What makes a medical certificate valid in Australia?

Updated 15 November 2026. General information only, not legal advice.

The short answer

There's no single official template. For work, the law asks for evidence that would convince a reasonable person you were genuinely entitled to the leave.
A medical certificate is the most common evidence. A statutory declaration can also be acceptable.
A good certificate is honest, comes from a registered practitioner, shows when you were assessed, and states the dates you're unfit.
How you were assessed matters. Regulators and the Fair Work Commission have questioned certificates issued without a real assessment.

What the law says about evidence for sick leave

Most employees in Australia are covered by the National Employment Standards in the Fair Work Act 2009. Section 107 sets the rules for notice and evidence for paid sick and carer's leave. The Fair Work Ombudsman explains them like this:

Notice. Tell your employer as soon as possible (it can be after your leave has started) and say how long you expect to be off.
Evidence can be asked for even 1 day. Fair Work says employers can ask for evidence for as little as 1 day or less off work.
No strict form. Medical certificates and statutory declarations are examples of acceptable evidence. What counts is that the evidence would convince a reasonable person the leave was genuine.
Awards and agreements can add rules. Your award or registered agreement can say when evidence is needed and what type. Any request must be reasonable in the circumstances.
No evidence, maybe no pay. If you don't give evidence when asked, you may not be paid for the leave.

Full-time employees get 10 days of paid sick and carer's leave a year (part-time employees get a pro-rata amount). Casual employees don't get paid sick leave, but every employee, casuals included, can take 2 days of unpaid carer's leave each time it's needed.

What a medical certificate should show

There's no law listing the exact wording, but medical defence organisations such as Avant advise doctors that a certificate should include:

the doctor's name and practice address (you can look up any doctor on the Ahpra public register)
the patient's name
the date the doctor assessed the patient and the date the certificate was issued
what's being certified (for example, unfit for work) and the dates it covers
the doctor's signature

Under the Medical Board's code of conduct, doctors must be honest and not misleading when they write certificates, and should only sign documents they believe are accurate.

Can a certificate be backdated?

The issue date shouldn't be backdated. A doctor can sometimes certify that you were unwell before the assessment, if they're satisfied this is accurate in their clinical judgement and they document why. The further back the dates go, the less weight the certificate is likely to carry.

In a February 2026 decision reported by HRD Australia, the Fair Work Commission looked at a certificate obtained online, backdated, and issued without a live consultation. The Commissioner said the ease of getting a certificate without speaking to a doctor "raises significant questions about the evidentiary value of such certificates".

Are online and telehealth certificates valid?

Many Australians get certificates through telehealth. No law says a certificate must come from a face-to-face visit. But regulators have been clear that a certificate is only as good as the assessment behind it.

In its July 2024 newsletter, the Medical Board of Australia said:

"Writing a medical certificate is a medical service. It requires a real-time doctor patient consultation for the doctor to assess the patient…"

The Board also warned that doctors working for services that email certificates within minutes of an online questionnaire, without a consultation, may be breaching professional standards.

Before you rely on any online certificate, it's worth checking:

Does an Australian registered doctor review your request, and can they decline?
Does the certificate say when and how you were assessed?
Can your employer check it's genuine?
Does your workplace, award or agreement ask for a particular kind of evidence? If they want a certificate from a phone or face-to-face consultation, ask before you request one, or see your GP.

How AusMedCerts handles this

For 1 to 3 day requests, the doctor may approve from your answers to our questionnaire without a call. They record why a call wasn't needed. If they want to speak with you, they will call or chat first.
An Australian registered doctor reviews every request and decides whether a certificate is appropriate. They may call or message you, and they may decline. If they decline, you're not charged.
Absences of 4 to 7 days, and symptoms that have lasted more than a week, always involve a call or chat with the doctor first.
Every certificate states the date and the method of assessment, separately from the dates it covers (for example, "telehealth assessment by secure online health questionnaire" or "…and a phone consultation with the doctor"), so your employer can see how you were assessed.
Certificates can start no earlier than the day before the doctor's assessment.
Every certificate has a QR code and check code. Employers can confirm it's genuine on our check a certificate page.
We're for short, mild illnesses only, and we don't replace your regular GP.

Statutory declarations

A statutory declaration is a written statement you declare to be true. Fair Work lists it as an example of acceptable evidence. Its own example is an employee with a cold who couldn't get a doctor's appointment, gave a statutory declaration, and was paid for the day. Commonwealth statutory declarations can now also be made online with a digital ID. Making a false declaration is a criminal offence.

Carer's leave

The same evidence rule applies when you take leave to care for or support an immediate family or household member who is sick, injured, or affected by an unexpected emergency. A carer's leave certificate is about the person you're caring for. It confirms they needed care for the dates shown.

Certificates for uni, TAFE and school

Fair Work rules don't apply to study. Each university, TAFE or school has its own special consideration or absence policy, often with strict deadlines. Some accept any medical certificate, while others need their own form completed by a doctor. Check your institution's policy before you request a certificate.

For employers

You can ask for evidence, but the request must be reasonable, and your award or agreement may set rules.
Fair Work says it isn't reasonable for an employer to contact an employee's doctor for further information, or to go to a medical appointment with them unless the employee asks.
Check a doctor's registration on the Ahpra public register. For our certificates, scan the QR code or use our check a certificate page.
The Fair Work Commission has upheld dismissals for falsified medical certificates.

Need a certificate for a short, mild illness?

An Australian registered doctor reviews your request and, if it's appropriate for you, issues a certificate. $39 for 1 day, $59 for 2–3 days, or $89 if a call or chat is needed (4–7 days, symptoms over a week, or the doctor asks). No charge if the doctor declines.

Request a certificate

Not for emergencies. Call 000. If you're not sure how unwell you are, call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.