Sick leave: what changes on 1 September 2026
13 July 2026 · 5 min reading time
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From 1 September 2026, the rules governing sick leave certificates will change in France. An initial sick leave certificate will no longer be able to cover a period exceeding 31 days. In the event of an extension, the new certificate will be limited to 62 days.
This reform may give the impression that an employee will no longer be able to remain on sick leave for more than one month. This is not the case. Sick leave may still continue for as long as the employee’s health condition requires. What changes is the duration of each certificate: the doctor will need to reassess the situation more regularly before extending the leave.
The new sick leave certification limits
Until now, there was no general limit on the duration of sick leave that a healthcare professional could certify. The doctor determined the length of the leave according to the patient’s health, medical condition, job and expected recovery.
From 1 September 2026, sick leave certificates giving entitlement to daily sickness benefits will have to comply with two limits:
| Type of sick leave certificate | Maximum certification period |
|---|---|
| Initial sick leave | 31 days |
| Sick leave extension | 62 days |
In practice, a doctor will no longer be able to certify several months of sick leave at once. If the employee’s absence needs to continue, a new certificate will have to be issued as an extension.
These limits apply to sick leave certified by a doctor, dental surgeon or midwife. They apply in particular to people covered by the French general social security scheme and the agricultural scheme. The new rules will not apply in Mayotte.
Can an employee still remain on sick leave for more than one month?
The 31-day limit only applies to the initial certificate. It does not set a maximum total duration for sick leave.
If the employee is unable to return to work at the end of the initial period, their doctor may issue an extension. This extension may last for up to 62 days. It may then be renewed again if the employee’s health condition requires it.
The reform therefore does not abolish long-term sick leave. Its main purpose is to prevent very long periods of leave from being certified in a single document without a further medical assessment for several months.
What happens to sick leave that is already in progress?
Sick leave certified before 1 September 2026 will not automatically be shortened on that date. The reform applies to new certificates and extensions issued from 1 September 2026 onwards.
In practical terms, an employee who is already on sick leave before this date will not have to return to work simply because the regulations have changed. However, if the leave needs to be extended after 1 September 2026, the extension will have to comply with the 62-day limit.
The relevant date is therefore the date on which the initial certificate or extension is issued, rather than only the date on which the sick leave began.
What does not change for employees
The usual procedures for sick leave will remain the same. Employees must inform their employer when they are unable to work and provide the required supporting documents.
When the sick leave certificate is sent electronically to the French Health Insurance system, the employee must still provide the section intended for the employer. If the certificate is issued on paper, the relevant sections must be sent to the social security body and the employer within the applicable deadlines.
The rules governing daily sickness benefits, waiting periods and continued salary payments are not directly affected by this reform. The change concerns the maximum duration of each certificate, not the general conditions for receiving compensation.
However, employees whose sick leave is extended will need to pay close attention to the end date of each certificate. A late or incorrectly submitted extension may cause processing delays, particularly with the CPAM or payroll department.
What employers need to anticipate
For employers, the reform does not create any new medical monitoring powers. They cannot require employees to disclose their medical condition or personally challenge the decision made by the healthcare professional.
The main change will be administrative. Long periods of sick leave will be divided into more certificates, with extensions that will need to be monitored more regularly. HR and payroll departments will therefore need to track end dates, supporting documents, any continued salary payments and the conditions for returning to work more carefully.
One important point is not to confuse the end of a sick leave certificate with a mandatory return to work. If an extension is being submitted, the employee’s absence should not be treated as unauthorised too quickly.
Teleconsultations and paper forms: two separate rules
The 31-day limit does not mean that every sick leave certificate issued remotely will be able to cover one month.
Sick leave certificates issued or renewed through a teleconsultation are already subject to specific rules. In principle, when sick leave is certified remotely, the period covered cannot exceed 3 days for the employee to receive compensation, except in certain cases, particularly when the certificate is issued by the employee’s usual doctor, their replacement or the employee’s designated midwife.
This reform should not be confused with the rules governing secure paper forms either. Since 2025, when a sick leave certificate cannot be submitted electronically, it must be issued using a secure Cerfa form. Since 1 September 2025, older unsecured paper forms have been rejected by the French Health Insurance system.
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 1 September 2025 | Older unsecured paper forms are rejected |
| 1 September 2026 | Maximum duration introduced for sick leave certificates |
In summary, the 2025 change concerned the format used to issue the sick leave certificate. The 2026 change concerns the maximum duration of each certificate.
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