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Can I get a medical certificate without seeing a doctor?

No: a valid Australian medical certificate must be issued by a registered practitioner who has actually assessed you. But the assessment does not require a clinic visit; a telehealth GP can see you by video or phone from home.

Can I get a medical certificate without seeing a doctor?

No. A medical certificate is a legal document, and under Australian rules it must be issued by a registered health practitioner who has assessed you. What you can skip is the clinic: a telehealth GP can carry out that assessment by video or phone, usually within minutes of booking, and email the certificate the same day. For eligible Medicare cardholders the NewDoc consultation is bulk billed, so the fast and compliant path costs $0 out of pocket.

Seeing a doctor does not mean visiting a clinic

The requirement is an assessment by a registered practitioner, not a waiting room. In a telehealth consultation the GP takes your history, asks about your symptoms and their impact on work or study, and decides whether a certificate is clinically appropriate, exactly as they would in person. AHPRA-registered GPs issue NewDoc certificates, and employers accept certificates from registered practitioners regardless of how the consultation happened.

The fastest compliant path

Book online, complete the short questionnaire, and take the video or phone consultation from wherever you are. If a certificate is appropriate it is emailed to you the same day. For eligible Medicare cardholders the consultation is bulk billed: $0 out of pocket.

Reviewed by Dr. Jason Yu FRACGP

Last reviewed 12 July 2026. Editorial policy

Ready to see a GP?

Book a bulk-billed telehealth consult in under 2 minutes: $0 with Medicare if eligible.

Or call 0481 615 998

Frequently asked questions

Why do certificates require a real consultation?

Employers and courts rely on medical certificates as evidence, and the Fair Work framework expects evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person. A certificate issued without any clinical assessment can be challenged, which defeats the purpose of getting one.

How long does the telehealth assessment take?

Most certificate consultations are short. You complete a pre-consult questionnaire when booking, and the GP then speaks with you by video or phone to confirm the details. Certificates are emailed after the consultation, typically the same day.

What if the GP decides a certificate is not appropriate?

The GP may instead recommend a different certificate period, follow-up care, or in some cases no certificate. That clinical discretion is what makes GP-issued certificates credible. The consultation remains bulk billed for eligible Medicare patients either way.

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