Medical Certificates

The Order of Physicians was consulted to determine whether an employer can accept a sick leave certificate without a signature or with a simple electronic signature.

The National Council of the Order of Physicians issued an opinion on this matter on February 25, 2023. There are three types of electronic signatures: simple, advanced, and qualified, which offer different guarantees in terms of security, traceability, and authenticity.

Any medical document issued by a physician must be signed; otherwise, it is not considered valid. All forms of electronic signatures are legally valid, but it is ethically advised to avoid simple electronic signatures as they do not provide certainty regarding the identity of the signer and the integrity of the document.

The National Council recommends physically signing a certificate and then scanning it, which is considered equivalent to a handwritten signature and therefore accepted.

The temporary exceptions to the signature requirement during the coronavirus crisis are no longer applicable.