Get a Sick Note for Migraines
Migraines are a recognised medical condition and a valid reason to take time off work. Certificates are issued by GMC-registered UK doctors.
A severe migraine can make it impossible to work, drive or even look at a screen. Get a signed GP sick note. No appointment needed.
✔ Covers acute migraine, chronic migraine and migraine with aura.
✔ Accepted by most UK employers for absence records. Employers decide what evidence they accept.
✔ Most certificates same day or by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if we can't issue one.
Get my sick note 
Accepted by most UK employers, universities and insurers, subject to their own policies. All consultations are subject to clinical assessment and certificates are issued only where clinically appropriate.
Suffering from recurring migraines? A work adjustment certificate can request reduced screen time or lighting adjustments from your employer.
Get your medical certificate delivered straight to your inbox from £47
How It Works
Complete short online consult
No appointment required.
Complete a short medical questionnaire and upload any supporting evidence.
Doctor reviews your evidence
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your submission individually.
✔ Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued.
Receive your certificate
Most certificates are issued same day, almost all by 9AM the next morning. Delivered as a signed PDF. A doctor will email you if more evidence is needed.
Certificate security
Every MedicalCert certificate can be checked as genuine
Each certificate is issued with anti-tampering protection and its own verification reference. If your employer, university, airline or insurer wants to confirm the document came from a GMC-registered doctor, they can check it against MedicalCert records. Altered or copied documents do not pass that check.
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They meet the incredibly fast turnaround stated (certificate/letter sent before 9am the following morning if the doctor feels that a letter/certificate is appropriate) which is incredibly quick and I am really grateful for the help provided!
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Excellent service. Easy to use and certificate issued in less than 24 hours. £39 as opposed to the £150 my GP charges. Highly recommended.
Quick and reasonably pain-free. Received their standard certificate as well as my requested bespoke certificate, by email, by 9am the following morning. Both completed properly, signed and stamped as required. More expensive than my GP, but infinitely quicker and easier.
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Can I Get a Sick Note for a Migraine?
Yes. Migraine is a recognised medical condition and a valid reason for certified sick leave in the UK. The NHS says migraine affects around 10 million people in the UK, and a GMC-registered doctor can certify a migraine absence in the same way as any other illness. A specialist diagnosis is not usually required, because NICE guideline CG150 identifies migraine from the pattern of headache features rather than from scans. Whether a certificate can be issued is a decision for the reviewing doctor.
Whether you are dealing with a single acute episode that has floored you for 48 hours, or a pattern of chronic migraines that regularly prevents you from working, a doctor can review your consultation and decide whether a certificate is appropriate. Most are issued the same day or by 9AM the next morning.
Yes, you can get a sick note for migraine
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your online consultation individually and can certify a migraine absence on a private medical certificate. Most certificates approved same day or by 9AM next morning. No GP appointment, no waiting room, no commute when you are photosensitive and in pain.
For chronic migraine, which NICE defines as headache on 15 or more days a month with migraine features on at least 8 of those days, for more than 3 months, the Equality Act 2010 may also be relevant. Where the disability definition is met, your employer has a legal duty to consider reasonable adjustments. See the section below.
Why Migraine Warrants Sick Leave
Migraine is frequently misunderstood as a bad headache. The NHS says it happens when there are changes to nerves and blood vessels in the brain. A typical attack involves symptoms that can make sustained work impossible:
An employer or HR team questioning whether a migraine is a genuine medical reason for absence can be pointed to NHS guidance, which describes migraine as a condition causing severe headache, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, and says it affects around 10 million people in the UK. NICE clinical guideline CG150 sets out the headache features used to identify migraine, and advises against referring for neuroimaging solely for reassurance once a primary headache has been diagnosed.
How Long Can You Be Signed Off Work for Migraine?
Most single migraine episodes are certified for 1 to 3 days. Severe attacks with prolonged postdrome can justify up to a week. Chronic migraine that is under active management can be certified for longer periods, renewable on reassessment. The duration is always determined by a doctor's clinical assessment of your current functional state, not a fixed rule.
| Migraine scenario | Typical certified period |
|---|---|
| Single acute episode | 1 to 3 days, covering the attack and immediate recovery |
| Severe attack with prolonged postdrome | Up to 7 days where fatigue and cognitive fog persist after the headache resolves |
| Migraine with aura or complicated episode | 3 to 7 days, depending on symptom resolution |
| Chronic migraine (15+ headache days per month) | 1 to 4 weeks, renewable while treatment is being established |
If you remain unfit for work when your certificate expires, a new certificate can be issued following a further consultation.
Migraine Sick Leave, How to Notify Your Employer
For the first seven calendar days of a migraine absence, you can self-certify. You do not need a doctor's note. Notify your employer as early as possible on the first day you are unable to attend.
Migraine sick leave message, example wording
You are not required to disclose the specific nature of your condition in detail. Confirming you are unwell and unable to work is sufficient. If you have chronic migraine, you may find it helpful to have a pre-agreed absence notification protocol with your manager so that each episode does not require a full explanation. ACAS publishes general guidance on absence from work and on sickness reporting procedures.
After seven calendar days your employer can ask for medical evidence. Some employers with trigger-point absence policies ask for documentation earlier. Employers decide what evidence they accept, and most accept a private certificate for their own absence records.
Migraine as a Disability, Equality Act 2010
Chronic migraine, which NICE defines as headache on 15 or more days a month with migraine features on at least 8 of those days, for more than 3 months, may qualify as a disability under Section 6 of the Equality Act 2010 if it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities. Long-term means the effect has lasted 12 months, is likely to last 12 months, or is likely to last for the rest of your life. An effect that has stopped is treated as continuing if it is likely to recur. Whether the test is met in your case is decided on the facts, and ultimately by an employment tribunal.
What the Equality Act means for migraine sufferers at work
If your chronic migraine meets the disability definition, your employer has a legal duty under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 to take the steps it is reasonable to have to take to remove the disadvantage, known as reasonable adjustments. What counts as reasonable depends on the job, the workplace and the employer's resources. Adjustments that employers commonly consider for migraine include:
A medical letter from a GMC-registered doctor setting out your condition, the frequency of attacks and suggested adjustments gives your employer clinical information to weigh. It does not oblige your employer to agree to any particular adjustment. A dedicated work adjustment certificate is the most appropriate document for this purpose.
Migraine disability benefits UK
Chronic migraine may support a claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) where the condition substantially limits daily function. For ESA, GOV.UK asks for an NHS fit note if you have not been able to work for more than 7 days in a row, and a private certificate is not accepted in its place. PIP is assessed on how your condition affects daily living and mobility, and GOV.UK does not ask for a fit note, although supporting information from people involved in your care can be included.
What Your Migraine Sick Note Includes
Certificate contents
- ✔Your full name, date of birth, and contact details
- ✔The reason for absence recorded as migraine, chronic migraine or migraine with aura, where the reviewing doctor considers that appropriate
- ✔Certified period of absence, start and end date
- ✔"Not fit for work" or "may be fit for work" assessment as clinically appropriate
- ✔GMC registration number of the signing doctor, verifiable on the GMC medical register
- ✔Unique QR code for employer verification
How to Get a Migraine Sick Note Online, Same Day
When you have a migraine, photosensitive, in pain, unable to look at a screen for long, a GP waiting room is the last place you should be. MedicalCert is fully online and built for exactly this situation.
Complete the online consultation
Describe your migraine: onset, severity, symptoms (pain, nausea, light sensitivity), and how long you have been unable to work. For chronic migraine, note the frequency of attacks and any current treatment. Keep it brief. You do not need to write an essay.
GMC-registered doctor reviews your case
A doctor reviews your submission individually and issues a certificate if the clinical picture supports it. Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued.
Certificate to your inbox
Most certificates approved same day or by 9AM next morning. Forward to your employer or HR. QR code for instant verification, no follow-up call needed.
Migraine Sick Note FAQs
Sources and References
This page cites the following authoritative sources
- ✔NHS, Migraine overview
- ✔NICE clinical guideline CG150, Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management
- ✔Equality Act 2010, Section 6, definition of disability
- ✔Equality Act 2010, Section 15, discrimination arising from disability
- ✔GOV.UK, Employment and Support Allowance, how to claim
- ✔GOV.UK, Personal Independence Payment, how to claim
- ✔GOV.UK, The fit note: guidance for patients and employees
- ✔ACAS, Absence from work
- ✔General Medical Council, The medical register
Clinical and legal statements on this page are drawn from the sources listed above. Guidance and rates change, so check the source for the current position.
