If you become ill on Friday evening or wake up on Saturday realizing that work is impossible, you face a practical problem: Your general practitioner is closed until Monday, and without a medical certificate of incapacity for work, you risk a warning in the worst case. The question of where to get a sick leave certificate on weekends concerns many employees – and it is less complicated to answer than it might initially seem.
When Do I Need a Medical Certificate on the Weekend?
Basically, the obligation to present a medical certificate of incapacity for work depends on your employment contract or applicable collective agreements. Many employers require the certificate only from the third day of illness. However, if you are unable to work by Monday and your employer requires a certificate from the first day, you need a continuous certificate – even if the illness began on the weekend.
A doctor can issue a medical certificate of incapacity for work retroactively from the start of the illness, provided the symptoms are credible and comprehensible at the examination. It therefore makes sense not to wait until Monday if the symptoms require medical evaluation anyway.
General Practitioner Closed – What Options Do You Have?
If your general practitioner is not available on the weekend, there are basically two options: visit a medical emergency clinic or contact a private medical on-call service. The emergency clinics of the Berlin Medical Association are open on weekends and can issue a medical certificate of incapacity for work as part of treatment. However, waiting times of several hours are not uncommon, especially on Saturdays and Sundays – which can be a significant additional burden for someone too ill to work.
Getting a Medical Certificate on Saturday via RAB – How It Works
RAB Berlin, as a private medical on-call service, comes directly to your home – Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, daily between 6 and 24 o'clock. After a brief telephone description of your complaints, the home visit usually takes place within 60 to 90 minutes. The doctor examines you on site, takes your medical history, and issues a medical certificate of incapacity for work if medically justified.
This means: When you are ill, you do not need to leave your bed, do not have to travel, and do not have to sit in a crowded waiting room. The medical certificate comes to you – correctly issued, continuous, and legally valid just like any other medical certificate of incapacity for work. Further information can be found here.
Does a Medical Certificate from the Weekend Also Count for Monday?
Yes. A medical certificate of incapacity for work issued on a Saturday or Sunday is legally valid and applies from the date noted in it. If the doctor determines during the examination that the incapacity for work began at an earlier time, he can note this retroactively in the certificate – usually, however, at most for the day before the examination.
What Does a Medical Certificate Cost on the Weekend via RAB?
The billing for a private medical home visit is done according to the German Medical Fee Schedule (GOÄ). Weekend and evening surcharges are customary and legally regulated. Privately insured patients usually receive reimbursement from their health insurance. The service is also accessible for self-payers and those with statutory insurance – many supplementary insurance policies cover the costs in full or in part. Obtaining a legally valid medical certificate on the weekend without having to travel sick and exhausted across Berlin is a far more sensible solution for many patients.
Factual Note Regarding Use of Service
If you need a medical certificate on the weekend in Berlin and there is no acute emergency situation, you can reach the private medical on-call service RAB Berlin daily between 6 and 24 o'clock by phone at +49 30 550 77 870. Further information and the option to book an appointment directly can be found here.
As a rule, the home visit takes place within 60 to 90 minutes of your request.