the underlying medical standard.
A certificate reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia, issued after a genuine online assessment, is generally treated the same as one obtained from an in-person visit, while removing the need to travel to and wait in a clinic. Whichever route you choose, a certificate should always reflect a genuine clinical assessment rather than being issued automatically simply because a request was submitted.
Pricing differences within our own certificate types generally reflect how much clinical detail a case tends to need rather than an arbitrary mark-up. A sick leave or general medical certificate usually involves a more contained set of questions, while a sports fitness or fit-to-fly assessment typically needs more detail on activity type, timing, or travel circumstances before a doctor can reach a decision.
Our Slovakia Medical Team
Every Slovakia certificate is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia. A clinician will only issue a certificate after genuinely reviewing the health information you provide and, where needed, asking follow-up questions through the same online portal.
If a certificate is not clinically appropriate for your situation, for example, if it needs an in-person examination or further investigation, the doctor will decline to issue one and you receive a full, automatic refund. We do not operate on a pay-first, certificate-guaranteed basis, and any concern about a specific assessment can be raised with us directly, in addition to any right you may have to raise it with the relevant medical authority.
You can always ask to see the credentials behind a specific certificate, and nothing in our process is designed to make that harder than dealing with a doctor face to face. The same clinical standard applies whichever certificate type you request, whether that is sick leave, sport, travel, or a general medical need; the review itself does not change based on the label on the document.
Registered practitioners, not a call centre.
Every doctor is independently verified against their national medical council before they see a single patient - including across Slovakia.
Dr. Sándor D.
Reg. #SLK - 1011725Dr. Dagmar G.
Reg. #SLK - 1011008Dr. Ján B.
Reg. #SLK - 1011012Dr. Patrik K.
Reg. #SLK - 1027296Slovakia Medical Certificate FAQ
PN stands for práceneschopnosť, meaning incapacity for work. It generally describes a certified period of sick leave, confirmed via a potvrdenie o dočasnej pracovnej neschopnosti and typically processed with Sociálna poisťovňa involvement for longer periods. Employers generally rely on this certificate to record and approve the leave.
Yes. Our certificates are reviewed by doctors registered to assess cases in Slovakia, following a genuine online assessment, and delivered same day as a PDF. If the doctor decides your case needs an in-person examination instead, you receive a full refund rather than a certificate.
Our Slovakia certificates start from €34.99, compared to a typical €30-55 for a private in-person consultation, based on general market ranges reported for Slovak clinics. Every certificate type is the same price, including sports fitness and fit-to-fly, despite the additional assessment involved.
Yes. Slovakia applies the EU General Data Protection Regulation, and your medical information is only seen by the doctor assessing your case. We do not share your health information with employers, clubs, or any third party without your consent.
Most certificates are emailed the same day, once a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia has completed the review. Turnaround can vary depending on how much detail is needed to complete a genuine assessment, and in rare cases a doctor may ask for more information before deciding, which can add extra time compared to a straightforward request.
Every certificate is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia, and doctor credentials are shown on your certificate. If you have any concern about a specific assessment, you can raise it with us directly, in addition to any right you have to contact the relevant medical authority.
You receive a full, automatic refund. We do not guarantee a certificate simply because a request was submitted; a certificate is only issued after a genuine clinical assessment supports it.
Your medical information is only seen by the doctor assessing your case as part of that assessment. We do not share your health information with your employer, club, or any third party without your consent, beyond what is required to process your request.
A certificate issued by a doctor registered to assess cases in Slovakia, following a genuine online assessment, is generally treated the same as one obtained in person. Individual employers, clubs, or institutions may still have their own internal policies, so it is worth confirming their specific requirements if you are unsure, particularly for anything involving a longer absence or a formal Sociálna poisťovňa process.
A general medical certificate can support insurance, visa, or university mitigating-circumstances requests where a doctor's written statement is asked for, though the receiving institution sets its own specific requirements for what it will accept, so it is worth checking with them directly.
Yes. In everyday English, "medical certificate" and "doctor's note" describe the same kind of document, and we use both terms for Slovakia. Whichever term the person or institution asking for one uses, our certificate is reviewed by a doctor and designed to meet that request.
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

Nearby countries
Guides and articles
Germany Sick Leave Rules: Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung (AU) Explained
UK RULESHow many days off before you need a fit note?
The 7 day self certification rule, and what changes on day 8.
EUROPEMedisch Attest België: Online Aanvragen Zonder Afspraak 2026
Volledige gids voor medische attesten in België 2026. Online verkrijgen in 2 uur voor €34.99, wekenlange wachttijden vermijden.