Official Partner of Cricket Australia
Medically reviewed by Dr Ammar Al-Ani
General Practitioner - MBChB, CCBST, AMC, 28+ Years of Experience
Updated in September 2026
No, there is no legal difference. ‘Medical certificate’ is the official term used in the Fair Work Act 2009, while ‘doctor’s note’ is the informal term for the same document. Both terms refer to written proof from a registered practitioner that you were unfit for work.
Australian law explains who can issue a certificate, what it must include and how your personal information is protected.
Under the Fair Work Act 2009, both a medical certificate and a doctor’s note can be used as evidence for sick or carer’s leave. Your employer may ask for proof even if you are absent for one day or less.
A valid certificate must be issued by a registered health practitioner within their area of practice. GPs and, where appropriate, Nurse Practitioners can issue certificates. Dentists and pharmacists can also issue them for conditions related to their own area of practice.
A medical certificate usually does not need to include your diagnosis. It can simply confirm that you were assessed and were unfit for work on certain dates. This helps keep your medical information private.
A valid certificate should include the practitioner’s name and qualifications, their AHPRA registration number, the clinic’s contact details, the consult date, and the dates you are certified as unfit for work.
A certificate issued after a real online assessment with an AHPRA-registered doctor has the same legal validity as one from an in-person visit.
| Document type | Issued by | Legal purpose | Workplace acceptance |
| Medical certificate/ Doctor’s note | AHPRA-registered medical practitioner (commonly a GP) or Nurse Practitioner. | Confirms you are unfit for work due to illness or injury, for sick or carer’s leave under the Fair Work Act. | Standard and most widely accepted form of evidence across Australian workplaces. |
| Absence from work certificate (pharmacy) | AHPRA-registered pharmacist, after a face-to-face consultation. | Covers minor, short-term illness only, generally one or two days, per PSA and Pharmacy Guild guidelines. | Accepted by most employers for short absences; a GP certificate may still be requested for longer or repeated absences. |
| Statutory Declaration (Stat Dec) | The employee signs it, witnessed by an authorised person such as a Justice of the Peace. | A sworn personal statement used when you cannot get a medical certificate, under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959. | Accepted under the Fair Work Act as reasonable evidence for short, unplanned absences. |
| Medical clearance/ Fit-to-work certificate | AHPRA-registered medical practitioner, usually after a follow-up assessment. | Confirms you can safely return to work duties, often after an injury, surgery, or workers’ compensation claim. | Often specifically required by an employer or insurer before you return to work; separate from a certificate of absence. |
Hola Health provides a doctor’s note online via telehealth in minutes, if clinically appropriate. Certificates are generally recognised by Australian employers and are available 24/7. If approved, your certificate is delivered by email or SMS, usually within minutes.
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