How to get a sick note in Germany

Yes, you can extend your sick note by visiting your doctor before it expires and obtaining a follow-up certificate (Folgebescheinigung).

Schedule an appointment on the last day of your current sick note or the day before to ensure continuous coverage without gaps.

Your doctor will assess whether you're still unable to work and issue an extension for as long as medically necessary.

Inform your employer that you're extending your sick leave, ideally before your original end date, just as you did when you first called in sick.

If you fall ill during your vacation, those sick days do not count as vacation days, and you can reclaim them if you obtain a sick note from a doctor.

Visit a doctor as soon as you become ill, even if you're abroad, and get a medical certificate documenting your illness and the dates you were unfit for work.

Submit the sick note to your employer immediately and inform them that you wish to reclaim the affected vacation days.

Your employer cannot refuse to credit back the sick days, and you can take those vacation days at a later date agreed upon with your employer.

Yes, your employer can legally terminate your employment while you're on sick leave, as German law does not provide special protection against dismissal during illness.

However, the standard dismissal protections still apply: after your probation period, your employer must have a valid reason (personal, behavioral, or operational) and must follow the proper notice periods.

Being sick does not, in itself, constitute grounds for dismissal. Still, excessive absences (typically over 30 days per year) combined with significant business impact could justify termination.

If you receive a termination notice while sick, you have three weeks to file a complaint with the labor court (Arbeitsgericht) if you believe the dismissal was unfair.

Yes, but the payment process depends on the length of your sick leave and your type of health insurance.

For the first 6 weeks (42 days): Your employer will continue to pay your full salary, covering only the days you would normally be working. However, if you’re injured while engaging in risky activities—like mountain biking—you may not qualify for paid sick leave.

After 6 weeks: If you have public health insurance, you’ll receive sick pay (Krankengeld) at 70% of your gross salary, capped at €120\.75 per day.

For those with private health insurance, sick pay is only provided if you have income protection insurance. At Feather, this is automatically included in your policy, ensuring you’re covered if illness prevents you from working.

After 78 weeks (within 3 years): You will need to contact the Employment Agency (Agentur für Arbeit) and apply for disability benefits, as income protection payments end after this period.

You are under no obligation to discuss personal health matters with your boss, and your sick note won’t include the reason for your absence: it will only say that you are unable to work.

However, if you know in advance that you’ll be out of the office for a while (e.g., due to a surgery), you’ll want to give your employer some warning. 

This can be as non-specific as “I’m having surgery, and I’ll be out of the office for a week from [DATE].”

Yes, if your child gets sick, you can take time off work to care for them. This is allowed under the Children’s Sickness Benefits Act in Germany.

You’ll need a doctor to confirm your child’s illness and that they need care. Once the doctor provides a medical certificate, statutory health insurance will cover your benefits during this time.

Each parent has the right to stay home for up to 30 days per year per child. If you’re both taking turns, you can combine these days, giving you a total of 60 days per child per year. If you’re a single parent, you’re entitled to 60 days per year for each child.

If you have more than one child, the limits are a little different. Each parent can take up to 65 days per year, for a combined total of 130 days. Single parents in this case can also take up to 130 days per year.

There are a few essential conditions to qualify for this leave:

• The child must be younger than 12 years old, unless they have a disability and need special care.
• A medical certificate from a doctor is necessary.
• No one else in the household should be able to care for the child during this time.