{"id":289,"date":"2026-11-08T22:10:21","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T22:10:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/?p=289"},"modified":"2026-11-08T22:10:21","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T22:10:21","slug":"calling-in-sick-germany-krankmeldung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siplingo.com\/blog\/calling-in-sick-germany-krankmeldung\/","title":{"rendered":"Calling in Sick in Germany: Krankmeldung Phrases, Rules and an Email Template"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krankmeldung German vocabulary: Krankmeldung vs Krankschreibung<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Two words that learners mix up:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German<\/th>Meaning<\/th>Who does it<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
die Krankmeldung<\/em><\/td>Telling your employer you are sick<\/td>You<\/td><\/tr>
die Krankschreibung<\/em><\/td>The doctor certifying you are unfit for work<\/td>Doctor<\/td><\/tr>
die Arbeitsunf\u00e4higkeitsbescheinigung (AU)<\/em><\/td>The official sick note<\/td>Doctor<\/td><\/tr>
die eAU<\/em><\/td>The electronic version of that sick note<\/td>Doctor \u2192 health insurer \u2192 employer<\/td><\/tr>
der gelbe Schein<\/em><\/td>Colloquial: the sick note (the old paper form was yellow)<\/td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr>
krankgeschrieben sein<\/em><\/td>To be on a doctor’s sick note<\/td>\u2013<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The rules (as of October 2026)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The basic rules come from section 5 of the Continued Remuneration Act (Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz<\/em>, EntgFG). Read the text on dejure.org (\u00a7 5 EntgFG)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rule<\/th>What it means in practice<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Tell your employer unverz\u00fcglich<\/em> (without delay)<\/td>Call or write before your shift starts, or as early as your contract or team rules say<\/td><\/tr>
Say how long you expect to be off<\/td>voraussichtlich bis Mittwoch<\/em>; update them if it changes<\/td><\/tr>
Sick note if you are ill more than 3 calendar days<\/strong><\/td>It must be in place by the next working day. Weekends count as calendar days<\/td><\/tr>
Employer may ask for it earlier<\/strong><\/td>Many contracts require a note from day 1 or day 2. Check your contract<\/td><\/tr>
eAU for statutory insured employees<\/td>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<\/td><\/tr>
Privately insured, some special cases<\/td>You still get paper copies and send the employer’s copy yourself<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You generally do not have to tell your employer what illness you have. “I’m sick and can’t work” is enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telephone sick notes: current status<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>):<\/p>\n\n\n\n