Sick Note for University
Medical evidence for absence, accepted by UK colleges and universities.
Missed a lecture, exam or placement due to illness? Get a signed doctor's note for work most same day, all by 9AM next morning. No appointment needed.
✔ Accepted by UK universities and colleges for absence and attendance records.
✔ Covers lectures, exams, placements and coursework deadlines.
✔ Most same day. All by 9AM next morning. From £47.
✔ Full refund if the GP cannot issue.
Get my sick note 
Need evidence for a mitigating circumstances panel? Get a mitigation letter instead.
Dr Maria Knobel Medical Director · GMC 7495073 
Receive a full refund if we can’t provide a certificate
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.
Very happy, I ordered my Medical Certificate in the early morning hours and before noon time of same day I had it on my inbox. Speedy service and they present the health condition precisely, get to the point.
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!
Very easy and quick to get my certificate. And the certificate was approved from the specific company to travel with my dog. I will use them again. Well done.
Second time using this company and they are fabulous! Always great, fast, friendly service. Highly recommend!
This was my second time using Medical Cert, and once again the service was exceptionally quick and professional. Everything was handled efficiently, with clear communication throughout.
I found the service very straight forward and quick. Exactly what I needed to get my Padi medical form signed before our holiday. Thank you very much.
Second year running where requested Sports Certificate has been produced promptly in advised timescales.
Process was easy and responses were quick. I would recommend their service.
Fast efficient service for medical certificates. I used the not fit to fly service and was provided with a certificate the next day, the price is very reasonable and enabled a flight credit refund with my airline. Would recommend and would use again if needed.
A fast and efficient service. It wasn't complicated and the Fit-to-fly note was accepted by the Airport without any further questions. Thank you.
Ideal for me, I am looking to get a certificate for some medical issues I have. So this is the perfect solution for me, uploading docs was easy and the forms very straightforward to fill in. Will definitely use them again. Many thanks.
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.
One of the best experiences. It's easy to get a GP note.
Excellent. My GP refuses to issue DWP MED 3 Fit Notes to students. MedicalCert were excellent and extremely helpful in providing a necessary certificate. Highly recommended.
You were amazing, you kept me updated and replied promptly to any queries I had. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
They helped me, they were very professional and nice.
Very pleased. Quick service with very professional letter provided.
Great service, pretty straight forward and easy to use the website.
I was recommended Medical Cert by a friend and was so impressed with the service received. I would recommend using a laptop rather than a phone. Overall a fantastic and fast service.
Get a Sick Note for University Online — Same Day, GMC-Registered Doctors
A sick note for university — also called a doctor’s note for university or a medical certificate for university — is a signed document from a registered GP confirming your illness and its impact on your studies. Universities and colleges across the UK require one when illness has affected your attendance, caused you to miss an exam, delayed coursework, or forms part of a mitigating circumstances submission.
MedicalCert issues an online sick note for university students across the UK — following individual clinical review by a GMC-registered GP, with no appointment needed. Complete a short online consultation, upload your evidence, and receive your signed certificate same day or by 9AM next morning. Full refund if we cannot issue a certificate on clinical grounds. Our service is available to any student studying at a UK institution — a sick note for university UK students submit must come from a GMC-registered doctor, which all MedicalCert certificates do.
Do I Need a Sick Note for University?
Whether you need a sick note for uni depends on how long you have been absent and what your university requires. Most UK universities follow a similar framework:
7 days or fewer — self-certification
- ✔ Most universities allow students to self-certify for absences of 7 consecutive days or fewer
- ✔ You notify your department, tutor, or student services directly — no GP note required
- ✔ Fill in your university’s self-certification form or absence notification process
- ℹ Check your university’s specific policy — some require a note for any exam absence regardless of duration
More than 7 days — doctor’s note required
- ✔ A medical certificate from a GMC-registered doctor is typically required for absences beyond 7 days
- ✔ Also required for missed exams, coursework extensions, and mitigating circumstances submissions at most institutions
- ✔ Some universities require a note for any exam missed — regardless of absence duration
- ✔ MedicalCert issues same-day certificates — accepted by all UK universities
Always check your institution’s specific academic regulations — policies vary. If your university’s registry or student services has asked you for medical evidence, a certificate from a GMC-registered doctor satisfies this requirement in all cases.
What Students Use a University Sick Note For
A doctor’s note for university absence covers several distinct academic situations. Each one has a slightly different purpose — and knowing which applies to you helps ensure the certificate is worded correctly for your submission.
Sickness absence documentation
When illness has caused you to miss lectures, seminars, labs, or clinical placements. Your university may require a medical certificate to excuse the absence from attendance records and prevent academic penalty. The sick note for university absence confirms your condition and the dates you were unable to attend.
Missed or deferred exam
A sick note for a missed exam is required at most UK universities before an exam can be rescheduled, deferred, or a resit arranged without penalty. The certificate should confirm you were genuinely unwell on the exam date and unable to sit — your university’s exams office will typically specify what wording they need.
Coursework deadline extension
A sick note for a university extension supports a request for additional time on an assignment, dissertation chapter, or coursework submission. Medical evidence is typically required alongside the extension request form. The certificate should document how your illness affected your ability to work — not just that you were unwell.
Mitigating circumstances
A medical certificate forms part of a formal mitigating circumstances or extenuating circumstances submission — used when illness has affected your academic performance in exams or assessments. This is a more detailed document that explains your condition and its sustained impact on your studies. See also our Student Mitigation Letter for formal mitigating circumstances submissions.
What Your University Sick Note Includes
Every student medical certificate issued by MedicalCert is reviewed and signed by a GMC-registered GP and includes the information your institution needs to process your request:
If your university has a specific form requiring completion by a doctor — such as a mitigating circumstances pro forma or an exam deferral form — upload it with your evidence and our GP will complete it where the clinical information supports doing so.
Sick Notes for Mental Health and Invisible Conditions
Illness does not have to be visible or physical to warrant a sick note for university. Mental health conditions are among the most common reasons students need medical documentation — and they are fully valid grounds for a university sick note, extension request, or mitigating circumstances submission.
MedicalCert’s GMC-registered GPs assess mental health conditions with the same care and clinical rigour as physical illness. If your condition has genuinely impacted your ability to study, attend, or sit exams, we can issue appropriate documentation.
Mental health and invisible conditions we can certify
Common conditions for which we issue university sick notes and medical certificates include:
The certificate focuses on the condition’s impact on your studies — not a detailed medical disclosure. You remain in control of how much clinical detail is included.
Backdated Sick Note for University — When It’s Possible
It is common for students to fall ill, push through, and only later realise they need medical documentation — for a deadline they missed, an exam they sat while unwell, or an absence that is now affecting their academic standing. A backdated sick note for university is possible provided you can supply supporting evidence that confirms when you became unwell.
MedicalCert can backdate university sick notes where evidence supports it. The reviewing GP assesses whether the evidence provided is consistent with the illness, onset date, and impact described.
Evidence that supports a backdated sick note
- 💊 Pharmacy receipts or prescription records from the time you were ill
- 📱 NHS app records or GP consultation notes showing contact with healthcare services
- 🏥 Hospital discharge letters or A&E attendance records
- 📧 Emails or messages sent to tutors, flatmates, or family describing symptoms at the time
- 💬 Test results, prescriptions, or pharmacy dispensing history
- 📋 Any contemporaneous medical records — including a GP summary care record from your NHS app
Will My University Accept an Online Sick Note?
Yes — UK universities accept certificates from any GMC-registered doctor
UK universities do not require medical evidence to come from a student’s registered NHS GP. Any certificate issued by a GMC-registered doctor satisfies the medical evidence requirement — and all MedicalCert certificates are signed by fully registered GPs whose GMC number appears on the document. Your university can verify the certificate instantly using the QR code, or by contacting us directly at verify@medicalcert.co.uk.
Online sick notes for university are used by thousands of UK students every year. The shift to online GP consultations is well established — universities have adapted their evidence policies accordingly. What matters is that the certificate comes from a qualified, registered doctor and contains the required clinical information.
If your university or college has a specific form requiring a doctor’s signature — which many do for mitigating circumstances panels or exam deferral requests — upload it with your application. Our GP will complete the institutional form where clinically appropriate, at no additional charge for standard forms.