Why the paperwork exists
Governing: MLC 2006 Reg 1.2; MLC 2010 Medical Certification Regulations; MSN 1886 (M+F) Amendment 3. Builds on: nothing, start here.
A ship is a poor place to fall ill. There is rarely a doctor, the medical locker is finite, and the next port may be days away. The seafarer medical system exists to catch, before you sail, the conditions that would put you, your shipmates or the vessel at risk. The ENG1 is the UK's answer to that obligation.
The chain of instruments
| Level | Instrument | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| International | MLC 2006, Regulation 1.2 and Standard A1.2 | Seafarers must hold a valid medical certificate; sets maximum validity |
| International | STCW regulation I/9 and Section A-I/9 | Medical fitness and eyesight standards for certificated seafarers |
| UK law | MLC (Medical Certification) Regulations 2010, as amended | Creates the offence and the system of approved doctors, categories and review |
| UK detail | MSN 1886 (M+F) Amendment 3 (16 October 2025) | The mandatory standards, the categories, validity, review and approved doctor rules |
| Yacht code | REG Yacht Code, Common Annex G4 | Every seafarer on a Code yacht holds a valid medical fitness certificate issued or recognised by the Administration |
MSN 1886 must be read with the Regulations: it fills in detail the Regulations call up by reference, and failure to comply with the Regulations can be a criminal offence. The standards are designed to be consistent with STCW and the ILO/IMO Guidelines on medical examinations of seafarers.
Who needs one
The Regulations apply to seafarers working on sea-going UK ships. A seafarer is anyone, master included, employed or engaged or working in any capacity on board whose normal place of work is on a ship. MGN 471 gives the MCA's interpretation of that term. The MCA can also enforce the requirement against seafarers on non-UK ships in UK ports or waters.
Excluded:
- people working on pleasure vessels not used commercially;
- offshore installations on station;
- vessels operating solely in inland waters (categories A to D), although a boatmaster's licence still needs a medical;
- short-term, one-off workers such as guest lecturers, riding crew or pilots.
CAUTION — "Private" does not mean "exempt from the market" A privately flagged yacht may be outside the Regulations, but management companies, insurers and the next yacht you join will still ask for an ENG1 or equivalent. Treat it as a condition of employment.
The paperwork family
| Form | Name | Who holds it |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1 (MSF 4104) | Medical fitness certificate | You. Once issued, it is your property |
| ENG 2 | Medical examination report | The approved doctor, kept for 10 years |
| ENG 3 (MSF 4106) | Notice of Failure/Restriction | You, when unfit or restricted; it carries the review application |
The yacht angle
On a commercial yacht built to the REG Yacht Code, Annex G4 is blunt: all seafarers hold a valid medical certificate. That includes interior and galley crew. The only people the Code lets aboard without one are genuine occasional workers under Annex E2, such as a nanny or bodyguard who normally works ashore, has no emergency duties and is familiarised enough to be self-sufficient in an emergency.
The medical sits alongside your STCW basic training (see Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting and Elementary First Aid). Neither replaces the other: the certificates of proficiency say you are trained; the ENG1 says you are fit to use that training.
TIP — Get it first Book the medical before paying for courses. Colour vision or another finding can close some career routes, and it is cheaper to learn that before the tuition bill.