You can get a sick cert online when a video consultation gives the doctor enough information to assess you safely.
The doctor will ask about your symptoms, when they started and how they affect your work. If the clinical evidence supports it, they may issue a certificate after the appointment. You are booking a medical assessment, not buying a document, and a certificate is never automatic.
The appointment
What happens during an online sick cert appointment?
The consultation is a focused medical assessment. The doctor needs to understand what is wrong and why you cannot do your usual work safely.
Choose somewhere private where you can speak openly. You do not need a polished account of the illness. Dates, symptoms and practical details about your job are more useful.
- Know when the symptoms began. Include the days you have already missed or expect to miss.
- Have your medical details nearby. The doctor may ask about medicines, relevant conditions and treatment you have already tried.
- Explain what your work involves. Describe the duties you cannot manage and whether your condition could put you or someone else at risk.
- Check your employer's process. Find out whether there is a deadline, form or submission portal.
If a certificate is clinically appropriate, check your details and the dates when you receive it. Keep a copy and submit it through the channel your employer normally uses.
Employer rules
Will an employer accept a sick cert from an online doctor?
For statutory sick leave, the certificate must come from a registered medical practitioner and confirm that illness or injury has left you unable to work.
The Workplace Relations Commission sets out the certification requirement. The Sick Leave Act 2022 and current WRC guidance do not appear to distinguish between an in-person and remote consultation for this purpose.
An employer can still check that the doctor is registered, that the document is genuine and that the dates are clear. It may also require you to follow a reasonable absence-reporting procedure.
Pay and benefits
How statutory sick pay works in Ireland
The statutory scheme currently provides five paid sick-leave days per calendar year after 13 weeks of continuous service.
- Rate of pay. Statutory sick pay is 70% of normal daily earnings, capped at €110 per day.
- Medical certification. You need a certificate from a registered medical practitioner for a day claimed under the statutory scheme.
- Company schemes. Your workplace may offer full pay, more days or self-certification for a short absence, so check your contract or staff handbook.
The Department of Enterprise confirmed in April 2025 that the planned increase would not proceed. Current WRC guidance continues to list five days.
A work sick cert is not the Illness Benefit certificate
A certificate for your employer and the medical certification used for an Illness Benefit claim belong to different processes. Illness Benefit is administered by the Department of Social Protection and uses a Certificate of Incapacity for Work.
Global Health's online sick-cert service provides work documentation when clinically appropriate. It does not issue the Department's Certificate of Incapacity for Work. Start with the official Illness Benefit guidance or read our guide to claiming Illness Benefit in Ireland if you intend to apply.
Clinical limits
When an online appointment may not be suitable
Video care works for many straightforward illnesses, but the doctor may need to examine you, check observations or arrange tests before making a safe decision.
- Backdating is not automatic. The history and available evidence must support the earlier dates you request.
- Some documents need another service. Fitness-to-return reports for safety-critical work, insurance forms and specialist occupational-health reports may need an in-person or specialist assessment.
- Privacy still matters. A routine work cert does not give your employer access to your consultation notes or full medical record.
The Data Protection Commission treats health information as special-category data. Any workplace request should be limited to information it genuinely needs. If you are unsure whether video care suits your symptoms, see our guide to using an online GP versus attending in person.
Common questions
Questions people ask before booking
Do I need a sick cert for one day off?
You need medical certification if you are claiming that day under statutory sick pay. Your employer may have a more generous scheme that allows self-certification for a short absence, so check its policy.
Can an online doctor backdate a sick cert?
Only when the doctor considers the earlier dates clinically supportable. Backdating is not guaranteed and may be inappropriate when there is not enough evidence about your condition on those dates.
Can I get a sick cert for stress or anxiety?
A doctor can assess mental-health symptoms by video when remote care is suitable. The consultation should consider how the symptoms affect your work, what treatment or follow-up you need, and whether there are immediate safety concerns.
Can my employer contact the doctor?
An employer may seek to verify that a certificate is genuine. That does not give it access to your consultation notes. Any medical disclosure needs an appropriate legal basis and should be limited to what the workplace needs.
