You can self-certify for up to seven days in a row. From day eight, your employer can ask for a fit note from a healthcare professional.
The seven days count calendar days, so weekends and days you would not normally work are included. During that time, you confirm your own sickness, with no doctor involved.
The rules around sick pay changed in April 2026, so it is worth checking what applies to you now.
5 Key Takeaways
- You can self-certify for up to seven days in a row, and the count includes weekends and non-working days.
- Your employer can only ask for a fit note if you have been off for more than seven days in a row.
- You must tell your employer you are sick by their deadline, or within seven days if they have not set one.
- Your employer cannot withhold Statutory Sick Pay just because your fit note is late.
- You do not have to use the SC2 form, and your employer cannot insist on a special form.
How Many Days Can You Self-Certify in the UK?
The limit is seven days. If you are off work for seven days or less, you do not need to give your employer a fit note or any other proof from a healthcare professional. Instead you confirm your absence yourself, usually on a form or by email, in whatever way you and your employer have agreed.
Count every day in a row, including weekends and bank holidays. An illness that runs from Thursday to Wednesday is seven days, even if you only missed five working days.
Employers can set their own deadline for telling them you are sick, so check your contract or staff handbook for the rule where you work.
Our guide to self-certification and how it works covers the basics in more detail.
How Common Are Short Absences and Fit Notes?
The Office for National Statistics puts the UK sickness absence rate at 2.0% in 2025, equal to 148.8 million working days lost, or 4.4 days per worker. Minor illnesses made up 30.4% of absence occurrences, the largest single category.
NHS England counted 2,853,624 electronic fit notes issued by GP practices in England between October and December 2025, and 42.3% of them were for five weeks or longer. The seven day mark is where short sickness ends and longer term evidence begins.
You can self-certify for up to seven consecutive calendar days, including weekends and bank holidays. From day eight, a fit note is required.
What Happens on Day Eight of an Absence?
On day eight your employer can ask for a fit note. GOV.UK says you must give your employer one if you are off work for more than seven days in a row, including non-working days.
Fit notes can be issued by doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists. An NHS fit note is free if you have been ill for more than seven days when you ask for it.
Do not wait until day eight to find out how your surgery handles requests. Ask whether it takes requests through its website or the NHS App, so you know what to do if you are still unwell.
A private medical certificate is a different document. It may be accepted in the same way as a fit note, but only if your employer agrees.
| Length of absence | What you need |
| Up to seven days in a row | Self-certification. Tell your employer by their deadline. |
| More than seven days in a row | A fit note from a healthcare professional. |
| Separate short absences | Self-certification for each, unless your contract says otherwise. |
Here is a simple example. You go off sick on a Tuesday and you are still off the following Monday, which is day seven, so you can self-certify. If you are still off on the next Tuesday, that is day eight and your employer can ask for a fit note. They cannot withhold SSP while you wait for it.
How Does an Online Sickness Certificate Assessment Work?
If you want evidence from a doctor outside your surgery, ZoomDoc’s work sickness assessment has three steps. You complete a questionnaire, upload a 30 second to one minute video of your symptoms and provide photo ID, your workplace name and your regular GP’s details. A GMC-registered doctor then reviews the evidence. If approved, the certificate is emailed to you, typically within one to two hours, with the doctor’s GMC number and a QR code your employer can use to check it.
Uploads need to be in by 9pm for same-day service. Each certificate covers up to seven days at a time, so a longer absence needs new evidence. Your employer still decides whether to accept a private certificate.
Does Self-Certification Affect Statutory Sick Pay?
Yes, because self-certification is how most people claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) in the first week. To qualify you must be classed as an employee, have done some work for your employer and have been ill for at least one full working day. SSP is paid by your employer at up to £123.25 a week for up to 28 weeks.
You must usually tell your employer you cannot work by the deadline they set, or within seven days if they have not set one. If you tell them late without a good reason, they may be able to withhold SSP.
The GOV.UK employer guide also says an employer cannot withhold SSP just because you are late sending a fit note. Company sick pay is separate and follows the terms of your contract.
SSP is the legal minimum. Your employer can offer more through a company scheme but cannot offer less.
The seven-day self-certification period includes weekends and bank holidays. If you’re still off sick on day eight, your employer can request a fit note.
Do You Need to Use the SC2 Form?
No. The SC2 is an optional employee statement of sickness on GOV.UK. You can use it to self-certify an absence, or alongside a fit note, but check your contract first because your employer may have its own process.
GOV.UK also says an employer cannot insist you tell them in person or on a special form. If you do use the SC2, the online version cannot be saved part way through, so have your National Insurance number and sickness dates ready. Keep a copy for yourself.
Can Your Employer Refuse Self-Certification?
For SSP, your employer can only ask for a fit note if you are off for more than seven days in a row. That means they cannot ask for proof from a healthcare professional in the first week.
Some employers have contractual sick pay policies that ask for more, so read your contract or staff handbook. If your employer asks for medical evidence during the first seven days, the healthcare professional may charge a fee, and the guidance says your employer should cover that cost.
If you cannot agree, speak to HR first. If the dispute is about SSP itself, you can contact the HMRC Statutory Payment Disputes Team.
What if You Have Several Short Absences or the Illness Returns?
The fit note rule counts days in a row. So when you have separate absences of seven days or less, each one can normally be self-certified. Check your employer’s absence policy, because many have their own triggers for review.
For SSP, periods of sickness are linked if each lasts more than one full working day and they are eight weeks or less apart. A continuous series of linked periods that lasts more than three years stops you qualifying.
Choosing the Right Evidence if Your Absence Goes Past Seven Days
Self-certification covers the first seven days in a row. From day eight your employer can ask for a fit note, and an NHS fit note is free at that point. A private certificate can work too, but only if your employer is willing to accept it.
Tell your employer early if you think you will be off for longer than a week, and check what evidence they will take.
If you are likely to pass seven days and want evidence from a UK doctor, you can get a fit note from a UK doctor through ZoomDoc. Our GMC-registered doctors review your information and can certify up to seven days of absence at a time, where clinically appropriate. Certificates are usually issued within one hour, subject to sufficient evidence and the doctor’s approval.
FAQs
Do Weekends and Bank Holidays Count Towards the Seven Days?
Yes. GOV.UK counts days in a row including non-working days, so weekends and bank holidays are included even if you would not have worked them.
Who Can Issue the Fit Note After Day Seven?
Doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists and physiotherapists can issue fit notes. It does not have to be your own GP.
Do I Still Get Paid While I Wait for My Fit Note?
Your employer cannot withhold SSP just because your fit note is late. Contractual sick pay follows your employment terms, so check your contract.
Who Pays if My Employer Wants Proof in the First Week?
A healthcare professional may charge a fee for evidence in the first seven days. The government guidance says your employer should cover that cost, so ask HR about reimbursement before you arrange anything.
Can I Use a Private Doctor’s Certificate Instead of an NHS Fit Note?
Only if your employer agrees. The government guidance says private medical certificates may be accepted in the same way as a fit note, but acceptance is up to the employer. Ask HR before you pay.