An ENG1 seafarer medical certificate must be issued by a Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) approved doctor. An ML5 has a different route and can be completed by a GMC-registered doctor with a valid licence to practise. Before booking in London, confirm which certificate your role and vessel require. A general GP fitness letter is not automatically a substitute. [1,2]
Key points
- MCA guidance requires an MCA approved doctor for an ENG1 examination. [1,2]
- MCA guidance allows a GMC-registered doctor with a valid licence to complete ML5. [1]
- The MCA approved-doctor list includes company restrictions that should be checked before booking. [3]
- The MCA publication page is the source for the current ML5 form and instructions. [4]
For someone starting a maritime job, the most valuable preparation is getting the right assessment first time. Your employer, training provider or licensing body should name the document they need. Take that instruction to the clinician rather than asking for an unspecified "medical certificate".
Ask about supporting GP information for a seafarer medical
Do you need an ENG1 or an ML5 seafarer medical?
The MCA guidance sets out which seafarers and other crew need each certificate. The answer depends on the work, vessel and operating area, not simply whether you will be on a boat. ENG1 is the statutory route for many people working on merchant vessels. ML5 applies to specified roles and vessels, including some small commercial vessels and domestic operations. Fishing-vessel rules have additional conditions and exemptions. [1]
Do not choose ML5 just because an appointment looks easier to find. Give the employer or licensing body your job title, vessel type and intended operating area, and ask for written confirmation of the requirement. If their instructions are unclear, use the MCA guidance or contact the relevant licensing body before paying.
A passenger's fit-to-cruise letter is a different request from certification to work at sea. An employer's offshore medical may also serve a different purpose. The MCA specifically distinguishes UK Oil and Gas medical certificates from ENG1. Having one does not establish that you have the other. [1]
Who can issue an ENG1?
An ENG1 requires an MCA approved doctor. Being a registered GP, offering occupational health appointments or working at a private clinic does not alone establish that approval. Check the MCA's current approved-doctor list and confirm the appointment is for an ENG1 examination. Some company-approved doctors assess only employees of named companies. [1,2,3]
This article does not claim that The Online GP is an MCA approved ENG1 provider. If you need an ENG1, use the approved-doctor route. If the examining doctor asks for a report from your usual GP or specialist, ask exactly what information is needed and how it should be supplied.
For a separate GP discussion about a health concern or requested supporting information, contact The Online GP team with the exact request before booking. A useful consultation has a defined purpose; it should not be sold as a replacement for statutory certification.
What should you take to a seafarer medical examination?
The MCA's preparation list includes your existing certificate if you have one, medication, glasses or contact lenses, your usual GP's contact details and relevant reports after hospital or specialist care. You also need accepted, current photo identification. Follow the appointment instructions, particularly any requirements about vision testing. [1,2]
Prepare a short, accurate account of your health rather than relying on memory under time pressure.
- Your role and the certificate requested by the employer or licensing body.
- Previous certificates, including restrictions or an earlier failure notice.
- Current medicines and relevant medical conditions.
- Recent specialist letters, test results or hospital information requested by the examiner.
- Your usual GP's contact details and the date you need the assessment completed.
Tell the approved doctor about a previous failed, restricted or unfinished ENG1 examination. The MCA warns that withholding this information can be regarded as "doctor shopping" and could invalidate the certificate. Booking another clinician does not erase an earlier assessment. [1]
Can this be completed by video?
Do not assume a general video appointment can complete a seafarer medical. The MCA describes an ENG1 examination that includes a medical history, hearing and sight tests, a urine sample and a physical examination. Ask the approved doctor how to attend and what to prepare. [1]
ML5 also involves a medical assessment, not simply sending a blank form for a signature. The doctor must be able to complete the required sections properly. Confirm the examination arrangements before booking rather than buying a general remote letter appointment and hoping it can be converted afterwards.
If you need privacy, communication support or help accessing an appointment, discuss that when arranging the assessment. The practical arrangements should be clear before the day, while the clinical requirements remain the examiner's responsibility.
What happens if more medical information is needed?
A booked appointment is not a promise of an unrestricted certificate. ENG1 outcomes can include fitness without restrictions, fitness with restrictions, temporary unfitness or permanent unfitness. The approved doctor may need additional information or advice before reaching a final decision. [1]
For ML5, a medical concern recorded on the form may mean the examining doctor cannot issue the certificate directly. The completed report can then follow the MCA medical-assessor referral route. Follow the current form and instructions for your application type; do not send it to an address copied from an old forum post. [1,4]
This is one reason to allow time before a course, joining date or voyage. Records and further assessment may be needed. A departure deadline cannot change the medical standard, and paying for an appointment cannot guarantee the outcome.
Discuss the examiner's request for GP information
Where should you get the current ML5 form?
Download the form from the official MCA publication page rather than using a saved attachment without checking it. That page explains which revisions are accepted and when the rules change. Check it again when booking or submitting a report, especially if you are using a form sent to you some time ago. [4]
The form and certificate are related but distinct. A completed medical report does not necessarily mean that a fitness certificate has been issued. Before submitting an application, check which parts are complete, whether referral is needed and what the licensing body expects next.
What should you check about costs and medical review?
Ask the provider what the assessment includes and whether extra reports or tests could cost more. The MCA publishes ENG1 fee information and explains that additional tests can carry an agreed extra charge. ML5 does not have a single MCA-set price. Check the current guidance and agree costs with the provider before committing. This article is not a clinic price list. [1]
If you receive a restricted or unfit ENG1 result, read the ENG3 notice promptly. The MCA describes an independent medical review process and a one-month deadline for contacting its seafarer services after the ENG3 is issued. Use that formal route rather than assuming another general GP letter will overturn the decision. [1]
How can you organise the paperwork around your joining date?
Start with the employer's exact requirement and the date by which the certificate must be accepted. Then check the appropriate examining doctor, appointment instructions and supporting records. These are separate steps. A booked examination is not the same as a completed report, and a report waiting for further information is not the same as a certificate you can use to join a vessel.
Keep a short checklist with the certificate name, employer or licensing body's request, examiner's contact details and records still outstanding. Ask what can be prepared before the appointment and who should supply it. If the examining doctor needs a specialist report, check that the request describes the question to be answered. Sending every document you hold may be less useful than obtaining the specific information requested.
What supporting role can a general GP have?
A general GP may be asked to discuss a health concern, explain available records or provide information requested by the approved examiner. That role should be defined before you book. Ask whether the request concerns a factual history, results already held or a separate assessment. The clinician must consider what can properly be supplied from the information available, rather than promise a conclusion in advance.
The Online GP enquiry route on this page is for that supporting discussion. It is not a shortcut to ENG1 certification and does not establish that an online appointment can complete ML5. For an ENG1 examination, use the MCA approved-doctor route. For ML5, confirm that the proposed clinician can carry out the required assessment and use the current form. [1,4]
What should you do when instructions from different people do not match?
If a recruiter asks for a generic medical while the vessel operator names ENG1, ask them to reconcile the request in writing. Give the job title and intended work rather than choose the cheaper or faster-looking document yourself. You can also ask the relevant licensing body which requirements apply. This guide cannot decide the certification route for an unspecified role or operation.
Check the version of any form supplied by email against the official publication page. Keep the reply explaining which document is required, particularly if a course or joining date depends on it. If you are told to obtain additional testing, ask the examining clinician how that request fits the assessment before arranging tests independently. Different documents can have similar names while serving different regulatory purposes.
How should you read the outcome of the examination?
Look beyond whether a document has a signature. Check the certificate type, its conditions and any instructions about further information or review. If an application remains referred or incomplete, ask who owns the next step and what you should supply. Do not present an unfinished medical report as an issued certificate, or assume the employer will interpret an unexplained restriction for you.
If you disagree with an ENG1 outcome, use the formal review information supplied with the notice. A general GP can help with a separate health concern or requested records, but another appointment does not replace the MCA review process. Acting promptly on the actual notice is more useful than collecting general letters that do not address the examiner's decision. [1]
Where can you read more about related appointments?
For other activity-specific documents, read about UKDMC recreational diving declarations and tandem skydiving medical forms. Our online GP service covers a different consultation route, not an ENG1 examination. Confirm the purpose of any supporting GP appointment before booking.
Check a supporting GP appointment before booking
What else should you know before booking?
Can any private GP issue an ENG1?
No. An ENG1 must be issued by an MCA approved doctor. Check the current official list and confirm that the doctor can examine someone in your circumstances, including any company restrictions. A clinic offering general medical letters or occupational appointments is not, for that reason alone, an ENG1 provider.
Does ML5 also require an MCA approved doctor?
No. MCA guidance says ML5 can be completed by a GMC-registered doctor with a valid licence to practise. The required assessment must still be completed properly using the current form. A medical concern can require referral, so a completed report does not always mean a certificate has been issued.
Is a fit-to-cruise letter enough for a job on a ship?
Do not assume so. Passenger travel letters and certification for working at sea have different purposes. Ask the employer or licensing body to identify the required certificate for your role, vessel and operating area. Bring that written request rather than choose a general letter because an appointment is available sooner.
Can I get an ENG1 through a general video GP appointment?
Do not book on that assumption. The ENG1 route includes examination and testing arranged by an MCA approved doctor. Confirm attendance and preparation with that provider. A separate GP video consultation may have a supporting purpose, but it is not a substitute for the required statutory examination.
What if my certificate is restricted?
Read the restriction and any associated notice carefully, and ask the examiner about anything you do not understand. If you seek an independent ENG1 medical review, follow the MCA process promptly. Its guidance gives a one-month deadline after the ENG3 is issued; another general GP letter does not replace that process.
Can The Online GP provide my ENG1?
This guide does not claim MCA approved ENG1 status for The Online GP. Use the MCA approved-doctor list to arrange ENG1. Contact the team separately only if you need a general GP discussion or supporting information specifically requested by the examining clinician, with that purpose confirmed before booking.
How can you arrange the assessment that matches the job?
Confirm the certificate, check the clinician's required approval and gather the right records. If you have been asked for supporting GP information, send The Online GP team the exact request before choosing an appointment. Clear preparation protects your time and helps avoid paying for a document the recipient cannot accept.
Last updated 8 November 2026. This article is general information and is not a substitute for medical advice about your own health. In an emergency call 999.
Which sources support this guide?
[1] MCA, Seafarers medical certification guidance.
[2] GOV.UK, Seafarer medical certificates - how to apply.
[3] MCA, Approved doctors based in the UK. Check the current list rather than relying on an older saved copy.
[4] MCA, ML5 medical report form and certificate. Check the current form and submission instructions.