How to Get a Medical Certificate Online in Australia
If you are unwell and unable to work, study or carry out your usual responsibilities, you may need a medical certificate as evidence of your illness or injury.
In many situations, you can speak with an Australian-registered GP through telehealth rather than travelling to a medical clinic. A GP can assess your symptoms and, where clinically appropriate, provide a medical certificate following the consultation.
Telehealth services are an established part of Australian healthcare, with Medicare-funded telephone and video services available when the relevant requirements are met.
What is a medical certificate?
A medical certificate is a document provided by a qualified health professional following an assessment. It can provide evidence that your health condition affected your ability to work, study or perform certain activities for a specified period.
For workplace sick leave, an employer can ask an employee for evidence that they were unable to work because of illness or injury. A medical certificate is one example of acceptable evidence, although a statutory declaration may also be accepted in some circumstances.
Can I get a medical certificate online?
Yes, in appropriate circumstances.
A medical certificate may be issued following a telehealth consultation if the doctor can safely assess your condition remotely and considers that a certificate is medically justified.
However, an online medical certificate is not an automatic service. You need to have a genuine consultation with a doctor, provide accurate information about your symptoms and medical history, and allow the doctor to make an independent clinical decision.
The doctor may decide that a face-to-face assessment is necessary before providing a certificate.
How does an online medical certificate consultation work?
Getting a medical certificate online generally involves the following steps.
1. Book a telehealth appointment
Choose a telehealth GP appointment with an Australian-registered doctor.
Depending on the service, your appointment may be conducted by video or telephone.
2. Explain your symptoms
During the consultation, the doctor may ask:
What symptoms are you experiencing?
When did your symptoms start?
How severe are your symptoms?
How are they affecting your ability to work or study?
3. The doctor assesses your condition
The GP will determine whether your symptoms and circumstances support a medical certificate.
The doctor may also determine that you need:
A face-to-face examination
Pathology testing
Imaging
Further medical assessment
A follow-up consultation
- Telehealth is intended to provide clinically appropriate care, not simply to issue certificates on request.
- 4. The medical certificate is issued if appropriate
- If the GP determines that you are medically unfit for work or study for a particular period, they may provide a medical certificate.
- The period covered by the certificate is determined by the doctor based on their clinical assessment.
- 5. Receive and provide the certificate
- Depending on the telehealth provider, the certificate may be supplied electronically.
- You can then provide it to your employer, educational institution or another organisation that has requested evidence.
- Can I get a medical certificate for one day?
- Yes. An employer can request evidence for sick or carer's leave even when the absence is for one day or less. The evidence requested must be reasonable in the circumstances.
- If you are genuinely unwell and unable to work, a GP can assess your situation and determine whether a medical certificate is appropriate.
- Can I get a medical certificate for work?
- Yes. Medical certificates are commonly used as evidence for workplace sick leave.
- Under the Fair Work Ombudsman guidance, an employer can ask an employee to provide evidence that they were unable to work because of illness or injury. Medical certificates and statutory declarations are examples of evidence that may be acceptable.
- However, your workplace may have its own reasonable requirements regarding when and how evidence should be provided.
- Always check your employer's sick leave policy and provide the certificate as soon as reasonably possible.
- What information should I provide to the GP?
- Before your consultation, it can be helpful to have the following information available:
Your symptoms
When your symptoms started
How your symptoms are affecting you
Your current medications
Medication allergies
Relevant medical conditions
Any recent medical treatment
The dates you were unable to work or study
- Can a GP backdate a medical certificate?
- This depends on the individual circumstances and the doctor's clinical judgement.
- A doctor should not automatically issue a certificate for previous days simply because a patient requests one. The GP needs to determine whether there is sufficient clinical information to support the dates covered by the certificate.
- If you were unwell before your consultation, explain clearly when your symptoms began and why you were unable to work.
Can I use an online medical certificate for university or TAFE?
- A medical certificate may be used as supporting evidence for absence from university, TAFE or another educational institution.
- However, educational institutions can have their own requirements for medical evidence.
- Before booking a consultation, check what your institution requires, including:
Can I use an online medical certificate for Centrelink?
- Medical certificates can also be required for certain Services Australia purposes.
- For example, people receiving JobSeeker Payment may need to provide a medical certificate if illness or injury affects their ability to meet their requirements. Services Australia allows eligible medical certificates to be submitted online through myGov or the Express Plus Centrelink app.
- If the certificate is for Centrelink or another government program, check the specific requirements of that program.
Is an online medical certificate legitimate?
- A medical certificate issued following an appropriate telehealth consultation can be legitimate.
- The important issue is not simply whether the consultation occurred online. The doctor must be appropriately registered, the consultation must be clinically appropriate, and the certificate must be based on the doctor's assessment.
- Australian registered health practitioners providing virtual care are expected to provide safe and professional healthcare consistent with their professional obligations.
- Does Medicare cover online medical certificate consultations?
- Some telehealth GP consultations can be Medicare-rebated when the relevant MBS eligibility and service requirements are satisfied.
- Current Medicare telehealth arrangements include telephone and video consultations by eligible medical practitioners.
- However, not every online consultation is automatically bulk billed or Medicare-rebated.
- Fees and Medicare eligibility can vary between providers, so check the clinic's billing arrangements before your appointment.
- When is an online medical certificate not appropriate?
- Telehealth may not be appropriate when the doctor needs to physically examine you or when your symptoms could represent a serious medical condition.
- You may need an in-person assessment if you have symptoms such as:
Severe or worsening pain
Significant difficulty breathing
Chest pain
Severe abdominal pain
Serious injury
Significant bleeding
Neurological symptoms
Severe infection symptoms
Symptoms requiring an examination or investigation
If you are seriously unwell or experiencing a medical emergency, do not wait for an online GP appointment. Seek urgent medical attention.
How quickly can I get an online medical certificate?
The timing depends on the availability of the telehealth service and the doctor's assessment.
If the doctor determines that a certificate is clinically appropriate, it may be provided electronically after the consultation.
However, a doctor cannot guarantee that a certificate will be issued before assessing you.
Why choose an online GP consultation?
Telehealth can be particularly convenient when you are too unwell to travel to a clinic.
Benefits may include:
No travel to a medical centre
Convenient appointment times
Consultation from home
Reduced waiting-room exposure
Convenient electronic documentation
Access to a GP when a face-to-face examination is not required
- For many straightforward illnesses, telehealth can provide a convenient first point of medical assessment.
- Get a Medical Certificate Online with NewTeleDoc Medical
- If you are unwell and need medical advice or a medical certificate, NewTeleDoc Medical provides telehealth consultations with Australian-registered doctors.
- You can speak with a GP by telehealth from the privacy and comfort of your own home.
- During the consultation, the doctor will assess your symptoms and determine whether a medical certificate is medically appropriate. If a certificate is issued, it can be provided electronically where appropriate.
- Book an online GP consultation with NewTeleDoc Medical today.
- Important information
- A medical certificate can only be issued following an appropriate medical assessment and is not guaranteed simply because it is requested. The doctor will determine whether telehealth is suitable and what period, if any, should be covered by the certificate.
- Medicare eligibility, telehealth requirements and workplace evidence rules can change. Always check the current requirements of your employer, educational institution or government agency. This article provides general information only and does not replace individual medical advice.