The ENG1 seafarer medical

The ENG1 is the UK MCA seafarer medical and the industry default for yacht crew. Here is what it checks, what it costs and how long it lasts.

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What the ENG1 is

The ENG1 is the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) seafarer medical fitness certificate, and it is the industry default for yacht crew. It can only be issued by an MCA-Approved Doctor — there are approved doctors in the UK and overseas (including France, Spain, the US and South Africa). See the MCA list of approved doctors.

What is tested

• Vision — distance and near vision, plus colour vision (Ishihara, with a CAD test as a fallback).
• Hearing.
• General health — blood pressure, BMI, urine test, medical history and a physical examination.

Approximate cost

Costs vary by country and doctor: about £115 in the UK, €120–€150 in Europe, $140–$175 in the US, and around R2,500 in South Africa.

How long it lasts

An ENG1 is valid for up to two years for adults, and one year for ages 16–18. A doctor may issue a shorter certificate depending on your health.

How to book one

You book directly with an MCA-Approved Doctor — not your own GP, and not a walk-in clinic. Only doctors on the MCA approved list can issue an ENG1, and the list covers the UK and a number of overseas countries, so you can usually sit the exam in the hub you are heading to rather than flying home for it. Availability in the busy pre-season months is the usual constraint, so book ahead of the point at which you actually need the certificate.

What to bring

• Photo ID (passport).
• Your previous ENG1, if you are renewing.
• Glasses or contact lenses you normally wear — vision is tested as corrected.
• Details of any medication you take, and any relevant specialist letters or reports.

Declaring a condition is not the same as failing. Doctors assess case by case, and arriving with a specialist letter that explains a managed condition generally helps far more than leaving it undisclosed — an undeclared condition discovered later can invalidate the certificate.

Possible outcomes

The result can be fit, fit with restrictions, or temporarily or permanently unfit. A failed result can stand for up to five years unless the underlying condition is medically resolved.

If you are found unfit

An unfit result is not necessarily the end of a career. Temporarily unfit is the common outcome for something treatable — blood pressure, a healing injury, an untreated vision problem — and you can be re-examined once it is addressed. There is also a formal review process if you believe the decision was wrong: seafarers can ask for the assessment to be reconsidered, and the route for doing so is set out in the MCA's seafarer medical guidance. If a restriction is applied rather than an outright fail, it may still leave you eligible for many yacht roles, so read exactly what the restriction says before assuming a job is closed to you.

Renewing

Because most certificates run to two years, renewal tends to arrive mid-contract or mid-season. Two practical points: an expired ENG1 will stop you joining a vessel, and agencies routinely filter candidates on certificate validity, so a lapsed certificate quietly removes you from searches. Diarise the expiry date and book the renewal before the season starts rather than during it.

Conditions that can restrict or disqualify

These are assessed case by case and are not automatic fails: insulin-treated diabetes, epilepsy, significant heart disease, stroke, serious lung disease, severe hearing loss, some mental-health conditions, substance dependence, and colour-vision deficiency (which may restrict bridge duties).

Is a generic “yacht medical” enough?

The ENG1 is the default and a generic yacht medical or a GP note is not equivalent. Any accepted equivalent must meet the MLC 2006 standard. When in doubt, check the GOV.UK seafarer medical guidance.

This is general information, not medical, legal, or immigration advice.

Related guides

• How to get a yacht job with no experience (the pillar)
• STCW Basic Training explained — the other core prerequisite

Sources: GOV.UK seafarer medical certification, MCA, UKSA.