How long does a medical certificate last?

The validity of a medical certificate covers the period assessed during the consultation and should reflect the patient's condition during that time. The doctor will determine the appropriate period based on the clinical assessment.

Can I renew it online without a consultation?

According to Australian medical standards, a medical certificate cannot be extended without a clinical reassessment. A new telehealth consultation must be scheduled to confirm that the patient remains ill and, therefore, unfit for work.

Do carer certificates expire?

A Carer's Certificate is indeed only for the assessed days of the family member's illness during which the doctor's direct support is required. If the patient's recuperation time exceeds the physician's expectations, you must obtain another assessment for the additional days.

What happens if my flight is delayed past my Fit-to-Fly date?

In the case that your plane is delayed significantly and your Fit-to-Fly certificate is older than what the airline allows (usually 10 or 30 days, depending on the carrier), you will need to get a new one to confirm that your medical condition hasn't ????????deteriorated.

Medical Certificate Expiry and Renewal Timelines

Introduction

A medical certificate is evidence of the state of your health at a certain point in time. It does not constitute a perpetual authorisation to absent oneself from work or school. Since health can change, fevers can subside, wounds can heal, or symptoms can get worse, every certificate has a minimal period of validity.

It is standard for patients to inquire about the expiry and renewal timelines of certificates, particularly the validity period of a digital note and the procedure to follow if they remain unfit for work after the note has expired.

The article outlines the standards in Australia regarding the validity of medical certificates, the concept of "automatic renewal", which is not acknowledged by responsible medical practice, and the way of booking a follow-up appointment in a confined manner if you need more recovery time.

Contextual Bridge: This guide is about timelines. For a broader overview of the documents, please visit our main Online Medical Certificates page.

How Long Is an Online Medical Certificate Valid?

The term of a medical certificate is not one-size-fits-all. In fact, the period of validity is a result of the clinical judgment of your doctor regarding your state of health during the consultation.

Some Realistic Time Frames

Minor Illness (e.g., Cold/Flu): Physicians typically issue medical certificates for 1-2 days, which is the most active period of the illness.
Post-Procedure Recovery: May be authorised for more extended periods (e.g., 1 week) depending on the nature of the surgical or medical treatment.
Chronic Conditions: The validity period depends heavily on the treatment plan.

Important: The time validity will be self-evident on the certificate (e.g., "Unfit for work from [Start Date] to [End Date] inclusive"). Legally, once the certificate's end date has elapsed, it expires.

Contextual Bridge: Validity is connected to eligibility. Inspect the eligibility criteria of medical certificates for the indicators that doctors check for. To ensure the accuracy of the dates in any file, employers may follow our verification procedure.

Renewal Rules for Medical Certificates

Under Australian medical law, a medical certificate cannot be automatically extended. If you require further leave, a follow-up consultation may be necessary to confirm your ongoing fitness or unfitness for work. Check Medical certificate renewal rules and re-assessment guidelines.

Why "Renewal" Is Essentially "Re-Assessment"

Suppose that the last day of your medical certificate is the one on which you are ill, and on the next day, you are still sick. Leave extensions must be based on a follow-up consultation. If ongoing leave is necessary, the doctor will reassess your condition during a follow-up consultation to determine whether an extension is appropriate.

You remain unfit for work.
There are no grounds to send you to a hospital because of complications in your case.
The initial diagnosis was indeed correct.

Getting a "renewal" completed is essentially the same as attending a new telehealth appointment.

If you need an extension of your leave, schedule an appointment with a doctor. For further information on video-call medical appointments, see our telehealth consultation guide.

Type-Specific Expiry Differences

The different types of certificates have different validity rules depending on their use.

Sick Leave / Carer's Certificates: These are only the dates of a specified illness. The disease's passage means that such documents cannot be used for future dates.
Fit-to-Fly Certificates: If your travel is delayed and your Fit-to-Fly certificate no longer meets airline requirements, you may need to obtain a new certificate confirming your fitness to travel.
Fit-to-Return (Clearance): Fitness-to-Return Certificates are not subject to "expiration" in the usual sense. They confirm that, as of a specific date, you are physically able to work. If you are injured, however, the clearance will no longer be valid.
Student Certificates: Legitimate only for the date when the exam or the class is missed.

Contextual Bridge: Going somewhere in a couple of days? Please review the Fit-to-Fly Medical Certificate timelines in our article. Going back to work? Here you will find extensive information on Fitness-to-Return Medical Certificates.

How to Request a Renewal Online

If your current sick note is expiring soon and you are still unable to work, please take the following steps to ensure continuous coverage.

Step-by-Step Process

Determine the dates: Check whether the sufficiency end date is specified in your current PDF.
Rebook: Log in to Prime Medic and schedule your follow-up appointment with a doctor. Therefore, you'll want to do this either on the very last day of your current certificate or the next day, first thing.
Consult: Inform the physician that your symptoms never resolved.
Issue: The doctor will agree with you if you state that you are still unfit and issue a new certificate covering your extended period.

Regarding backdating: If there is a gap in your leave, a new certificate may be issued, but it will be based on the current clinical assessment, not backdating.

Contextual bridge: Your confidentiality is guaranteed in all medical appointments. Our privacy policy is available for review.

Why Certificates Can't Be Open-Ended

Patients sometimes ask, "Won't you just keep me off until I get better?"

Due to safety regulations, a medical certificate is typically issued for a defined period based on the doctor's assessment. Open-ended certificates are not issued through telehealth consultations. Health practitioners must ensure that medical certificates reflect the patient's current condition and progress, in accordance with professional and regulatory guidelines.

The Risks

Missed diagnosis: The patient may have had a simple cold, but when the illness is prolonged, the underlying diagnosis may be pneumonia.
Duty of care: Health practitioners must monitor the patient's progress to ensure the chosen treatment is effective.
Employer rights: Employers may request confirmation of the expected return-to-work date based on medical certificates and the worker's condition.

The rationale for classifying telehealth certificates as short-term is to require periodic safety checks.

Our compliance with these medical safety standards is 100%. Here you can read more about our quality standards and legal compliance.