EN | France Sick Leave rules 2025: End of late extension tolerance

The French Health Insurance (CPAM) is ending an administrative tolerance that used to allow coverage for late submission of a sick leave extension, as long as there was no interruption between the initial leave and the extension.

Starting May 2025, any delay in submitting a medical extension may result in loss of compensation for the days concerned.

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What's changing?
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‍Until now (tolerated)

• If a sick leave ended on a Friday and the employee saw their doctor on the following Monday to extend it, the system tolerated the delay, especially if there were weekends or public holidays in between.
• The key condition: no break between the end of the initial leave and the beginning of the extension.

From May 2025 (new rule)

• If the medical extension is prescribed or submitted late, even by a day, the non-covered days will not be compensated, even if the employee was indeed sick.
• No compensation will be granted for days not covered by a valid medical certificate issued in time.

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Concrete examples: Before / After

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What employees must do

Two essential rules:

1. The extension must be prescribed before the previous leave ends
2. It must be submitted to CPAM and the employer within 48 hours

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Things to remember

• Plan ahead if your leave ends on a Friday or before a holiday – book your appointment in advance
• Do not wait to return to work before consulting your doctor
• If access to care is difficult, contact your local CPAM promptly

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Key Takeaway

From now on, any delay or gap in your sick leave may result in a loss of compensation from the French Health Insurance.

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Latest News

From 1 July 2025, the use of a secure form will become mandatory for any submission of a sick leave certificate in paper format. All other formats will be systematically rejected.

Digital transmission remains the preferred and secure method in most cases. Scans and photocopies, in particular, will not be accepted and will be considered as forgeries.
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Here are the 7 authentication features present on the new secure CERFA form (AAT) which becomes mandatory from 1 July 2025 for any sick leave in paper format:
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1. Special paper - a difficult support to reproduce
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2. Holographic label - a genuine unique visual sign
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3. Magnetic ink - detectable by verification systems
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4. Prescriber identification marks - to authenticate the healthcare professional
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5. Invisible patterns - for example watermarks or UV markings
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6. Identification markers - micro-impressions or authenticity codes
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7. Other security technologies - such as micro-perforations or specific inks

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