Medical Certificate in Geneva: Online, Same-Day from CHF 34.99
- Certificate types covering every common Switzerland use case
- Doctors registered to assess cases in Switzerland reviewing every case individually
- Same-day delivery, usually within 30 minutes on business days
- Full refund if the doctor cannot issue your certificate
- 🇨🇭 CHF pricing
- Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nFADP)
- Accepted by employers, schools & sports clubs
Yes — anyone in Geneva can have a case assessed online by a registered doctor without booking an appointment. There is one flat price, CHF 34.99, across all six certificate types. It states the doctor's findings for an employer, school, club or insurer in Switzerland. Whether an employer requires an Arztzeugnis, and from which day, is set by your contract or GAV rather than by a single national rule.
Last updated: 10 September 2026
Reviewed by Dr. Anjum Ilahi (MBBS, MS) GMC · Cardiology and MRCPI
✓ 180+ customers served in Geneva
Getting a Medical Certificate in Geneva
Geneva is one of the world's major centres of international diplomacy, Canton of Geneva, home to numerous United Nations bodies and international organisations alongside a large diplomatic and NGO community. That international presence sits alongside a sizeable private sector in banking, trade and services, and the two don't always run sick-leave documentation the same way — an international organisation is likely to follow its own internal staff regulations, while a private-sector employer works within the framework set by the Swiss Code of Obligations.
The city is also home to the University of Geneva, one of the country's larger academic institutions. Illness affecting exams, coursework or a placement is typically handled through the university's own process, with its own evidence requirements, so check what your specific faculty asks for before requesting documentation.
We don't run a practice in Geneva or anywhere else: your case is reviewed entirely online by a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland, and the certificat médical that results is the same regardless of which canton you're writing in from.
Geneva is in French-speaking Switzerland — French was the first language of just under three-quarters of residents at the last detailed census — so the document your employer expects is a certificat médical, and internal forms tend to be in French even in an English-working office. The Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève are the canton's largest employer, running eight public hospitals, two clinics and around forty outpatient sites with more than 13,000 staff, which makes HUG one of the largest hospital groups in the country. As everywhere, scale is not availability: a routine same-day GP appointment is a different problem from hospital capacity, and it is the one a remote assessment is aimed at.
Geneva depends on cross-border labour more than any other Swiss canton: around 114,700 cross-border permit holders were working here by the end of March 2025, most commuting from Haute-Savoie and Ain, concentrated in hospitality, healthcare, retail and construction. Those are the sectors where an absence has to be covered by a named colleague on the same shift, so employers in them typically ask for documentation sooner than an office employer would. Alongside them sit the international organisations and a private sector in banking, commodity trading and watchmaking, each working to its own internal rulebook. A commute that includes a border crossing also makes being unfit to travel a logistical problem and not only a medical one.
International organisations and NGOs
Geneva hosts numerous UN bodies and international organisations, each generally following its own internal staff regulations rather than Swiss employment law directly. Check your own organisation's policy if you work for one.
University of Geneva
Illness affecting exams, coursework or a placement is generally handled through the university's own process, with evidence requirements set by the faculty.
Banking, trade and private-sector services
Geneva's private sector runs on the same Swiss Code of Obligations framework as the rest of the country, with individual employer policies layered on top.
A cross-border and cross-canton commute
Many people work in Geneva while living across the canton border or in neighbouring France. Being too unwell to make that journey 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 Geneva
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 Geneva
Geneva employers
A certificate from a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland satisfies the documentation a private-sector employer is entitled to ask for. Switzerland has no single nationwide day-threshold for when one is required — it comes down to your employment contract or an applicable collective bargaining agreement (GAV). Many employers ask from around the 3rd day of continuous absence in practice, often linked to the area around Art. 324a of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), but this is common practice, not a fixed rule — check your own contract or GAV.
International organisations
Staff of UN bodies and other international organisations based in Geneva are typically governed by their own internal staff regulations rather than the Code of Obligations directly. Check what your own organisation's policy requires.
University of Geneva 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.
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 Geneva
Sick-leave and certificate rules are set nationally, so what follows applies in Geneva exactly as it does anywhere else in Switzerland.
Yes — you can get a medical certificate (doctor's note) in Switzerland online, reviewed by a registered doctor and usually issued the same day, from CHF 34.99. 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 Geneva.
Dr. Claudia B.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000545855Dr. Sacha P.
Reg. #GLN 7601000361745Dr. Thomas S.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000710437Dr. Thomas D.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000954817Medical Certificates in Geneva: 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 Geneva.
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 Geneva. A certificate is not a substitute for care, though — if you need to be examined or treated, see a doctor in person.
Not necessarily. Many international organisations in Geneva follow their own internal staff regulations rather than the framework set out in the Swiss Code of Obligations, so the common '3rd day' practice you may have heard about may not be the rule that actually applies to you. Check your own organisation's staff rules or HR department for the requirement that governs your case.
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.
Yes. Nothing here is billed to an insurer: the CHF 34.99 is a private flat fee you pay directly, so which health system covers you has no bearing on whether you can request a certificate. Two things are worth keeping separate from that, though. Which country's rules govern your absence follows where you are employed, not where you are insured or where you live — and whether your employer accepts the certificate depends on their own policy, which is worth checking before you need it.
General Medical is one of the six types, all at CHF 34.99, and it is the general-purpose option: confirmation for an administrative or insurance file rather than certification of sick leave or of fitness for a specific activity. It is genuinely limited, and better to know that up front — it is not a specialist report, not a fitness-for-duty clearance and not a disability or incapacity assessment. If the body asking has named a form, a specialist or an examination, that is what they need, and a general certificate will not close the file.
In effect, yes. An organisation that operates its own medical service or staff health unit will normally require its own forms and its own doctor's sign-off for leave decisions, and where it does, an outside certificate becomes supporting evidence rather than the decision itself. That sits inside the organisation's own rulebook rather than in the framework a Swiss private-sector employer works to, so the only reliable source is your own staff regulations. Ask what its medical service requires before an absence — those processes are usually well documented and rarely obvious from the outside.
Same-day is normal within business hours, and day-one requirements do exist in Geneva contracts and collective agreements, so the timing is usually workable. Two honest caveats. Speed is not certainty: the doctor decides whether to issue, and may come back to you for more detail first. And a day-one requirement is still your employer's requirement rather than a national rule, so if it has appeared suddenly it is entirely fair to ask which clause it comes from.
It is the situation the format is designed for: there is nothing to travel to, so a border crossing and a commute drop out of the equation. What it is not is a reason to skip care you need. If your symptoms warrant being examined, being unable to face the journey is an argument for seeking care near wherever you actually are, on either side of the border, rather than for replacing it with a document. And notifying your employer still has to happen in parallel, whichever route you take.
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
