Medical Certificate in Ukraine and Doctor's Note in Ukraine: What's the Difference?
In Ukraine, an electronic sick leave certificate (e-likarnianyi) is generally the document that supports paid sickness absence for employed people, registered by the treating doctor in the national eHealth system. For sport, gym, travel, or general purposes such as insurance or visa applications, a medychna dovidka (medical certificate) generally applies instead. See the types below for the closest match to your situation. In everyday English both are often just called a doctor's note for Ukraine, even where the official local term differs.
Ukraine Legal Snapshot
| Local document name | Likarnianyi (лікарняний), the sick leave certificate, today generally issued electronically as an e-likarnianyi; medychna dovidka (медична довідка) for a general medical certificate |
|---|---|
| General timing / requirement | Typically registered by the treating doctor when sickness absence needs to be supported for an employer or a statutory sick pay claim |
| Who can generally issue it | A licensed doctor practising in Ukraine; statutory sick pay generally requires an electronic certificate registered in the national eHealth system |
| Processed through | Statutory sickness benefit is generally administered through the Pension Fund of Ukraine, which took over social insurance payment functions in recent years |
| Typically requested by | Employers (sickness absence notification), the Pension Fund of Ukraine (sick pay claims), or institutions requesting a general certificate for insurance, visa, sport, gym, or educational purposes |
| Certificate format | Same-day PDF with a reference number, generally accepted the same as a certificate obtained in person; always confirm with the specific requesting institution |
| Data protection law | Ukraine's Law "On Personal Data Protection" (No. 2297-VI), with reforms moving it closer to EU GDPR standards |
Note on statutory sick pay: paid sick leave for employed people in Ukraine generally requires an electronic sick leave certificate registered in the national eHealth system by the treating doctor, so a private certificate alone cannot guarantee a statutory sick pay claim. If your certificate needs to support a sick pay claim specifically, confirm current requirements with your employer's HR team or the Pension Fund of Ukraine before relying on it for that purpose.
Every certificate is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Ukraine before it is issued. There is no pay-first, questions-later process, and a full refund applies automatically if a certificate cannot be issued.
If your employer, school, or the institution requesting your certificate has a specific format or piece of wording it expects, for example particular phrasing tied to an eHealth-registered sick leave record, it generally helps to mention this during your assessment, rather than assuming any certificate will automatically be accepted without it. Most requests we see from Ukraine fall into a small number of recurring situations: short-term illness needing an employer notification, sports or gym sign-up requiring a health declaration, and travel or visa processes asking for a general medical statement. The certificate types below are built around exactly these cases, so most people can identify the right one in a couple of minutes.
Generally, the doctor reviewing your case will look at the information you provide about your condition, the dates you need covered, and any context about your employer or institution's expectations, and will only issue a certificate where this is clinically supported by that information. If your situation appears to need an in-person examination, for example where the doctor cannot reasonably assess your case from the information available online, they will typically say so rather than issue a certificate that would not reflect a genuine assessment, and you receive a full, automatic refund in that case rather than a certificate you can't rely on.
In edge cases, such as a request to backdate a certificate to cover a period before your assessment, or a request tied specifically to an eHealth-registered record your employer insists on, our doctors will generally only certify what is clinically supportable, and we'd encourage you to check the exact documentation your employer requires beforehand. None of this is a legal opinion on your specific situation, and rules and accepted formats can change, so always confirm current requirements with your employer, the Pension Fund of Ukraine, or a locally qualified adviser before relying on any certificate for a specific case.
Last reviewed July 2026. Always confirm current rules before relying on them for a specific case.
All Certificate Types Available in Ukraine
Every certificate type is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Ukraine. Choose the one that matches your situation. Most requests fall into one of these categories, and if you're not sure which applies, our assessment will ask enough questions to route you to the right one before you pay anything. If your situation genuinely spans more than one category, for example a sports injury that also keeps you off work, mention both during your assessment so the doctor can advise on the certificate that best fits, rather than guessing and paying for the wrong one.
Sick Leave Certificate
For work absence support in Ukraine, generally aligned with likarnianyi documentation for notifying an employer of illness.
From €34.99Sports Fitness Certificate
For clubs, gradings, and competitions in Ukraine requiring medical clearance before participation, particularly for contact or higher-risk activities.
From €34.99General Fitness Certificate
For gym membership and personal training sign-up in Ukraine where a health declaration is requested, for example a general fitness confirmation before starting a program.
From €34.99General Medical Certificate (Medychna Dovidka)
For insurance, visa, legal, or educational purposes in Ukraine, where an institution asks for a general doctor-issued statement rather than a sickness benefit filing.
From €34.99How It Works in Ukraine
Complete assessment
3-5 minutes. Select your certificate type, confirm Ukraine as your country, and answer relevant health questions covering your condition, the dates you need covered, and any employer or institution details you'd like included. 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 Ukraine, generally during business hours (9am-6pm CET/CEST, Monday-Friday). The doctor may request more information through the same portal, or in rare cases advise that your situation needs an in-person examination rather than an online certificate.
Receive your PDF
Emailed the same day your certificate is approved, with a verification reference that your employer or the requesting institution can use to help confirm authenticity directly.
Who Accepts These Certificates in Ukraine
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. Acceptance is generally at each institution's discretion, so it's worth confirming with them directly for anything important.
Employers
A likarnianyi-aligned certificate from a doctor registered to assess cases in Ukraine generally supports a sickness absence notification, and employers can check the certificate's reference number to help confirm authenticity.
Schools & universities
Accepted for mitigating circumstances requests and sports medical clearance ahead of higher-risk or contact activities, though acceptance is at each institution's discretion.
Gyms & sports clubs
Accepted for gym membership sign-up and club or league medical clearance, particularly where a health declaration is requested before participation.
Airlines
Fit-to-fly certificates are generally requested by airlines for travel after surgery, illness, or later-stage pregnancy. Always confirm your specific airline's requirements ahead of departure.
Government & insurance
General medical certificates can generally support insurance claims and visa applications. Statutory sick pay claims have their own evidentiary requirements, so confirm those with your employer or the Pension Fund of Ukraine directly.
GetMedicalCertificate in Ukraine's Major Cities
Our service is fully online and available across Ukraine, wherever you are based, the assessment and delivery process is identical whether you're in a major city or a smaller town. These are the cities we serve the most requests from, alongside a few other places worth knowing about.
Kyiv
Ukraine's capital and largest city, with the largest share of requests across every certificate type
Lviv
Western Ukraine's cultural hub, with a UNESCO-listed old town and steady certificate demand
Odesa
Black Sea port city with regular requests for fit-to-fly and general medical certificates
Kharkiv
A major university city in the northeast with regular sick leave and student certificate requests
Dnipro
Industrial centre on the Dnipro river, with steady demand for sick leave and return-to-work certificates
Vinnytsia
Central Ukraine, regularly ranked among the country's most liveable cities
Chernivtsi
Southwestern Ukraine near the Romanian border, home to a UNESCO-listed university ensemble
Ukraine Pricing: All Certificate Types
| Certificate Type | Our Price | Typical Private Visit |
|---|---|---|
| Sick Leave Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€90 |
| Sports Fitness Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€90 |
| General Fitness Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€90 |
| Fit to Fly Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€90 |
| Return to Work Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€90 |
| General Medical Certificate | €34.99 | €50-€90 |
Typical private consultation costs are a general range and vary by clinic and location within Ukraine.
The gap between our pricing and a typical private consultation generally reflects the difference between an in-person clinic visit, with its overhead of a physical location, receptionist time, and travel, and an online assessment built specifically around producing a same-day certificate. You are paying for the doctor's review and the certificate itself, not a waiting room, and the price is the same across all certificate types you might need. Pricing is shown in euros throughout, and no additional fee is added for delivery, certificate verification, or the doctor's review. The price you see is the price you pay if a certificate is issued.
Comparing Your Options in Ukraine
Ukraine doesn't have a single widely known named online certificate service in the way some larger markets do, so rather than compare against one named competitor, it's more useful to compare our online assessment against the alternative most people are actually weighing it against: a typical in-person private visit.
A typical private consultation in Ukraine generally costs in the region of €15-€40 depending on the clinic and the reason for the visit, plus the time needed to book an appointment, travel, and wait to be seen: often a half-day commitment for what is, in many cases, a short and routine assessment. Our online process is built around the same outcome: a genuine doctor's assessment and a certificate you can present to your employer or another institution, but without the travel and waiting-room time, and generally on the same day you complete your assessment. For anyone whose circumstances make reaching a clinic in person difficult, a fully online process can also simply be the more practical route.
Every certificate also includes a verification reference, so the person receiving it can check its authenticity directly rather than relying on your word alone, something a typical in-person paper certificate doesn't always offer. That said, this route won't be right for every situation: if a condition genuinely needs a physical examination, our doctors will say so rather than issue a certificate that wouldn't reflect a proper assessment, and an in-person visit would generally serve you better in that case. Speed and convenience are the trade-off we're offering, not a replacement for a physical examination where one is genuinely needed.
Our Ukraine Medical Team
Every certificate for Ukraine is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Ukraine, based on the information you provide about your condition and situation. A clinician will only issue a certificate after a genuine assessment. We do not operate on a pay-first, questions-later basis, and no certificate is guaranteed simply because a request was submitted. If a certificate is not clinically appropriate, for example because your case would benefit from an in-person examination or further investigation, the doctor will decline to issue one and you receive a full, automatic refund.
Registration details for the reviewing doctor can be provided on request, and we encourage you to reach out if you'd like to confirm credentials before relying on a certificate for something important. If you ever have a concern about the assessment you received, our complaints process is there for exactly that. We would always prefer to resolve a concern directly, and treat every case on its own facts rather than applying a blanket response. This process sits alongside, not instead of, any right you may have to raise a concern with the relevant professional body in Ukraine.
We don't rotate doctors between certificate types based on price. The same standard of genuine clinical assessment applies whether you're requesting a sick leave certificate or a sports fitness certificate. If a doctor has questions about your case, they'll ask through the same portal you submitted your assessment through, and you won't be charged until a certificate is actually issued.
Registered practitioners, not a call centre.
Every doctor is independently verified against their national medical council before they see a single patient - including across Ukraine.
Dr. Elizabeth D.
Reg. #1004585Dr. Ludmila M.
Reg. #1004659Dr. VASILY K.
Reg. #1014506Dr. Oxana C.
Reg. #1004592Ukraine Medical Certificate FAQ
A likarnianyi (лікарняний) is generally the Ukrainian term for a sick leave certificate: a doctor-issued record that supports sickness absence from work. For employed people it is today generally registered electronically, as an e-likarnianyi, in the national eHealth system by the treating doctor.
Yes. A certificate issued after a genuine online assessment by a doctor registered to assess cases in Ukraine is generally treated the same as one obtained in person, though you should confirm acceptance with the specific employer or institution requesting it.
Our certificates start from €34.99, compared to a typical private consultation in Ukraine which generally costs around €15-€40.
Yes. We handle your medical information in line with Ukraine's Law "On Personal Data Protection" and GDPR-style safeguards, and it is only seen by the doctor assessing your case. It is never shared with third parties without your consent.
Every certificate is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Ukraine, and registration details can be provided on request. We would always encourage you to confirm credentials yourself if a certificate is going to support something important.
Certificates are generally emailed the same day your case is approved, as a PDF with a reference number. Review times can vary depending on how much information your case needs, particularly if the doctor requests more detail.
You receive a full, automatic refund. This can happen if your situation isn't clinically appropriate for an online assessment, for example if it genuinely needs an in-person examination, and we would rather decline than issue a certificate that doesn't reflect a real assessment.
Statutory sick pay in Ukraine generally requires an electronic sick leave certificate registered in the national eHealth system by the treating doctor, so a private certificate alone cannot guarantee a sick pay claim. Mention that your certificate relates to a sick pay claim during your assessment, and confirm current requirements with your employer or the Pension Fund of Ukraine before relying on it.
Generally, yes. A general fitness certificate is typically the right choice for gym or training sign-up, while a likarnianyi-aligned sick leave certificate is for work absence. If you're not sure which applies, our assessment will help route you to the right one.
Generally not, provided it comes from a genuine assessment by a doctor registered to assess cases in Ukraine, though individual employer policies can vary, so it's worth confirming with your specific employer if you're unsure.
Yes. In everyday English, "medical certificate" and "doctor's note" describe the same kind of document, and we use both terms for Ukraine. 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.