No. Creating, changing, or using a self-made or fake medical certificate or doctor’s note is treated as document fraud and forgery under Australian law. It can lead to serious consequences at work, in study, and in the courts, so it is never worth the risk.
Consequences of using a fake or forged medical certificate
Using a fake medical certificate can cause serious problems in your work, studies, and personal life.
- Workplace Termination: A fake medical certificate can be treated as serious misconduct and may lead to immediate dismissal without notice under Fair Work regulations.
- Academic Penalties: University and TAFE students may face suspension, expulsion, or a zero mark for an assessment if they use a fake certificate.
- Criminal Charges: Making or using a false document can lead to fraud or forgery charges under state or territory law.
How employers verify medical certificates in Australia
Checking a certificate is simpler than most people expect.
- AHPRA registry checks: Employers can search the national AHPRA register to confirm a practitioner’s name and registration number.
- Direct verification: Employers can legally contact the issuing clinic or telehealth clinic to verify whether the certificate is authentic, without asking about your diagnosis or treatment. The clinic must protect health information and should not disclose a diagnosis or treatment details without authority. Fair Work does not consider it reasonable for an employer to contact the employee’s doctor for further information.
- Digital verification systems: Many telehealth providers can be contacted through a support team to verify a sick certificate, making certificates quick to check and hard to fake.
Legitimate alternatives to making your own doctor’s note
If you are too unwell to visit a clinic in person, safe and legal options are still available.
- Online telehealth medical certificate: Services like Hola Health connect you with an AHPRA-registered practitioner so you can get a genuine medical certificate from home.
- Statutory declarations (stat decs): A statutory declaration, signed in front of an authorised witness, is accepted as evidence under the Fair Work Act and may be used as evidence if it would satisfy a reasonable person. Lying on a stat dec is also a criminal offence.
