Medical certificate

A medical certificate (also called a general medical certificate or certificate of good health) is issued by a registered medical professional after assessing your health condition. It provides flexible health documentation that can be adapted to various purposes including insurance, immigration, legal, educational, and administrative requirements.

The certificate includes your personal details, the date of examination, the doctor's medical findings, a certification statement relevant to your purpose, and the doctor's full credentials including registration number and digital signature. Every medical certificate we issue includes a unique verification reference so institutions worldwide can confirm authenticity.

What can a medical certificate be used for?

Medical certificates serve as official health documentation for a wide range of purposes:

• Insurance: Travel insurance pre-existing conditions, life insurance applications, disability insurance claims
• Immigration: Visa applications, work permits, residency permits, citizenship applications
• Legal: Court proceedings, personal injury claims, legal documentation
• Education: University exam deferrals, coursework extensions, mitigating circumstances
• Employment: Job applications, occupational health, workplace accommodations
• Benefits: Disability benefit applications, housing adaptations, mobility permits
• General: Gym cancellations, event participation, general health status verification

The document you need depends on why you need it, not just on how you feel. Use the table below to find your situation and go straight to the right page.

Not sure which row fits? Start with the reason an institution is asking for proof, not the symptom you have. That reason almost always points to one row above.

Medical certificates are required when institutions, organizations, or government agencies need official medical documentation of your health status. Common situations worldwide include:

• Insurance applications and claims - documenting health status or pre-existing conditions for various insurance types
• Visa and immigration applications - many countries require medical certificates as part of visa, work permit, or residency applications
• University and college - students need medical certificates for exam deferrals, coursework extensions, or mitigating circumstances
• Disability and mobility benefits - government agencies require medical documentation for disability benefits, mobility permits, or housing adaptations
• Employment requirements - some employers require medical certificates for job applications, occupational health, or workplace accommodations
• Legal and court proceedings - courts may request medical certificates as supporting evidence regarding health issues
• General documentation - gym membership cancellations, event participation requirements, or general proof of health status

How medical certificates work internationally

A medical certificate from a registered doctor is recognized as valid medical documentation worldwide. However, acceptance depends on the specific requirements of the requesting institution (insurance company, embassy, university, court, employer, or government agency).

Our medical certificates include:

• Doctor's full name and medical qualifications
• Official registration number from recognized medical authority
• Practice address and contact details
• Digital signature (legally valid in most countries)
• Unique verification reference number
• Complete patient details and medical assessment

Do I need translation or notarization?

Requirements vary by country and institution:

• English-speaking countries (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa) typically accept English medical certificates without translation
• European countries may accept English certificates for many purposes, but official government processes may require translation
• Non-English-speaking countries often require certified translation into the local language
• Legal proceedings and government applications in many countries require notarization or apostille certification
• Insurance companies and universities typically accept English medical certificates without additional certification

General advice: Before relying on a medical certificate for international use, confirm acceptance requirements with the specific requesting organization. Ask whether they need translation, notarization, or apostille certification alongside the medical certificate.

Schengen area medication certificates

If you are carrying narcotic or psychotropic medications across Schengen borders, you need a special Schengen medical certificate:

• Maximum 30-day validity period
• Separate certificate required for each controlled medication
• Original prescription must accompany the certificate
• Check individual country requirements as enforcement varies

This is separate from general medical certificates and has specific legal requirements under Schengen regulations.

A medical certificate issued by a licensed doctor following a proper clinical assessment is a valid medical document, whether that assessment happened online or in person. What makes it valid is the doctor's licence and the clinical review, not the format of the consultation.

For a certificate to hold up, three things need to be true:

• The issuing doctor must be a licensed physician.
• The doctor's credentials and registration number must appear on the certificate.
• The doctor must be licensed in the country where you, the patient, are physically located.

Where getmedicalcertificate.com uses a qualified electronic signature from a qualified trust service provider, that signature carries the same legal effect as a handwritten signature under eIDAS, Regulation (EU) No 910/2014. That regulation governs electronic signatures, seals and trust services. It does not, on its own, determine whether an employer, school or authority must accept any given certificate. Acceptance depends on the receiving institution's own requirements, not on the signature technology alone.

A valid medical certificate contains your name and date of birth, the date of your consultation, the date of issue, and a clear statement of the health status or condition being confirmed. Where relevant, it also states any restrictions and how long they apply.

Beyond that, the certificate carries the doctor's name, registration number and country of registration, along with official letterhead, a signature and a stamp.

• Patient name and date of birth
• Consultation date and issue date
• Health status or condition confirmed
• Stated restrictions and their duration, where applicable
• Doctor's name, registration number and country of registration
• Official letterhead, signature and stamp

Institutions generally expect a certificate to be recent, so don't sit on it once issued. If you need the document for use outside the country of issue, you may also need an apostille or legalisation. Check with the receiving institution before you submit anything.

A medical certificate from GetMedicalCertificate costs €34.99 (depending on your location) including the doctor's individual review, your medical certificate PDF with full credentials and verification, and same-day email delivery.

Why choose online medical certificates?

All medical certificates from GetMedicalCertificate are reviewed individually by registered doctors. We do not auto-generate certificates. Every request undergoes clinical review, and the doctor may request additional information or a video consultation if needed before issuing.

Registered doctors can issue medical certificates based on genuine medical assessments for a wide range of health documentation purposes. However, there are some situations where a doctor will decline to issue a certificate:

A doctor will issue a medical certificate when:

• You need documentation of your health status for insurance applications or claims worldwide
• You require medical evidence for visa applications, work permits, or residency permits
• You need supporting medical documentation for university or college mitigating circumstances
• You require health evidence for disability benefit applications or mobility permits
• You need medical documentation for legal proceedings (basic certificates, not expert reports)
• You require general health status certification for employment, event participation, or general documentation
• The medical assessment (questionnaire and/or consultation) provides sufficient clinical basis
• The certificate request is clinically appropriate and ethical

A doctor will decline to issue a medical certificate when:

• Insufficient medical information: The assessment does not provide enough clinical basis to certify the requested health status
• Further investigation needed: The condition requires in-person examination, diagnostic tests, or specialist referral before certification
• Country-specific statutory forms: Some countries require specific government-issued medical forms that only local doctors can complete
• Not clinically appropriate: The doctor determines the certificate claim cannot be supported based on the medical evidence
• Backdated without justification: Requests for backdated certificates without genuine clinical justification
• Fraudulent purpose: Any indication the certificate is for fraudulent, dishonest, or unethical use
• Serious acute conditions: Emergency medical conditions requiring immediate in-person medical attention

Every certificate issued through getmedicalcertificate.com is reviewed and signed by a licensed doctor registered in the country where the patient is located. Each doctor’s name, qualification and registration number appear on the certificate itself, so the receiving institution can verify the issuer directly.

Doctors on the platform hold active registration in the markets listed under Countries and Languages We Cover above, keeping registration details consistent across every certificate we issue.

An employer or institution can verify a certificate by emailing the issuing doctor at the address printed on the document. That request needs to come from an official organisational email address and include a copy of the certificate in question.

Requests that don't meet those two conditions won't receive a response, since certificate details are confidential and aren't released to unverified enquiries.

Your health data is handled under GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679. The certificate itself shows only what’s needed for the receiving institution, such as your name and the confirmed health status. Clinical details behind that confirmation stay confidential between you and the reviewing doctor.

Full details on retention and data handling are on our privacy policy page.

Beyond the general medical certificate, getmedicalcertificate.com issues several related documents, each built for a specific need.

• Sick leave certificate, for excusing absence from work or school.
• Fitness certificate, for gym or general activity fitness confirmation.
• Sports fitness certificate, for competitive sport clearance.