Request physician-reviewed short-term illness documentation from home. If documentation is clinically appropriate, a signed sick note is delivered by email; timing depends on review and any needed follow-up.
If you live or work in Vancouver and need a sick note for your employer, you have several options — but not all of them are practical when you are actually unwell. Walk-in clinics across Vancouver routinely have wait times of 5 paid + 3 unpaid, and many close by 5pm or are not open on weekends. For shift workers, gig workers, and anyone without a family doctor, getting a simple piece of documentation can mean losing an entire day of wages on top of already feeling sick.
MedLetter is an online medical documentation service that connects Vancouver residents with CPSBC-registered physicians who can review your situation and issue official sick notes, return-to-work letters, stress leave documentation, and workplace accommodation letters — all delivered by email, typically same day of submission. There is no clinic visit, no waiting room, and no need to have a family doctor. The entire process is completed from your phone or computer.
Every document issued through MedLetter is reviewed and signed by a physician registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC). This means your employer, HR department, insurance provider, or academic institution are expected to accept it — there is no legal distinction between a note issued after a virtual consultation and one issued after an in-person visit, provided the physician determines it is clinically appropriate.
The process takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. You do not need to schedule an appointment, create an account, or provide your health card number.
Fill out a secure online form describing your symptoms, the dates you were or will be absent from work, and your employer's name. You will also provide your full name, date of birth, and email address where the note should be delivered. The form takes most people under 5 minutes.
A CPSBC-registered physician reviews your submission to determine whether medical documentation is clinically appropriate for your situation. This is not an automated process — a real physician reads your information and makes a clinical judgment. If additional information is needed, the physician may reach out by phone or email.
Once approved, your signed sick note is delivered as a PDF to the email address you provided. Most notes are delivered within 2 to 4 hours for submissions received before 2pm. You can forward it directly to your employer, HR department, or upload it to your company's absence management system.
If you need a Vancouver sick note or doctor's note, start by following your employer's or school's reporting instructions. MedLetter lets you submit a short-term illness documentation request online. A physician reviews each request independently and may need further information before deciding whether documentation is appropriate.
This matters because most employers expect documentation on the day you call in sick, or at the very latest, on your first day back. If you call in sick on Monday morning and cannot get a clinic appointment until Wednesday, you may face disciplinary action or have your absence recorded as unexcused. MedLetter eliminates this gap by delivering documentation the same day you submit your request, so you can forward it to your manager or HR before your next scheduled shift.
Delivery timeline: Review timing depends on clinical assessment and any needed follow-up.
BC's Employment Standards Act provides up to 5 paid and 3 unpaid illness or injury leave days each year after 90 consecutive days of employment. For the first 2 health-related absences of 5 days or fewer in a calendar year, employers cannot request a health-practitioner note. Whether a later request is appropriate depends on the circumstances and must still be reasonably sufficient. Documentation may be relevant for benefits, accommodation, or return-to-work decisions. Federally regulated Vancouver workers, including many port, airline, and bank employees, follow the Canada Labour Code instead.
It is important to understand that the law and your employer's policy are two different things. Even if the British Columbia Employment Standards Act does not require a sick note for your specific situation, your employer may still have an internal policy that does. Refusing to provide documentation when your employer's policy requires it — even if the law does not mandate it — can result in the absence being recorded as unauthorized. MedLetter helps you avoid this conflict by providing documentation quickly and affordably, regardless of whether it is legally required or simply expected.
Reference: BC Employment Standards Act, Section 49.1
MedLetter serves workers across every industry in Vancouver. The common thread is that these are people who cannot afford to spend half a day in a walk-in clinic waiting room when they are already dealing with illness, injury, or a medical situation that requires time away from work.
A grip working in East Vancouver who needs to report a short-term illness absence using the production or union process that applies to their role.
A game developer in Mount Pleasant who needs to follow their employer's absence-reporting process while recovering from an acute illness.
A port worker who needs to check whether Canada Labour Code rules, a collective agreement, or a workplace policy applies to their absence.
A hotel employee who becomes ill before a scheduled shift and needs to notify a manager promptly and follow workplace food-safety procedures.
A healthcare worker with acute symptoms who needs to follow workplace infection-control and return-to-work instructions.
A construction worker in a safety-sensitive role who needs to follow the employer's return-to-work and medical-clearance process.
A UBC international student working part-time at a restaurant in Kitsilano who needs documentation for both their employer and a missed midterm. They have no MSP-covered family doctor and the UBC Student Health clinic is booked 2 weeks out.
A marketing manager who works remotely for a Toronto-based company from their apartment in Yaletown. Their employer requires documentation after 2 days but they have no BC family doctor since relocating from Ontario during COVID.
A warehouse associate at the Amazon YVR2 facility in Delta who lives in East Vancouver. Their strict attendance policy requires documentation for any unscheduled absence. Their shift starts at 5:30am.
Finding a family doctor can be difficult in Vancouver. For appropriate short-term illness documentation requests, MedLetter offers an online option without requiring an existing relationship with a physician. A physician still decides whether documentation is clinically appropriate and may require further assessment.
For people without a family doctor, getting a sick note traditionally means going to a walk-in clinic and waiting for hours alongside people with more complex medical needs. This is not only inconvenient — it is also a public health concern, as you may be exposing others to your illness or exposing yourself to theirs while immunocompromised. MedLetter provides an alternative that does not require you to have an existing relationship with a physician, a provincial health card, or a clinic registration.
Use Health Connect Registry to look for a family doctor
Clinic hours, availability, fees, and wait times can vary across Vancouver. Confirm these details directly with any clinic before attending. An online documentation request may be a convenient option when it is appropriate for your short-term illness situation.
The table below compares your options for getting a sick note in Vancouver. Walk-in clinic wait times are based on community-reported averages and may vary by time of day, day of week, and season.
| Clinic | Address | Wait Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coal Harbour Walk-In | 1128 Hornby St | Confirm directly | Hours and appointment availability can change. |
| Broadway Medical Clinic | 943 W Broadway | Confirm directly | Contact the clinic for current timing and fees. |
| Kingsway Medical Clinic | 4488 Kingsway, Burnaby | Confirm directly | Contact the clinic for current timing and fees. |
| Kitsilano Walk-In | 2678 W Broadway | Confirm directly | Contact the clinic for current timing and fees. |
| Hastings-Sunrise Medical | 2732 E Hastings St | Confirm directly | Contact the clinic for current timing and fees. |
| MedLetter (Online) | From your home | Physician review | Short-term illness documentation request; timing depends on review. |
The cost of a sick note in Vancouver depends on where you get it. Walk-in clinics typically charge between $20 and $50 for a sick note, but this does not account for the hidden costs: 2 to 4 hours of lost wages while you wait, transportation costs to get to the clinic, and the physical toll of sitting in a waiting room while you are sick. For someone earning $25/hour, a 3-hour clinic wait represents $75 in lost wages on top of the $30 clinic fee — making the true cost over $100.
MedLetter charges a flat fee of $49 for a standard sick note with same-day delivery. There are no hidden fees, no consultation charges, and no follow-up costs. You submit your information from home, and the note arrives in your email. When you factor in the time saved and the wages you do not lose, MedLetter is often the most affordable option — especially for shift workers, hourly employees, and anyone who cannot afford to take half a day off work just to get a piece of paper.
Yes. Every sick note issued through MedLetter is signed by a physician registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC). Under British Columbia law, there is no distinction between medical documentation issued after a virtual consultation and documentation issued after an in-person visit. Your employer cannot refuse a legitimate sick note solely because it was obtained online.
MedLetter notes include the physician's name, CPSBC registration number, clinic information, the dates of your absence, and a professional attestation that you were assessed and that time away from work is medically appropriate. This is the same information that would appear on a note from any walk-in clinic or family doctor's office in Vancouver.
Below are the most common questions we receive from Vancouver residents about getting a sick note online.
Submit an intake request describing your symptoms and relevant absence dates. A CPSBC-registered physician reviews the request and may require further assessment. If documentation is clinically appropriate, a signed PDF is sent by email.
Review timing depends on the request, physician assessment, and whether further information is needed. Follow your employer's or school's reporting process promptly rather than relying on a fixed delivery window.
Yes. MedLetter delivers your signed physician's note as a PDF directly to your email inbox. No printing required — forward it to your employer, HR department, or benefits provider directly from your phone.
For an appropriate short-term illness documentation request, you do not need an existing relationship with a physician. A physician reviews each request and may require further assessment.
A physician may issue documentation after an appropriate assessment. Your employer's policy, collective agreement, and applicable employment standards determine its documentation process, so a note does not guarantee a workplace outcome.
The standard MedLetter sick-note request is $49. In-person clinic administrative fees and appointment availability can vary, so ask any clinic directly about its current fee.
Yes. MedLetter documentation is issued by CPSBC-registered physicians. Virtual care for medical documentation is permitted under CPSBC guidelines when clinically appropriate. There is no legal distinction between online and in-person sick notes in British Columbia.
For the first 2 health-related absences of 5 days or fewer in a calendar year, BC employers cannot request a health-practitioner note. On later absences, a request must still be reasonably sufficient in the circumstances. Different rules can apply to benefits, accommodation, fitness to return, a collective agreement, or federally regulated work.
Workplaces may use terms such as doctor’s note, sick note, medical note, or medical certificate. Check the employer’s policy, collective agreement, or benefits process for the information it requires. A physician-issued document does not guarantee a workplace, benefits, or academic outcome.
Report the absence through the required workplace channel and check whether the request concerns ESA sick leave, a benefits claim, accommodation, fitness for duty, or another process. BC’s first-two-absences rule limits when an employer can request a health-practitioner note for short health-related absences.
Your employer or collective agreement may set an absence-reporting process. For the first 2 short health-related absences covered by BC's current rule, an employer cannot request a health-practitioner note; later requests must still be reasonable in the circumstances.
You can submit an online short-term illness documentation request from Metro Vancouver. Whether documentation meets a workplace purpose depends on the employer's process and the physician's assessment.
You can submit a request online at any time. Review timing and whether documentation is issued depend on physician assessment and any required follow-up.
Check your faculty's process and deadline immediately after a missed assessment. A school may have a specific form or process, and a physician assessment or completed form does not guarantee academic consideration.
Report the absence using the production or union process that applies to your role. If you seek medical documentation, a physician must independently assess whether it is appropriate.
From Downtown Vancouver, Kitsilano, East Vancouver, Commercial Drive, Mount Pleasant, or Yaletown, you can submit an online short-term illness documentation request. A CPSBC-registered physician reviews each request.
Employment rights depend on the reason for the absence, your employment status, applicable law, and any workplace agreement. Report your absence promptly, preserve relevant records, and seek employment-law guidance if you believe a protected leave has been mishandled.
You can submit an online request without booking a clinic visit. A CPSBC-registered physician reviews the request and may require more information before deciding whether documentation is appropriate.
A MedLetter sick note covers the specific dates of absence stated in the document. There is no expiry date on the note itself — it remains a valid medical record indefinitely. If your employer questions a note from a previous absence, the physician's CPSBC registration can be verified at any time on cpsbc.ca.
Benefits and disability claims often require their own form, details, or functional assessment. Check with the insurer or benefits administrator before relying on a short-term sick note for a claim.
Documentation rules vary by employer and role. Check the applicable absence-reporting process and ask your HR team what information it needs for the specific request.
MedLetter serves every neighbourhood in Vancouver. Because our service is entirely online, it does not matter whether you live in a neighbourhood with good clinic access or one of the many communities where walk-in options are limited.
Many of Vancouver's largest employers have specific sick note policies that require documentation after a certain number of consecutive absent days. MedLetter has issued documentation Accepted by of the following employers:
Students at Vancouver post-secondary institutions often need medical documentation for deferred exams, late assignment submissions, or academic petitions. MedLetter provides same-day sick notes accepted by the following institutions:
New sick-note requests are temporarily paused while we review our service. We are not accepting new orders at this time.