Letter sending a sick note to the employer (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — 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.
For an employee on sick leave in mainland France or the overseas departments other than Mayotte: the letter that goes with part 3 of the French sick note (avis d’arrêt de travail), the part meant for the employer. In French under French law, it says whether this is a first note or an extension, gives its dates and asks the employer to send the pay details to the health insurer. The note itself is the secured form the doctor completes. Sold blank, to complete by hand, as it holds health data DocMuse does not collect.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- Your doctor has signed you off sick in France and you need to send the employer’s part of the sick note.
- Your sick leave has been extended and you must send the new note to your employer.
- You want your employer to send your pay details to the health insurer so your sick pay can be worked out.
- You want a covering letter for the sick note you hand in or post to your employer.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Employee
- Employee's address
- Employer
- Employer's postal address (department if any, street, postcode and town)
- City
- Date
- Kind of sick note (first note or extension)
- Absent from
- Absent until
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Where does each part of a French sick note go, and how quickly?
- If the doctor sends the note online, the health insurer receives it directly and the doctor gives you part 3 for the employer. Otherwise, send parts 1 and 2 to your insurer within 48 hours (article R. 321-2 of the French Social Security Code). Give part 3 to the employer within 48 hours too: article L. 1226-1 of the French Labour Code makes this a condition of the employer's top-up of sick pay, and the collective agreement or staff rules often set the same deadline. Since 1 September 2025 the insurer has refused paper notes not made on the secured form.
- How do I hand the French sick-note letter to my employer, and what proof should I keep?
- Hand it over against a copy the employer dates and signs, or send it by registered letter with proof of receipt; an e-mail is enough if your employer accepts it. Keep a copy of part 3 and of the letter: in a dispute about an absence, they prove you gave notice. The template is sold blank, to complete by hand, because it holds health data that DocMuse does not collect.
- Is pay kept up during sick leave in France, and what about Alsace-Moselle?
- The health insurer pays daily allowances, and the employer tops up pay on conditions that include one year's service (article L. 1226-1 of the French Labour Code), unless the collective agreement is more generous. In the Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle, article L. 1226-23 of the Labour Code also keeps pay for a short absence for a reason beyond the employee's control, with no service condition. This template does not cover Mayotte, whose social law differs.
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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