Being ill on a trip rarely ends with feeling better. There's usually a document attached: an insurer asking why a flight was missed, an employer asking why you're not back, an airline asking whether you're well enough to board.
All of these come from the same place — a written statement from the doctor who saw you — but they're not interchangeable, and asking for the wrong one costs you time you don't have while unwell. This guide covers what each document is for and how to get one in English after an online consultation.
Three documents travelers usually need
A medical certificate for an insurance claim
This is the clinical document: the reason for the visit, the diagnosis where there is one, the date, and the name and credentials of the treating physician. Travel insurers generally want it alongside an itemized receipt — the certificate to show the care was medically necessary, the receipt to show what you paid. Our guide to medical certificates for insurance claims goes through that combination in more detail.
A sick note for an employer or school
A sick note is a narrower document. It confirms that you were seen by a physician, on what date, and that you were unwell — typically without the clinical detail an insurer would want. Most employers and schools need it to authorize an absence or a late return, not to review your diagnosis.
A fit-to-fly letter
A fit-to-fly letter is a statement from a physician about whether flying is reasonable given your condition on the day it's written. Requirements differ from airline to airline — when a letter is needed at all, what it has to say, how recently it must have been issued — so confirm what yours asks for before the consultation, then ask for a document that matches it.
What a doctor can and can't put in writing
A certificate records what the physician actually assessed. That means the doctor can document the consultation, their clinical impression, and their advice — but not backdate a document to an illness they didn't see, and not certify a diagnosis that would require an examination, imaging, or lab work they couldn't perform.
If you were ill for three days before you booked, say so during the consultation: the doctor can record your reported history as history. What they can't do is write it up as if they had examined you at the time.
How to get one without visiting a clinic
- Check what the recipient actually requires — insurer, employer, or airline. A specific format, a specific detail, or a signature and clinic stamp are all worth knowing in advance.
- Book a consultation online. Consultations run 9:00–18:00 JST, Monday to Saturday, and the booking page is open around the clock.
- Mention the document at the start of the call, not the end, so the doctor can cover what's needed while assessing you.
- The consultation is by video, in English, with an English-speaking, Japan-licensed physician — there's no clinic visit at any point.
- The document is issued in English and sent to you by email after the consultation.
An English medical certificate and an itemized English receipt are included in the ¥33,000 flat consultation fee; there's no separate document charge.
What to tell the doctor so the document is usable
- Who the document is for — insurer, employer, school, or airline. They want different things.
- The exact wording or fields the recipient has asked for, if they've specified any.
- The dates that matter: when symptoms started, which days you missed, the flight you couldn't take.
- The spelling of your name as it appears on your passport and on the policy or booking, so the document matches your other paperwork.
- Whether the recipient needs it in a particular format or on letterhead.
One caveat worth setting expectations on: whether a document is accepted is the recipient's decision, not the doctor's. Insurers, employers, and airlines each set their own requirements, and telehealth documentation is treated differently by different organizations. Checking their requirements before the consultation is the single best way to avoid a second round of paperwork.
If you're still unwell rather than sorting out paperwork afterward, our overview of your options when you get sick in Japan covers what to do first.
Can I get a sick note without being examined in person?
A physician can document what they assessed during a video consultation, including your reported history. What they can't do is certify findings that would need a physical examination they didn't perform.
Can the certificate be backdated to when I first got sick?
No. The document records the date of the consultation. Your earlier symptoms can be recorded as reported history, but the certificate can't state that you were seen on a date you weren't.
Is there an extra charge for the document?
No. The English medical certificate and itemized receipt are part of the flat consultation fee rather than an add-on.
Will my insurer or employer accept a document from an online consultation?
That's their decision, and requirements vary between organizations. Check what they need before the consultation, and tell the doctor at the start of the call.
How quickly will I receive it?
It's prepared as part of the same visit and emailed to you — there's no separate appointment for the document itself.
