Offshore Medicals is run by Dr Helle Wibe
Seafarer and petroleum doctor with more than 20,000 medical examinations. OEUK-approved since 2006 and approved in Denmark, Norway, the UK and Sweden.
If you sail on a ship under a foreign flag, such as the Marshall Islands, the shipowner may ask for a medical under the flag state's rules. Here is what the international rules say, and what one of the large flag states says itself.
All seafarers must hold a valid medical certificate before they start work on a ship. This is set out in the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006). How the examination and the certificate should look is decided by each flag state.
That is why a shipowner with ships under another flag may ask you for a certificate on the flag state's own form, issued by a doctor the flag state has approved. This is what is called a flag state medical.
Under MLC Regulation 1.2 and Standard A1.2, the certificate must as a minimum state that:
The certificate must be issued by a duly qualified medical practitioner with full professional independence. If you are refused a certificate or given a limitation, you must have the opportunity of a further examination by another independent doctor. On ships on international voyages the certificate must as a minimum be in English.
A certificate issued under the STCW Convention must be accepted under MLC. The ILO and IMO have published joint guidelines on the medical examination of seafarers, which doctors and authorities should follow.
| Situation | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Medical certificate, age 18 and over | 2 years |
| Medical certificate, under 18 | 1 year |
| Colour vision certification | 6 years |
| Certificate expires during a voyage | Valid until the next port with a qualified doctor, for no more than 3 months |
| Urgent cases without a valid certificate | The authority may permit work until the next port, for no more than 3 months, if you hold a recently expired certificate |
The validity can be shorter if your duties on board require it, or STCW requires it.
An example from a large flag state:
Which form your ship requires is set out in the flag state's rules. Ask the shipowner or manning agency, and bring the form if you have it.
On Danish ships you need a Danish seafarer medical certificate, issued by a maritime doctor approved by the Danish Maritime Authority. A certificate from an authority in a country that has implemented STCW and MLC is treated as equal to a Danish one. Read more in the guide seafarer medical requirements.
Offshore Medicals issues flag state medicals. The price is DKK 1,250 incl. VAT per certificate. Call +45 70 60 33 38 before booking and we will check that we can issue the form your flag requires. See Flag state medicals. If you also need the Danish seafarer certificate, you can book it here.
Sources: ILO, Maritime Labour Convention 2006, Regulation 1.2 and Standard A1.2; ILO and IMO, Guidelines on the medical examinations of seafarers; Republic of the Marshall Islands Maritime Administrator, Requirements for Seafarer Certification, MI-118, rev. March 2026; Danish order on medical examination of seafarers and fishermen, BEK no. 1463 of 05/12/2023, section 3. Read September 2026. This page is practical guidance and does not replace the doctor's assessment on the day.
A seafarer medical certificate under the rules of the country where the ship is registered. MLC 2006 requires a valid certificate, but each flag state decides how the examination and the certificate should look.
Under MLC 2006 no more than 2 years, or 1 year if you are under 18. A colour vision certification is valid for no more than 6 years. The flag state or the doctor can set a shorter validity.
That is for the flag state to decide. Some flags require their own form and a doctor they have approved. Ask the shipowner what the ship's flag requires.
Under MLC 2006 it remains valid until the next port where you can be examined by a qualified doctor, for no more than 3 months.
Seafarer and petroleum doctor with more than 20,000 medical examinations. OEUK-approved since 2006 and approved in Denmark, Norway, the UK and Sweden.