Calling in Sick in Germany: Krankmeldung Phrases, Rules and an Email Template
To call in sick in Germany, tell your employer immediately, normally before your shift starts, that you are ill and how long you expect to be off. If you are sick for more than three calendar days, you need a doctor’s certificate by the next working day, and your employer may ask for it from day one. With statutory insurance, the doctor sends it electronically (eAU).
This guide gives you the German for the phone call, a ready-to-use email, the doctor phrases, and the rules as of October 2026, including a planned change that is not yet law.
Krankmeldung German vocabulary: Krankmeldung vs Krankschreibung
Two words that learners mix up:
| German | Meaning | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| die Krankmeldung | Telling your employer you are sick | You |
| die Krankschreibung | The doctor certifying you are unfit for work | Doctor |
| die Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung (AU) | The official sick note | Doctor |
| die eAU | The electronic version of that sick note | Doctor → health insurer → employer |
| der gelbe Schein | Colloquial: the sick note (the old paper form was yellow) | – |
| krankgeschrieben sein | To be on a doctor’s sick note | – |
The rules (as of October 2026)
The basic rules come from section 5 of the Continued Remuneration Act (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz, EntgFG). Read the text on dejure.org (§ 5 EntgFG).
| Rule | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Tell your employer unverzüglich (without delay) | Call or write before your shift starts, or as early as your contract or team rules say |
| Say how long you expect to be off | voraussichtlich bis Mittwoch; update them if it changes |
| Sick note if you are ill more than 3 calendar days | It must be in place by the next working day. Weekends count as calendar days |
| Employer may ask for it earlier | Many contracts require a note from day 1 or day 2. Check your contract |
| eAU for statutory insured employees | Since 2023 you no longer hand in a paper note; the employer retrieves it from your health insurer. You still have to see the doctor and still have to tell your employer |
| Privately insured, some special cases | You still get paper copies and send the employer’s copy yourself |
Example: you fall ill on Wednesday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are days 1 to 3. If you are still sick, you need the doctor’s certificate by your next working day, usually Monday. If your contract says “from the first day”, you need it for Wednesday.
You generally do not have to tell your employer what illness you have. “I’m sick and can’t work” is enough.
Telephone sick notes: current status
As of October 2026, a doctor can still issue a sick note after a phone consultation, under the rules of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA):
- Only if you are already known to the practice
- Only for illnesses without severe symptoms
- For a first sick note of up to 5 calendar days
- An extension normally requires a visit to the practice
- There is no legal right to a phone sick note; the doctor decides
By video consultation, the G-BA rules allow up to 7 calendar days for known patients and up to 3 for new patients.
Planned change: in July 2026 the governing coalition agreed to abolish phone and video sick notes and to require a sick note from the first day of illness. German media reported in September 2026 (Stuttgarter Zeitung) that this has not yet been passed by parliament and that details are still open. Until a law is passed, the rules above apply. Check the current situation before you rely on a phone sick note.
What to say on the phone
Call your team lead, the ward, or whoever your contract or onboarding says. A typical call takes under a minute.
Guten Morgen, hier ist Ana López von Station 3B. Ich bin leider krank und kann heute nicht zur Arbeit kommen.
Ich habe seit gestern Abend hohes Fieber. (optional)
Ich gehe heute noch zum Arzt und melde mich, sobald ich weiß, wie lange ich krankgeschrieben bin.
Voraussichtlich bin ich bis Freitag krank.
Good morning, this is Ana López from ward 3B. Unfortunately I’m ill and can’t come to work today. I’ve had a high fever since last night. I’ll see a doctor today and get back to you as soon as I know how long I’m signed off. I expect to be sick until Friday.
Useful phrases:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich fühle mich nicht gut. | I don’t feel well. |
| Ich kann heute leider nicht kommen. | Unfortunately I can’t come in today. |
| Ich bin seit heute Morgen krank. | I’ve been sick since this morning. |
| Ich habe einen Arzttermin um 10 Uhr. | I have a doctor’s appointment at 10. |
| Ich bin bis einschließlich Mittwoch krankgeschrieben. | I’m signed off up to and including Wednesday. |
| Die Krankschreibung kommt elektronisch über die Krankenkasse. | The sick note will come electronically via my health insurer. |
| Wem soll ich meine Übergabe schicken? | Who should I send my handover to? |
| Ich melde mich morgen wieder. | I’ll get in touch again tomorrow. |
| Gute Besserung! | Get well soon! (what they will say to you) |
If you reach voicemail, leave the same message and follow up with an email or call again later. Some teams accept messages by app; only use that if your team does this officially.
Practise the call before you need it. When you have a fever at 6 a.m., forming German sentences is harder than usual. SipLingo has phone and doctor scenarios you can practise by voice, with corrections explained in your own language. It is language practice only; for your rights at work, ask your employer, works council or a legal adviser.
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Email template: Krankmeldung
Use this when your employer accepts sick notifications by email, or as a written follow-up to your call.
Betreff: Krankmeldung Ana López, 07.10.2026
Sehr geehrte Frau Schneider,
leider bin ich erkrankt und kann heute nicht zur Arbeit kommen. Ich gehe heute Vormittag zum Arzt und gebe Ihnen Bescheid, sobald ich weiß, wie lange ich krankgeschrieben bin. Voraussichtlich falle ich bis einschließlich Freitag, 09.10.2026, aus.
Die Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung wird elektronisch an meine Krankenkasse übermittelt und kann dort abgerufen werden.
Meine offenen Aufgaben für heute habe ich an Herrn Wagner weitergegeben. Bei dringenden Fragen bin ich per E-Mail erreichbar.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Ana López
English translation
Subject: Sick notification Ana López, 07.10.2026
Dear Ms Schneider,
unfortunately I am ill and cannot come to work today. I am going to the doctor this morning and will let you know as soon as I know how long I am signed off. I expect to be absent up to and including Friday, 09.10.2026.
The sick note will be sent electronically to my health insurer and can be retrieved there.
I have passed my open tasks for today on to Mr Wagner. For urgent questions I can be reached by email.
Kind regards, Ana López
If your team uses du, the short version is: Hallo Sandra, ich bin leider krank und kann heute nicht kommen. Ich gehe heute zum Arzt und melde mich danach. Viele Grüße, Ana. For the general rules of German emails, see how to write a formal email in German.
At the doctor: getting the sick note
First you usually need an appointment, often by phone: see how to make a phone appointment in German.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich hätte gern einen Termin, möglichst heute. | I’d like an appointment, today if possible. |
| Ich bin Patientin / Patient bei Ihnen. | I’m a patient at your practice. |
| Ist eine telefonische Krankschreibung möglich? | Is a sick note by phone possible? |
| Ich brauche eine Krankschreibung für meinen Arbeitgeber. | I need a sick note for my employer. |
| Können Sie mich krankschreiben? | Can you sign me off sick? |
| Ab wann bin ich krankgeschrieben? | From when am I signed off? |
| Bis wann gilt die Krankschreibung? | Until when is the sick note valid? |
| Ich bin gesetzlich / privat versichert. | I have statutory / private insurance. |
| Mein Arbeitgeber verlangt die Bescheinigung ab dem ersten Tag. | My employer requires the note from day one. |
At the reception you will need your health insurance card (Gesundheitskarte). For describing symptoms, see German at the doctor, and for medication afterwards, German at the pharmacy.
Common mistakes
- Only sending the sick note, not telling the employer. With the eAU, your employer does not automatically know you are sick. You have to tell them yourself.
- Calling after your shift has started. In shift work, especially care and hospitals, the team needs time to find a replacement.
- Assuming the 3-day rule applies to you. Your contract or a collective agreement can require a note earlier.
- Forgetting to extend. If you are still sick on the last day of your note, see the doctor again and inform your employer.
- Confusing Krankmeldung and Krankschreibung. You make the Krankmeldung; the doctor issues the Krankschreibung.
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- gesund.bund.de (BMG): Electronic sick note (eAU) explained – How the eAU works and your duty to notify your employer right away
Frequently asked questions
How do I call in sick in Germany?
Call or write to your employer before your shift starts, say that you are ill and how long you expect to be off, and see a doctor if you need a sick note. You do not need to name your illness.
When do I need a sick note in Germany?
By law, when you are ill for more than three calendar days, by the next working day. Your employer can require it earlier, and many contracts do.
What is the eAU?
The elektronische Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung, the electronic sick note in use since 2023. For statutory insured employees, the doctor sends it to the health insurer and the employer retrieves it, but you still have to inform your employer yourself.
Can I get a sick note by phone in Germany?
As of October 2026, yes, if you are known to the practice and have no severe symptoms, for up to 5 days. The government coalition plans to abolish this, but it was not law at the time of writing, so check the current rules.
What do I say when calling in sick in German?
Guten Morgen, hier ist [Name]. Ich bin leider krank und kann heute nicht zur Arbeit kommen. Ich gehe heute zum Arzt und melde mich, sobald ich mehr weiß.
Practise phone calls and doctor visits in German by voice, before you need them.
