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.
Who needs one, how long it lasts, who pays, and what happens if it expires in the middle of a voyage? Here are the rules from the Danish Maritime Authority's order, explained briefly.
Everyone employed in service on a ship must hold a valid medical certificate. This also applies to the owner of the ship if the owner serves on board.
You also need one to obtain or renew a certificate of competency, to be admitted to an approved maritime education, or to take smoke diver training as part of an education approved by the Danish Maritime Authority.
The examination must be carried out by a maritime doctor approved by the Danish Maritime Authority. You choose which maritime doctor to use. The Authority does not appoint maritime doctors abroad.
The doctor assesses whether you are fit for service at sea, possibly with restrictions. The requirements for eyesight, colour vision and hearing are set out in the annexes to the order, and they depend on your role on board. See the guides eyesight and colour vision and hearing and hearing aids.
| Your age | Maximum between examinations |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 1 year |
| 18 and over | Up to 2 years |
The doctor can set a shorter validity as a restriction. If the certificate expires during a voyage, it remains valid until the first port where you can be examined without undue delay, but no longer than three months after expiry.
If your health changes so that it is doubtful whether you are still fit for your work on board, you must contact the Danish Maritime Authority yourself for a new examination.
Under the order, the shipowner pays for the medical. In practice the maritime doctor charges you the fee, and you are entitled to a refund from the shipowner.
If you have no shipowner when you are examined, the first shipowner to employ you in a position requiring a medical certificate refunds the cost. You need to document the payment, so keep the receipt.
A medical certificate issued by a foreign authority in a country that has implemented the STCW Convention and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) is treated as equal to a Danish one. If you need a certificate to another flag state's requirements, see flag state medicals.
You, the shipowner or the Danish Maritime Authority can bring the result before the Maritime Appeals Board. The appeal is in writing, sent to Nævnenes Hus, and the deadline is 8 weeks. Read more in the guide if you are found unfit.
Sources: Danish order on medical examination of seafarers and fishermen, BEK no. 1463 of 05/12/2023, sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 17, 20, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 34; Danish Maritime Authority, Læge og helbred; Danish Maritime Authority, Søfartslæger; Nævnenes Hus, Ankenævnet for Søfartsforhold. Read September 2026. This page is practical guidance and does not replace the doctor's assessment on the day.
The shipowner, according to the order. The maritime doctor charges you the fee, and you are entitled to a refund from the shipowner. Keep the receipt.
It remains valid until the first port where you can be examined without undue delay, but no longer than three months after the expiry date.
A certificate from a foreign authority in a country that has implemented STCW and MLC is treated as equal to a Danish one.
Contact the Danish Maritime Authority. Only the Authority can issue a copy of a lost or illegible certificate.
Reduced validity, dispensation and appeals.
Including the BMI above 40 rule at sea.
Validity for each certificate.
Read also: ENG1 and the Danish seafarer medical, Flag state medicals explained and Medical before your BOSIET, GWO or STCW course.
Other certificates: Eyesight and hearing test for leisure sailors.
Seafarer and petroleum doctor with more than 20,000 medical examinations. OEUK-approved since 2006 and approved in Denmark, Norway, the UK and Sweden.