Personal proof or medical certificate: why they are not the same
Personal proof (a message, an email, a handwritten note describing your condition) rests on your testimony alone. It commits no one and does not allow the insurer to verify the reality or the medical nature of the obstacle. That is why it is rarely accepted on its own for a health-related claim.
A medical certificate, by contrast, is a document drawn up and signed by a doctor registered with the medical board, after an examination. It attests that a health reason existed on a given date and that it was, from a medical standpoint, incompatible with departing or continuing the trip. It is this professional, binding character that makes it the document generally expected by airlines and travel insurers.
In other words, what is in question is not the seriousness of your situation, but how it is attested: the insurer needs an enforceable document from a qualified third party, not a statement that anyone could write freely.
What cancellation insurance actually expects for a health reason
Conditions vary depending on the company and on your contract, and it is always worth re-reading your policy before taking any steps. Even so, a few requirements come up very frequently when a health reason is invoked.
- A medical certificate dated and signed by a doctor, attesting a health reason incompatible with the trip.
- Consistency of dates between the onset of the health problem, the booking date and the planned departure date.
- Administrative travel documents (booking, tickets, the amount of costs incurred) to keep and attach.
- Compliance with the reporting deadlines set out in your contract, often short, to be checked as soon as the obstacle arises.
- Where applicable, additional information requested by the insurer's medical service, while respecting medical confidentiality.
Why a doctor-signed certificate is generally expected
Cancellation insurance relies on verifying an event covered by the contract. For a health reason, only a qualified professional can observe and state the medical reality of the obstacle. The certificate provides the objectivity that a simple personal statement cannot offer.
The document must also respect medical confidentiality: a certificate intended for an insurer in principle describes the inability to travel and its period, without necessarily detailing the full diagnosis. It is for the doctor to judge which wording suits the situation and the intended use.
Finally, a certificate issued by a doctor registered with the medical board, dated and signed, is more readily recognised when a claim is examined. This does not guarantee compensation, which always depends on the cover and exclusions in your contract, but it brings together the element that insurers most often expect.
The usual wording of a travel cancellation certificate
A travel cancellation medical certificate is not a form you fill in yourself: it must be written and signed by a doctor after an examination. For information, it generally includes the following elements, which the doctor adapts to the case and to medical confidentiality.
- The patient's identity and the date the certificate is drawn up.
- The medical finding justifying the incompatibility with the trip, worded in a measured way.
- The period concerned (inability to depart or to continue the trip).
- The identification and signature of the doctor registered with the medical board.
- Where applicable, a note on the intended use (handed to the insurer or the airline).
How Certi-Fly issues your certificate
Certi-Fly is an online service that lets you obtain a travel cancellation medical certificate signed by a doctor registered with the medical board, issued within 24 hours. The medical examination takes place by phone or WhatsApp, with video available as an option when the situation calls for it.
The doctor first assesses whether the situation justifies a certificate and, where appropriate, writes the suitable wording. The document is then sent to you to attach to your file with your insurer or the airline. Certi-Fly does not replace either your contract or your insurer's decision: it provides the medical document generally expected, with no promise of reimbursement.