Medical Certificate in Zurich: 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. From Zurich, your case is reviewed online by a registered doctor, with no appointment and no travel. All six certificate types are a flat CHF 34.99, delivered as a PDF. 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
✓ 350+ customers served in Zurich
Getting a Medical Certificate in Zurich
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and its financial capital, Canton of Zurich, with an employer base weighted towards banking, insurance and asset management alongside a growing technology and fintech sector. How sickness absence gets documented varies a lot across that mix: a bank or insurer is likely to run a formal HR process with its own internal policy layered on top of the statutory framework, while a smaller tech firm may handle it far more informally, even though the same Swiss Code of Obligations sits underneath both.
The city is also home to two of Switzerland's leading academic institutions, the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich. Illness affecting exams, coursework or a placement is generally handled through each institution's own process, with its own evidence requirements, so it's worth checking what your specific department asks for before requesting documentation.
There's no clinic to visit for this in Zurich — the whole assessment, and the Arztzeugnis it produces, happens online and is reviewed by a doctor registered to assess cases in Switzerland, wherever in the country you are. That's true whether you're in the city centre or out in the wider canton.
Zurich sits in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, so the word your employer's HR system almost certainly uses is Arztzeugnis, even where the working language of the office is English. Getting seen locally is rarely a question of whether capacity exists — Switzerland has roughly four practising physicians per thousand people, and the Universitätsspital Zürich alone employs around 10,800 staff across some 900 beds — it is a question of whether a routine slot is free on the day you need one. The cost side is also widely misread: a GP visit is billed to basic insurance, but the minimum adult deductible is CHF 300 with a 10 per cent co-payment above it, so most people pay the first few hundred francs of their treatment year themselves. From January 2026 that bill is itemised under the new TARDOC tariff and outpatient flat rates rather than TARMED, which changes the paperwork behind a consultation rather than what your employer needs from you.
Beyond the banks and insurers, the canton's employment base includes Zurich Airport — spread across Kloten and several neighbouring municipalities, and handling just over 32.5 million passengers in 2025 — where ground handling, security, retail and catering roles run on early and late shifts. Shift patterns are where documentation gets awkward: a 05:00 start means notifying someone hours before any practice opens, and the colleague covering for you has to be found before then. The same pressure applies to the hospitality and retail businesses in the city centre, where an absence is absorbed by a named person rather than by a team. Larger Zurich employers tend to put the requirement in writing and file it; smaller ones often decide case by case, which is why asking before you need it is worth more than guessing.
Banking, insurance and fintech
Zurich's financial sector runs from established banks and insurers to a growing fintech scene. Larger employers here often have a formal absence policy on top of the statutory minimum — check your own contract or staff handbook.
University of Zurich and ETH Zurich
Illness affecting exams, coursework or a placement is generally handled through each institution's own process, with its own evidence requirements. Check what your department actually asks for.
A commuter hub for the wider canton
People travel into Zurich for work from across the Canton of Zurich and beyond. Being too unwell to make that journey is exactly what an online assessment is for.
A mix of formal and informal absence processes
How your sick leave gets documented depends heavily on your specific employer's policy rather than a single citywide rule. When in doubt, ask HR before you need to.
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 Zurich
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 Zurich
Zurich 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 (Gesamtarbeitsvertrag, 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 Zurich, ETH Zurich 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, not a national rule.
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 Zurich
Sick-leave and certificate rules are set nationally, so what follows applies in Zurich 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 Zurich.
Dr. Claudia B.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000545855Dr. Sacha P.
Reg. #GLN 7601000361745Dr. Thomas S.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000710437Dr. Thomas D.
Reg. #GLN: 7601000954817Medical Certificates in Zurich: 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 Zurich.
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 Zurich. A certificate is not a substitute for care, though — if you need to be examined or treated, see a doctor in person.
There is no single nationwide rule — Switzerland leaves this 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 plenty of contracts require one from day 1 and some allow longer. Check your own contract or GAV rather than assuming a fixed day, and let your employer know as soon as you know you'll be off.
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.
Fit to Fly is one of six certificate types available here, all priced at CHF 34.99 in Switzerland. It can serve as supporting documentation where an airline, tour operator or insurer wants confirmation that a doctor has considered your fitness to travel. What it cannot do is replace a physical examination where the airline's own policy, a recent procedure or an unstable condition calls for one — airlines set their own medical clearance rules and some require their own form completed after an in-person assessment. Check the airline's requirement first, and if you are acutely unwell, see a doctor rather than boarding.
No — this is a private flat fee you pay directly, with nothing billed to an insurer and no deductible involved. The comparison is worth understanding, though: the Federal Council has confirmed that basic insurance continues to cover the cost of a doctor's certificate issued in the course of treatment, but that cost still runs through your deductible and co-payment, and with the minimum adult deductible at CHF 300 most people end up paying for it themselves in practice. So the realistic comparison is not free versus CHF 34.99.
Swiss law does not prescribe a single examination format; what matters is that a doctor licensed to practise in Switzerland made a genuine assessment and is willing to put their name to the document. An employer cannot rewrite that, but many contracts and collective agreements do give them a separate right: to require an assessment by a company-appointed Vertrauensarzt, and declining that request can have consequences for wage continuation. Treat an online certificate as documentation that is usually sufficient, not as something that overrides an employer's entitlement to verify. If your employer is pushing back, ask them to show you the clause they are relying on.
Realistically, no. Approvals normally land the same day and often within about half an hour of the doctor deciding, but that review happens during business hours — a case submitted late at night is picked up when the review window opens, not at 04:00. The important thing is that notifying your employer and producing documentation are two separate obligations: tell them you are unfit as soon as you know, through whatever channel your contract specifies, and let the certificate follow.
Only to the extent a doctor can responsibly assess it. Some retrospective certification is accepted Swiss practice, but the further back you ask a doctor to certify a period they did not assess at the time, the less likely they are to do it — and a certificate covering several past days is exactly the kind of document an employer or a daily-benefit insurer looks at twice. If the absence has already run for more than a day or two, an in-person appointment is both the safer route and the more useful one. Ask for what you actually need and let the doctor decide what they can state.
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
