Medical Certificate Format for Sick Leave and Fitness in India (With Samples)

Quick answer: the medical council publishes a recommended format for leave and fitness certificates (Appendix 2 of its conduct regulations). It starts with the patient's signature or thumb impression and two identification marks, then your statement — after careful examination — of the illness and the period of absence needed, or that the patient is now fit to join duty. It ends with the place, date, your signature and registration number. You must also keep a copy and enter every certificate in a register.

Below: what the rules say, ready samples for sick leave and fitness that follow the recommended format (including a Hindi version), and the mistakes that get certificates rejected — or get doctors into trouble.

What the rules actually say

The requirements come from the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, which the National Medical Commission (NMC) continues to apply.

Keep a register and a copy — clause 1.3.3

When you issue a medical certificate, you should:

• maintain a Register of Medical Certificates with full details of every certificate issued
• enter the identification marks of the patient and keep a copy of the certificate
• record the patient's signature and/or thumb mark, their address and at least one identification mark on the certificate
• prepare the certificate as in Appendix 2 of the regulations

The register is not paperwork for its own sake. If an employer, school or court later questions a certificate, your register and copy are your evidence.

The recommended format — Appendix 2

Appendix 2 is titled "Form of certificate recommended for leave or extension or commutation of leave and for fitness". In order, it has:

1. the patient's signature or thumb impression, signed in front of the doctor
2. two identification marks
3. the doctor's statement that, after careful examination, the patient is suffering from a named illness and that a stated period of absence from a stated date is necessary to restore their health
4. for fitness: the doctor's statement that the patient, on restoration of health, is now fit to join duty
5. place, date, the doctor's signature and registration number with the council's name

A note on the form adds that the nature and probable duration of the illness should be stated, and that the certificate must be accompanied by a brief summary of the case — the nature of the illness, its symptoms, causes and duration.

Show your registration number — clause 1.4.1

Your State Medical Council registration number must appear on all prescriptions, certificates and receipts you give patients. The same rules shape your prescription pad — see what a prescription in India must include.

Never certify what you did not examine — clause 7.7

Signing a certificate that is untrue, misleading or improper is professional misconduct, and medical councils have taken disciplinary action over it — including against doctors who issued certificates without examining the patient. Certify only what your examination supports.

Government employees use their department's form

Central government employees apply for medical leave under the CCS (Leave) Rules, 1972, which prescribe their own certificate forms for sickness and for fitness to resume duty, and in some cases say which doctors may sign them (for example a CGHS or government doctor). If a patient works for a government office, ask them to bring their department's form and fill that.

What every medical certificate should contain

Section	What to include
Header	Hospital or clinic name, address and phone; doctor's name, qualifications and registration number
Title	"Medical Certificate", "Medical Certificate of Fitness", etc.
Patient's mark	Patient's signature or thumb impression, taken in front of you
Patient	Full name, age, sex, address and two identification marks (e.g. "mole on left cheek")
Statement	That you examined the patient, the nature of the illness and its probable duration
Period	Absence needed, with the exact start date — or the date the patient is fit to join
Sign-off	Place and date, your signature, name and registration number with the council's name
Reference	A certificate number that matches your register entry

Sample: medical certificate for sick leave

                   MEDICAL CERTIFICATE
         (for leave, extension or commutation of leave)

City Care Hospital, Mall Road, Ludhiana · 98765 43210
Dr. A. Sharma, MBBS, MD (Medicine)
Reg. No. 12345, Punjab Medical Council

Certificate No.: 2026/0142

Signature or thumb impression of patient: ____________________

Name: Ramesh Kumar        Age/Sex: 45 / Male
Address: Model Town, Ludhiana
Identification marks: 1. Mole on the left cheek
                      2. Scar on the right forearm

I, Dr. A. Sharma, after careful examination of the case, certify
that Ramesh Kumar, whose signature is given above, is suffering
from viral fever, and I consider that a period of absence from
duty of 3 days with effect from 8 Oct 2026 is necessary for the
restoration of his health.

Place: Ludhiana                             (Signature)
Date: 8 Oct 2026                            Dr. A. Sharma
                                            Reg. No. 12345

Sample: medical certificate of fitness

              MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF FITNESS

Certificate No.: 2026/0143

Signature or thumb impression of patient: ____________________

Name: Ramesh Kumar        Age/Sex: 45 / Male
Identification marks: 1. Mole on the left cheek
                      2. Scar on the right forearm

I, Dr. A. Sharma, after careful examination of the case, certify
that Ramesh Kumar, whose signature is given above, was under my
treatment for viral fever from 8 Oct 2026 to 10 Oct 2026 and, on
restoration of health, is now fit to join duty from 11 Oct 2026.

Place: Ludhiana                             (Signature)
Date: 11 Oct 2026                           Dr. A. Sharma
                                            Reg. No. 12345

Sample in Hindi

Many patients — and some employers and schools — prefer the certificate in Hindi. The sick leave certificate in Hindi:

                   चिकित्सा प्रमाण पत्र

रोगी के हस्ताक्षर / अंगूठे का निशान: ____________________

नाम: रमेश कुमार           आयु/लिंग: 45 / पुरुष
पता: मॉडल टाउन, लुधियाना
पहचान चिह्न: 1. बाएँ गाल पर तिल   2. दाहिनी बाँह पर निशान

मैं, डॉ. ए. शर्मा, रोगी की सावधानीपूर्वक जाँच के बाद प्रमाणित
करता हूँ कि रमेश कुमार, जिनके हस्ताक्षर ऊपर दिए गए हैं, वायरल
बुखार से पीड़ित हैं, और उनके स्वास्थ्य लाभ के लिए दिनांक
08/10/2026 से 3 दिन का अवकाश आवश्यक है।

स्थान: लुधियाना                             (हस्ताक्षर)
दिनांक: 08/10/2026                          डॉ. ए. शर्मा
                                            पंजीकरण सं. 12345

Names, dates and conditions in these samples are examples of the layout only.

Certificates for jobs, colleges and exams

Employers, colleges and exam boards often send their own format — for example a fitness certificate for a new job, or a certificate for college admission or counselling. When a patient brings a form:

• use their form rather than your own letterhead text, and fill every field
• certify only what you examined; if a form asks for something you did not test (a vision test, a blood group), write "not examined" or arrange the test first
• still record the certificate in your register and keep a copy

Common mistakes that get certificates rejected

1. No registration number, or a number that is hard to read.
2. Dates that don't add up — the leave starts before the examination with no explanation, or "3 days" for 8 to 11 October.
3. No patient identification — the name alone, with no address or identification marks.
4. Missing patient signature or thumb mark, which the regulations specifically ask for.
5. No illness stated. The recommended form asks for the nature and probable duration of the illness; "unwell" alone is often questioned.
6. No record kept. If the certificate is questioned months later and there is no register entry or copy, you have nothing to show.

How to keep the register

A paper register works if it is filled every time. Useful columns: certificate number, date, patient name, age/sex, address, identification marks, type of certificate, illness, period or fitness date, and the patient's signature or thumb mark.

How OPDly helps: OPDly writes the certificate wording for you — sick leave, fitness, rest, illness or general — from the patient, the dates and the diagnosis you pick, and prints it on your letterhead with the doctor's name, qualification and registration number and the patient's age, sex and patient ID. Every certificate goes into a searchable register and reprints exactly as issued. OPDly does not print the patient's address, identification marks or a signature line, so add the address and marks in the wording or remarks, and take the patient's signature or thumb mark on the printed copy. Start a free 30-day trial or read how certificates work.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an official medical certificate format in India?

Yes. The medical council's conduct regulations include a recommended form for leave and fitness certificates (Appendix 2). Central government employees use the forms prescribed under the CCS (Leave) Rules, and many employers, colleges and exam boards send their own form, which you should use when given.

Does a medical certificate need the doctor's registration number?

Yes. The medical council's conduct regulations require the State Medical Council registration number on all certificates a doctor issues.

Do I have to write the diagnosis on a sick leave certificate?

The recommended form asks you to state the illness and its probable duration. If a patient is worried about an employer seeing the diagnosis, discuss it with them before issuing; either way, keep the full details in your register.

Why does the certificate need the patient's signature or thumb mark?

The regulations ask for it, together with the address and identification marks, so the certificate can be tied to the person you actually examined. It protects you if someone else tries to use the certificate.

Can a doctor issue a medical certificate without examining the patient?

No. The recommended form itself says "after careful examination of the case". Certifying something you did not examine is treated as issuing an untrue or misleading certificate, which is professional misconduct.

What is the difference between a sick leave and a fitness certificate?

A sick leave certificate says the patient needs absence from duty for a stated period. A fitness certificate says the patient has recovered and is fit to join duty from a stated date. Employers often ask for both.

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This guide is general information for doctors and clinic owners, not legal advice. Your State Medical Council, an employer or a government department may have additional requirements. Last updated 10 October 2026.

Sources: Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, clauses 1.3.3, 1.4.1 and 7.7 and Appendix 2 · NMC notification of August 2023 continuing the 2002 Regulations · Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 · Delhi Medical Council disciplinary orders on medical certificates.