Notifying the employer of sickness (Germany)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
The written notice of sickness an employee in Germany gives the employer under § 5 of the Continued Remuneration Act (EntgFG): that they are unfit for work and for how long, with no diagnosis. For people with statutory health insurance it reflects the electronic sick note (eAU) — the employer fetches the certificate from the health insurer, but the employee must still report the absence at once. Those insured privately announce a paper certificate. In German, with a box for an address abroad.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Employer
- Employer's postal address
- City
- Date
- Staff number (if any)
- Absent from
- Absent until
- Address abroad (only if ill abroad)
- Doctor's certificate: electronic (eAU) or paper
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Do I still have to report sick to my employer in Germany now that there is the eAU?
- Yes. Since 1 January 2023 the electronic sick note (eAU) has replaced only handing in the certificate: the employer fetches it from the health insurer. You must still tell the employer at once that you are unfit for work and for how long (§ 5(1) EntgFG), and with statutory insurance you must have a doctor establish it (§ 5(1a) EntgFG). The privately insured, and anyone treated abroad, still hand in paper.
- From which day is a doctor's certificate needed in Germany?
- If the incapacity lasts more than three calendar days, a doctor must establish it by the next working day at the latest, and the employer may ask for it sooner, even from the first day (§ 5(1) EntgFG). The letter deliberately does not state this rule: on 2 July 2026 the governing coalition decided to abolish sick notes by phone and require a certificate from day one. No law has been passed yet.
- How should the notice of sickness be sent in Germany, and is e-mail enough?
- The law sets no form for reporting sick: a call, an e-mail or a message is enough, as long as it reaches the employer at once. It is best to phone first and then send this letter as a PDF by e-mail, or the way your workplace usually takes such notices, so you have a record of when you reported. If you fall ill abroad, § 5(2) EntgFG requires the fastest means and your address there; tell your health insurer too.
- Does pay continue in Germany while an employee is off sick?
- Yes: the employer continues to pay for up to six weeks once the employment has lasted four weeks without a break (§ 3 EntgFG). After that, the health insurer pays sickness benefit to those with statutory insurance; the privately insured receive a daily allowance only if their tariff provides one. Reporting sick in good time is what keeps the payment running without a dispute.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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