Fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate: what you need to know and how to get one
Choosing between a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate comes down to one question. Are you trying to board a flight, or explain why you should not?
This guide answers that and shows how to request the right one. On DrCertificate, an independent registered doctor reviews every request after a digital chat consultation and decides whether to issue a certificate. The service is for people in 10 South East Asian countries, from Singapore and Malaysia to the Philippines and Vietnam.
The short answer on fit to fly or unfit to fly certificates
You need a fit to fly certificate when an airline asks for proof you are well enough to board, and an unfit to fly certificate when illness means you should not travel. On DrCertificate, an independent doctor reviews your online request and decides whether to issue either one. The airline still makes the final call on carrying you.
Before you apply
- Price
- It depends on your country, for example 25 SGD in Singapore, 399 pesos in the Philippines or 30 MYR in Malaysia.
- Time
- About 30 minutes.
- Who reviews it
- A certified doctor (MBBS, MD or MS). All doctors on the platform are registered medical council doctors.
- Will it be accepted?
- Please check with the place of submission that online medical notes are accepted before you apply.
- If the doctor declines
- Doctors decline about 2% of requests, usually when details do not match or symptoms are inconsistent. Payments are non refundable, except a verified technical fault reported within 24 hours.
- How long a note covers
- In most South East Asian countries, sick leave and work from home notes go up to 7 days for generic symptoms, and fitness notes are generally valid for 30 days. The doctor decides.
- Option to choose on the form
- Medical Certificate - Unfit to Travel
- Medical reviewer
- Dr Urooj Arshad, M.B.B.S, General Medicine, IMC | GMC 430548
Fit to fly and unfit to fly certificates in four facts
Fit to fly says you can travel
A fit to fly certificate records a doctor's opinion that you are well enough to fly on the date of review.
Unfit to fly says you should not
An unfit to fly certificate records a doctor's opinion that you should not fly for a stated period.
Airlines have the final word
The UK Civil Aviation Authority says the final decision to carry a passenger belongs to the airline.
A doctor decides, not the platform
On DrCertificate, an independent MBBS, MD or MS doctor decides whether any certificate is issued.
What is a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate?
A fit to fly certificate is a short medical note in which a doctor states that you are well enough to travel by air at the time of review. An unfit to fly certificate says the reverse: a doctor advises you not to fly, usually for a stated period.
Neither document promises that an airline will carry you or change your ticket.
On the DrCertificate form, a fit to fly certificate uses the Medical Fitness Certificate option. An unfit to fly certificate uses the Unfit to Travel option.
People often mix these up with other notes. A fit to work certificate is about your job, not a flight. A sick leave certificate covers time off work or study. An airline's own medical information form is a separate document that the airline supplies, and it may ask for details a general certificate does not hold.
If your airline has sent you its own form, ask the airline whether a general certificate will do instead.
When do you need a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate?
You need a fit to fly certificate when an airline, travel agent or employer asks for medical proof that you can travel, and an unfit to fly certificate when you are too unwell to take a booked flight. The request usually comes from whoever carries the cost or the risk of the trip.
Common reasons for a fit to fly note include travelling later in pregnancy, flying soon after an illness, or a work trip where HR wants written clearance. Airlines ask because a pressurised cabin is a poor place to fall ill, and crew cannot call a doctor mid flight.
Unfit to fly notes come up in other moments. You catch a fever the night before departure. Your airline's rebooking team asks for proof. A university office or employer wants a reason you missed a work trip, field visit or exchange flight.
Who decides in the end?
The UK Civil Aviation Authority says most airlines have medical advisors who clear passengers as fit to fly, and that the final decision on whether to carry a passenger belongs to the airline. A certificate supports your case. A certificate does not override airline policy.
Fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate at a glance
The doctor decides the outcome and any dates case by case, so treat this table as a guide, not a promise.
| Point | Fit to fly certificate | Unfit to fly certificate |
|---|---|---|
| What it says | You are well enough to fly on the date of review | You should not fly for a period the doctor sets |
| Option on the DrCertificate form | Medical Fitness Certificate | Unfit to Travel |
| Typical situations | An airline or employer asks for clearance before travel | Illness before a booked flight, rebooking or explaining missed travel |
| What the doctor considers | Your symptoms, health history and travel plans as you describe them | Your current symptoms and when they started |
| Period covered | Fitness notes are generally valid for 30 days in most South East Asian countries | Number of days set by the doctor case by case |
| Final say on travel | The airline | The airline, for any rebooking |
| When an in person visit fits better | Recent surgery, oxygen needs on board or a serious condition | Severe, worsening or urgent symptoms |
Who issues a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate?
A certified independent doctor with an MBBS, MD or MS qualification issues every fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate on DrCertificate. All doctors on the platform are registered with a medical council, and the doctor alone decides whether a certificate is issued.
DrCertificate is the platform in the middle. The platform connects you with a doctor through an online form and a digital chat, and does not diagnose, treat or prescribe.
That split matters for credibility.
When an airline or HR officer reads the certificate, the medical opinion on it comes from the doctor who reviewed your case, not from a website. The platform handles the form, the Stripe payment and the email that delivers your PDF. The legal entity behind DrCertificate is Health Venture OU, with an office at KMC Armstrong Corporate Center, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Questions about a request go to care@drcertificate.com.
How do you get a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate online, step by step?
You get a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate on DrCertificate by filling in an online form, paying through Stripe and completing a digital chat with a doctor, who then decides whether to issue it. Approved certificates arrive by email as a PDF.
DrCertificate has no video calls and no in person consultations at any stage.
Step 1: Pick the right option
Choose Medical Fitness Certificate for fit to fly, or Unfit to Travel for unfit to fly. Picking the wrong one is a common reason a certificate gets questioned later.
Step 2: Fill in the form accurately
Enter your name as it is written on your ID and booking. Describe your symptoms, health history and travel date accurately. Mismatched names or inconsistent details lead to a decline.
Step 3: Pay through Stripe
Payment is taken by Stripe when you submit. The fee is non refundable, even if the doctor does not issue a certificate.
Step 4: Chat with the doctor
An independent doctor reviews your request in a digital chat and may ask follow up questions. Answer plainly and promptly.
Step 5: Receive the decision
If the doctor approves, the certificate arrives by email as a PDF, usually in about 30 minutes. If not, the doctor declines the request.
You'll continue on the secure DrCertificate application form.
What should a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate include?
A fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate usually shows your full name, the date of the consultation, the purpose of the note and the doctor's name and qualification. An unfit to fly note also shows the period during which the doctor advises against flying.
Before you send it anywhere, run a quick check.
The airline or organisation's own format comes first. If your airline publishes a template or wants its own form filled in, check that before you apply, because a certificate cannot be corrected once issued unless the error came from the medical team.
Name matches
Your name matches your passport and flight booking letter for letter.
Right type
The note says fit to fly or unfit to fly, matching what the airline or office asked for.
Dates cover the flight
Your flight date falls inside the stated period or validity window.
Doctor details present
The doctor's name and qualification appear on the PDF.
Will your employer, school or airline accept a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate?
Acceptance of a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate is decided by the organisation receiving it, not by DrCertificate or the doctor. An airline, employer or school can set its own rules on which notes it takes.
Before choosing the service, check that the place you are submitting to accepts online medical notes.
Certificates get questioned for ordinary reasons. The wrong type was requested, for instance a fit to work note sent to an airline. The name does not match the booking. The dates miss the flight. Or the organisation wants an in person exam, or its own form completed by a treating doctor, which an online note cannot replace.
If your certificate is questioned, ask the organisation in writing what it needs. Find out whether the issue is the format, the type or the source. If the problem traces back to an error by the medical team, contact care@drcertificate.com and ask about a correction.
If the organisation simply wants a different document, a new request or a visit to a doctor in person is the better route, and a polite, direct question to HR or the airline usually gets a clear answer fast.
When is an online fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate not the right choice?
An online fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate is not the right choice when your symptoms are urgent, when you need the note for a use the service excludes, or when you are under 16. The doctor can also decline any request.
Chest pain, trouble breathing, heavy bleeding or sudden weakness need emergency care right away, not a chat form. DrCertificate is only for suitable non emergency situations.
Certificates from the platform are not for submission in India, not for legal purposes and must not be used for insurance. Recovery and caretaker certificates are not offered.
Doctors decline about 2% of requests.
Declines happen when the details are wrong, for instance when the name and ID do not match, or when the symptoms and details shared are inconsistent.
Fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate in Singapore, Malaysia and the rest of South East Asia
DrCertificate serves people in 10 South East Asian countries, and the rules around medical notes differ between those countries and between employers. Fitness notes are generally valid for 30 days in most of them, but an airline or HR team can ask for something newer or different.
For work and leave rules, check your country's labour authority, for example the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore, the Ministry of Human Resources in Malaysia or the Department of Labor and Employment in the Philippines. For travel, the airline's own medical or special assistance page is the source that counts.
Confirm with your employer, school or airline before you apply.
| Singapore | Priced in SGD. Check your employer's medical leave policy. |
|---|---|
| Malaysia | Priced in MYR. Check employer rules first. |
| Philippines | Priced in pesos, including Manila, Cebu and Davao. |
| Thailand | Price shown on the form. |
| Indonesia | Price shown on the form. |
| Vietnam | Price shown on the form. |
| Cambodia | Price shown on the form. |
| Laos | Price shown on the form. |
| Myanmar | Price shown on the form. |
| Brunei | Price shown on the form. |
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Singapore
- Medical certificates online in Malaysia
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in the Philippines
- Medical Certificate Online in Manila
- Medical Certificate Online in Cebu
- Medical Certificate Online in Davao
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Thailand
- Medical certificates online in Indonesia
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Vietnam
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Cambodia
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Laos
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Myanmar
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Brunei
What does a fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate cost and how long does it take?
A fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate on DrCertificate costs 25 SGD in Singapore, 399 pesos in the Philippines and 30 MYR in Malaysia. Prices in other served countries depend on the country and show on the form. The fee covers the doctor's review through digital chat and, if approved, the PDF certificate by email.
A decision usually takes about 30 minutes. Timing depends on how complete your details are and on doctor hours, which for fitness cases run 9 am to 9 pm IST Monday to Saturday and 10 am to 8 pm IST on Sunday.
Payments are non refundable, including when the doctor declines. The one exception is a verified technical fault reported within 24 hours.
| Country | Price |
|---|---|
| Singapore | 25 SGD |
| Philippines | 399 pesos |
| Malaysia | 30 MYR |
| Other served countries | Shown on the form |
You'll continue on the secure DrCertificate application form.
Frequently asked questions about fit to fly and unfit to fly certificates
No certificate is guaranteed to cover past dates. The doctor records the date of the chat consultation and decides, based on what you describe, which dates the note can state. Applying close to your flight gives the doctor the clearest picture and gives you the most useful certificate.
The doctor decides the number of days case by case, based on your symptoms. In most South East Asian countries, sick leave notes for generic symptoms go up to 7 days, and fitness notes are generally valid for 30 days. Longer or complex cases suit a doctor seen in person.
Yes, but only by text. The doctor reviews your form and speaks with you through a digital chat, and may ask follow up questions before deciding. DrCertificate does not offer video or in person consultations, so keep an eye on the chat after you pay.
If the doctor declines, you receive no certificate and the payment is not refunded. Doctors decline about 2% of requests, usually when the name and ID do not match or the details shared are inconsistent. Checking your form before you pay is the best way to avoid a decline.
The airline decides. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says most airlines have medical advisors who clear passengers, and the final decision on carrying a passenger belongs to the airline. Check the airline's medical page or call its assistance line before you apply, in case it needs its own form.
No. DrCertificate certificates must not be used for insurance, and they are not for legal purposes or for submission in India. An unfit to fly note can support a request to your airline, employer or school, subject to that organisation's own acceptance rules.
Related guides to fit to fly and unfit to fly certificates
- How to prepare your medical details before you apply
- How to tell your employer you are sick
- Online medical certificate or clinic visit: which suits you?
- Sick leave application for school
- Unfit to fly certificate
- Medical fitness certificate for fit to fly requests
- Unfit to Fly Certificate in Singapore
- Online Sick Leave Certificate in Singapore
- How to get a medical certificate online for leave
- Medical certificates online in Malaysia
Ready to request your fit to fly or unfit to fly certificate?
Choose Medical Fitness Certificate for fit to fly, or Unfit to Travel for unfit to fly. An independent doctor reviews your chat and decides whether to issue it. Payment is non refundable, and the service is for non emergency cases and applicants aged 16 and over.
Questions first? care@drcertificate.com