Germany Plans Stricter Sick-Note Rules

Foreign employees in Germany may soon face tighter sick-note rules if the government pushes ahead with a reform package presented on 2 July 2026. The plan, agreed at a coalition committee meeting of the CDU/CSU and SPD, would require a doctor’s certificate from the very first day of illness and would scrap the telephone sick note that many workers have relied on since the pandemic. For now these are proposals, not enacted law, but they signal a clear shift in how Germany intends to treat time off work.

Sick-Note Rules Under the New Reform Package

The coalition wants employees to present an Arbeitsunfaehigkeitsbescheinigung, the formal certificate of incapacity to work, from day one of any illness. In everyday German this document is often called an Attest, and it is issued by a doctor to confirm that someone is genuinely unable to work. Under the current system, most employees only need to hand a certificate to their employer after several days of absence, and many companies ask for it from the fourth day.

According to ZDFheute, the plan also foresees stronger penalties for the incorrect issuing of these certificates, meaning doctors who write notes without proper grounds could face tougher consequences. The measures form part of a wider economic reform package that the government has framed as a programme to revive growth and employment. Because the plan still needs to pass through the Bundestag, the exact timing and final wording of the sick-note rules remain open.

The End of the Telephone Sick Note

One of the most visible changes would be the abolition of the telefonische Krankschreibung, the telephone sick note. This option lets patients with mild complaints, such as a cold, call their doctor and receive a certificate without coming to the practice in person. It was introduced during the coronavirus pandemic to keep contagious patients out of crowded waiting rooms and later kept as a permanent convenience.

Al Jazeera reports that the reform would end this pandemic-era policy and again require an in-person visit for a valid certificate. Supporters argue that a face-to-face examination makes it harder to obtain a note without real medical need. Critics counter that forcing genuinely sick people onto public transport and into waiting rooms spreads infections and wastes scarce appointment slots.

Why the Government Wants to Change Sick-Note Rules

The stated aim behind the stricter sick-note rules is to bring down Germany’s high level of sick leave, known as the Krankenstand, which the government sees as a drag on the economy. Employers pay wages during the first weeks of illness, so a high rate of absences carries real costs for businesses and, in the government’s argument, for national output. The reform package positions the sick-note changes as one lever among several to lift productivity.

The Washington Post places the proposal within a broader push to tackle workplace absenteeism and to signal that the coalition is serious about structural economic change. Whether tighter certificate rules actually reduce absences is disputed, and no official figures on the expected savings have been published. The government has presented the measure mainly as a matter of fairness and discipline rather than as a precise budget calculation.

Doctors and Unions Push Back

The plan has already drawn criticism from general practitioners, the Hausaerzte, who warn that requiring a certificate from the first day would flood their surgeries with patients seeking notes for minor, short-lived illnesses. Family doctors argue that their appointment capacity is limited and that a wave of one-day certificate requests would crowd out patients with serious conditions. ZDFheute notes that this criticism surfaced almost immediately after the package was announced.

Trade unions and employee representatives have also questioned the direction of the reform, framing it as a measure that treats workers with suspicion. They point out that most people who call in sick are genuinely unwell, and that the telephone sick note saved time for patients and doctors alike. Because the details still have to be negotiated in parliament, these groups are likely to lobby hard before any sick-note rules become binding.

What the Sick-Note Rules Mean for Foreign Workers

If you work in Germany, the practical effect of the proposed sick-note rules would be that a single sick day may require you to secure a doctor’s appointment and a certificate rather than simply informing your employer. That matters most for newcomers who do not yet have a regular family doctor, since finding a Hausarzt who accepts new patients can take time. Registering with a practice early, before you fall ill, is a sensible step, and our guide on settling in at how-to-germany explains how the health system fits into daily life.

It is worth stressing that nothing has changed yet. The telephone sick note remains available and current certificate deadlines still apply until any law is passed. Keep an eye on announcements from your health insurer and employer, check the terms of your employment contract for its own reporting rules, and know your rights around sick pay, which our overview at how-to-germany sets out. Should the stricter sick-note rules take effect, being organised about your medical care will make the transition far less stressful.