Seafarer Medical Certificates
You must have an ENG 1 or an ML5 seafarer medical fitness certificate to work at sea.
Get an ENG 1 certificate
You need an ENG 1 certificate if you’re any of the following:
a seafarer
in charge of a ship
serving on a merchant ship or yacht
working on a fishing vessel in some situations
The fee for an ENG 1 medical examination is £115. To book please contact us https://www.occhealthnet.org
If you’re working on a fishing vessel
You need an ENG 1 certificate if one or more of the following apply:
the vessel needs to be inspected at a foreign port
the vessel is over 24m long
you’re at sea for more than 72 hours
you’re fishing more than 200 miles off the UK coastline
you’re fishing beyond the continental shelf
If none of these apply, you need an ML5 certificate.
How to apply
How to apply depends on which certificate you need.
How to apply for an ENG 1 certificate
An ENG 1 certificate must be issued by a doctor approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Please contact us https://www.occhealthnet.org
The doctor will give you an ENG 1 certificate if you pass the examination.
What to take
Bring the following to your examination:
your previous medical certificate if you have one
your local doctor’s name, address and contact details
any medication you’re taking
your glasses or contact lenses but not colour correction lenses
an accepted form of photo ID
NHS app downloaded with access to your FULL medical records
Accepted forms of photo ID
You can use one of the following as photo ID:
passport
photocard driving licence
national identity card or citizen’s card
a seaman’s card or discharge book
Get an ML5 certificate
You need an ML5 medical certificate if you’re:
the master of a passenger ship that does not go to sea (Class IV or V)
the master of a commercial vessel that does not go to sea
the master or a crew member of a small commercial vessel certificated for Area Category 2 to 6 (no more than 60 miles from a safe haven)
a crew member or anyone else (for example catering staff) who normally works on a domestic passenger ship (Class VI or VIA) that goes to sea
working on a fishing vessel in some situations
There is not a set fee for an ML5 certificate, here at https://occhealthnet.org/ we charge £125.
If you’re working on a fishing vessel
You need an ML5 certificate if all of the following apply:
the vessel does not need to be inspected at a foreign port
you’re at sea for less than 72 hours
you’re fishing less than 200 miles off the UK coastline
you’re fishing within the continental shelf
you’re a new entrant and the vessel is less than 24m long
you’re an ‘existing fisher’ and the vessel is over 10m but less than 24m long
You’re an existing fisher if you were working for 4 weeks or more on a UK registered fishing vessel between 30 November 2021 and 29 November 2023.