What an electronic L4 sick note is and how it works
The sick note known in Poland as L4 certifies temporary incapacity for work. Since 2018 it is issued only electronically as e-ZLA — paper forms no longer exist.
Once issued, the document goes automatically to ZUS and to your employer's account. You do not print or deliver anything. The document carries a disease code, but your employer never sees the diagnosis — only the period of incapacity.
How to get an L4 online, step by step
The whole process happens from home and usually takes a few tens of minutes.
- Fill in the form: symptoms, dates of incapacity, employer details and your PESEL number.
- Pay for the order — only then does it reach a doctor.
- The doctor calls and takes a history: symptoms, course of illness, medication.
- After the consultation an e-zwolnienie is issued, goes to ZUS and a copy arrives by email.
If the doctor decides your condition needs examining, they will refer you to an in-person visit — that is their duty, not a refusal of service.
How long it takes
From payment to the doctor's call usually takes a few tens of minutes. The consultation itself lasts a few minutes and the document appears in the system as soon as it ends.
At night and on days off the call may come later — worth considering if you need the note for a specific day.
How many days a doctor can issue
The length depends on the doctor's judgement — there is no fixed limit for a single document. For a typical infection it ranges from one day to about a fortnight.
A one-day sick note is possible and follows the same rules as a longer one. So does a note covering a weekend, provided the incapacity genuinely exists on those days.
For longer periods the doctor usually wants to see the patient in person. The total benefit period is 182 days, or 270 days for tuberculosis and during pregnancy.
How much sick pay you get
The standard rate is 80% of the assessment basis. The full 100% applies during pregnancy, for an accident on the way to or from work, and for donating cells or tissue.
The first 33 days of incapacity in a calendar year are paid by the employer; beyond that ZUS takes over. For people over 50 that threshold is 14 days.
How your employer finds out
You do not have to tell them or deliver anything. The e-zwolnienie reaches your employer's PUE ZUS profile automatically, usually within minutes.
It is still worth sending your manager a short message — a matter of work organisation, not a formal requirement. If your employer wants a printout, they can download it themselves.
ZUS inspections during sick leave
ZUS and your employer may check whether the sick leave is used as intended. An inspection means a visit to the address given on the note — unannounced and at no fixed hours.
Not being there does not automatically cost you the benefit: it can be explained if you were at a doctor's appointment, undergoing tests or had another valid reason. The benefit is lost when the leave was used against its purpose — for paid work, for example.
If you are staying somewhere other than usual while ill, give that address when ordering.
Can you get an L4 backdated
A doctor may issue a note covering no more than 3 days before the examination. Further back only in justified cases and after assessment by a ZUS certifying physician.
In practice this means a note covering the whole of last week will not be issued. If your illness is lasting, book the consultation early rather than at the end.
When a doctor will not issue a note
An online consultation does not guarantee the document. The doctor will refuse if the symptoms do not justify incapacity, if the condition needs examining, or if the information given is inconsistent.
Expect a refusal for periods far in the past or without speaking to the doctor. The doctor carries the same responsibility as after a visit in the surgery.
Online L4 versus an in-person visit
Legally there is no difference. Telemedicine in Poland is equivalent to an in-person visit, and an e-zwolnienie issued this way carries exactly the same weight.
The difference is practical: no queue, no infecting others in a waiting room, no lost day. The limit is physical examination — where it is needed, the doctor will refer you.
Very satisfied with the service! I obtained my e-sick leave online, everything was convenient and hassle-free. The documents were sent to the system on time.