Get a Sick Note for Migraines

Migraines are a recognised medical condition and a valid reason to take time off work, issued by a UK GP.

A severe migraine can make it impossible to work, drive or even look at a screen. Get a signed GP sick note most same day, all by 9AM next morning. No appointment needed.

✔ Covers acute migraine, chronic migraine and migraine with aura.
✔ Accepted by UK employers for work absence documentation.
✔ Most same day. All by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if we can't issue one.

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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 £37

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How It Works

Complete a short online questionnaire

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. No automated approvals.
✔ Full refund if the GP cannot issue.

Receive your certificate

Certificates arrive most same day, all by 9AM next morning, delivered as a signed PDF direct to your inbox.

Trustpilot Reviews

What our patients say

Verified reviews from real MedicalCert patients

Verified Patient

May 2025

Request at 10pm, certificate by 9am

Excellent service. Request was made at 10pm and turned around by 9am the next day. Very well written using the information provided.

Trustpilot · Verified

Verified Patient

June 2025

Updated certificate sent free of charge

Amazing experience — got what I asked for in a short period of time, then they sent me an updated one with dates provided free of charge.

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Marcus T.

January 2025

Sick note for work — professional and fast

My GP had a 3-week wait. MedicalCert issued a sick note within a few hours. The doctor was thorough, and my employer accepted it without question. Exactly what I needed.

Trustpilot · Verified

Get my sick note

Can I Get a Sick Note for a Migraine?

Yes. Migraine is a recognised neurological condition and a valid reason for certified sick leave. 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 GMC-registered doctor can certify your absence. You do not need a specialist diagnosis — a clinical assessment of your symptoms is sufficient.

Yes — you can get a sick note for migraine

A GMC-registered doctor can certify a migraine absence on a fit note the same way as any other illness. MedicalCert issues migraine sick notes same day, online, without a GP appointment — no waiting room, no commute when you are photosensitive and in pain.

For chronic migraine — where attacks occur 15 or more days per month — the Equality Act 2010 is also relevant. Your employer may have a legal duty to consider reasonable adjustments. See the section below.

Why Migraine Warrants Sick Leave

Migraine is frequently misunderstood as a bad headache. It is a neurological condition. A typical migraine attack involves symptoms that make sustained work genuinely impossible:

✔Severe, throbbing head pain — often unilateral, lasting 4–72 hours

✔Photophobia — severe light sensitivity making screens impossible

✔Phonophobia — sensitivity to sound making calls and office environments unbearable

✔Nausea and vomiting

✔Aura — visual disturbances, numbness, speech difficulty in some cases

✔Postdrome — fatigue, cognitive fog (“migraine hangover”) lasting 24–48 hours after the headache resolves

✔Complete inability to concentrate, read, or use a screen during an attack

✔Requirement to rest in a dark, quiet room for the duration of the attack

An employer or HR team questioning whether a migraine is a genuine medical reason for absence should be directed to NHS guidance, which classifies migraine as a neurological condition affecting approximately 1 in 7 people in the UK — making it one of the most common causes of disability worldwide.

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

Hi [manager], I’m writing to let you know that I’m unable to come in today due to a migraine. I’m experiencing significant pain and light sensitivity that makes it impossible to work. I’ll keep you updated on my expected return. If anything urgent comes up, please contact [colleague] in the meantime. [Your name]

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.

From day eight of any absence, your employer can request a fit note from a GMC-registered doctor. Some employers with trigger-point absence policies may request documentation earlier — a private certificate from MedicalCert satisfies this requirement.

Migraine as a Disability — Equality Act 2010

Chronic migraine — defined as 15 or more headache days per month, of which at least 8 are migraines — may qualify as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities. This is a lower threshold than most people assume.

What the Equality Act means for migraine sufferers at work

If your chronic migraine meets the disability definition, your employer has a legal duty to consider reasonable adjustments to support you. These cannot be unreasonably refused. Examples of reasonable adjustments for migraine that employers have been required to make include:

✔Flexible start and finish times to accommodate morning migraine patterns

✔Permission to work from home during postdrome or early-warning phases

✔Adjusted lighting at workstation — reduced fluorescent lighting or screen glare

✔Migraine absences not counted against trigger-point attendance schemes

✔A quiet rest space available during a prodrome or early attack phase

✔Reduced travel requirements — eliminating triggers such as train journeys or flights

A medical letter from a GMC-registered doctor documenting your condition, frequency of attacks, and recommended adjustments provides the clinical basis for your employer to act on this duty. 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 government benefit claims, an NHS Med3 Fit Note from your registered GP is required — MedicalCert private certificates are not accepted for ESA specifically. For PIP, medical evidence from any GMC-registered doctor can support the application.

What Your Migraine Sick Note Includes

Certificate contents

✔Your full name, date of birth, and contact details
✔Diagnosis — “migraine,” “chronic migraine,” or “migraine with aura” as 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
✔Unique QR code for employer verification

⚠ Note: MedicalCert issues private medical certificates, not NHS Med3 Fit Notes. For employer absence management and SSP purposes our certificates are fully valid. For Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claims, an NHS Med3 Fit Note from your registered GP is required.

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 the same day and issues a certificate if the clinical picture supports it. Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued.

Certificate to your inbox

Same day (submit before 9pm) or by 9am the following morning. Forward to your employer or HR. QR code for instant verification — no follow-up call needed.

All sick notes → Work adjustment certificate → Sick note for sinusitis →

Migraine Sick Note FAQs

Yes. Migraine is a recognised neurological condition and a valid reason for a certified sick note. A GMC-registered doctor can assess your symptoms and issue a fit note the same day through MedicalCert — entirely online, no appointment needed. The certificate is accepted by UK employers for absence management and SSP purposes.

Yes. Migraine is a legitimate medical reason for sick leave. For the first seven calendar days you can self-certify — notify your employer you are unwell and unable to attend. From day eight, a fit note from a GMC-registered doctor may be requested. Some employers with trigger-point absence policies request documentation for shorter absences — a private certificate from MedicalCert covers this. If you have chronic migraine affecting you repeatedly, the Equality Act 2010 may also protect you from unfair treatment over migraine-related absences.

Chronic migraine can qualify as a disability under the Equality Act 2010 if it has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on normal day-to-day activities — meaning it has lasted or is likely to last 12 months or more and significantly affects your ability to function. This is a factual assessment of impact, not a formal medical classification. Many chronic migraine sufferers meet this threshold. Where the disability definition is met, your employer has a legal duty to consider reasonable adjustments — such as flexible hours, reduced screen time, or adjusted attendance policies.

For a single acute migraine episode, certificates typically cover 1–3 days. For a severe or complicated attack with significant postdrome, up to a week is reasonable. For chronic migraine causing repeated episodes, certificates can cover longer periods — particularly where the condition is being actively managed and not yet controlled. The duration is determined by clinical assessment of your current functional state. If you remain unfit when the certificate expires, a new certificate can be issued.

If your chronic migraine meets the Equality Act 2010 disability definition, your employer should not count migraine-related absences against trigger-point attendance schemes without first considering whether this constitutes a failure to make reasonable adjustments. Applying standard absence triggers to a disability-related condition, without adjustment, can constitute indirect disability discrimination. A medical letter confirming the disability status of your condition is the basis for requesting this adjustment formally.

Yes. A formal diagnosis from a neurologist is not required to obtain a sick note for migraine. A GMC-registered doctor can assess your symptoms — onset, severity, associated features such as photophobia, nausea, or aura — and certify your absence based on clinical presentation. Most migraines are diagnosed on symptoms alone, not on neuroimaging or specialist confirmation.

For general guidance on sick notes including the 7-day rule, SSP, and employer obligations, see our sick note guide.

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