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UK Civil Aviation Regulations

These are published by the CAA on our UK Regulations pages. EU Regulations and EASA Access Guides published by EASA no longer apply in the UK. Our website and publications are being reviewed to update all references. Any references to EU law and EASA Access guides should be disregarded and where applicable the equivalent UK versions referred to instead.

Medical certificates for UK licences

Guidance information

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Medical certificates for UK licences

Pilot licences are not valid without a valid medical certificate.

Licence type Minimum level of medical certificate required
CPL, MPL and ATPL Class 1 medical certificate
PPL
  • Class 2 medical certificate
  • If you hold a PPL with an instrument rating, you will need to undertake a pure tone audiometry test to the same requirements and frequency as for a class 1 medical.
SPL and BPL holders involved in commercial flights Class 2 medical certificate
LAPL, SPL, BPL LAPL medical certificate

Application for a medical certificate

You will need to go to an AeMC, AME or your NHS GP with proof of identity. You will need to sign a declaration that includes the following:

  1. Medical facts about your history
  2. Whether you have had a medical before, by whom and the result
  3. Whether you have been assessed as unfit or had a medical certificate suspended or revoked

Full details of how to apply for a medical certificate:

Issue, revalidation and renewal of medical certificates

Medical certificates can only be issued, revalidated or renewed if a fit assessment is made by an appropriate medical examiner as follows:

Medical certificate Appropriate examiner Validity
Class 1 AeMC (An AeMC or AME can complete a revalidation or renewal) 12 months, unless you are 40 or over and carry out single pilot commercial air transport operations carrying passengers or you are over 60, in which case it is 6 months
Class 2 AeMC or AME
  • 60 months, until you are 40. If you are issued with a class 2 medical before you reach 40, it will no longer be valid once you are 42 years old.
  • If you are between 40 and 50 it will be valid for 24 months. If you are issued with a class 2 medical before you reach 50, it will no longer be valid once you are 51 years old.
  • If you are 50 or over it will be valid for 12 months.
LAPL AeMC, AME or GP
  • 60 months, until you are 40. If you are issued with a class 2 medical before you reach 40, it will no longer be valid once you are 42 years old.
  • If you are 40 or over it will be valid for 24 months

You must provide them with your complete medical history and the results of any medical examinations and tests as required by the examiner. They will complete the medical assessment based on the examinations and tests required for that certificate. They may also ask you to undergo additional medical examinations or investigations if needed.

The validity period for a medical certificate will be determined by your age when you take the medical and calculated from the date of the examination in the case of issue and renewal. If you are applying for revalidation of a certificate, it will be calculated from the expiry date of the previous certificate. You can have your revalidation examination up to 45 days before your previous one expires.

If you have not had your revalidation examination in the 45 days before it expires, you will need a renewal examination.

If you hold a Class 1 or 2 medical certificate what has expired by more than two years, the examiner will need to assess your aeromedical record before carrying out the renewal examination. If it has expired by more than 5 years, the process for initial issue will apply, though the fitness decision will be based on the revalidation requirements; in this circumstance Class 1 applicants will need to attend an Aeromedical Centre.

If you hold a LAPL medical certificate that has expired your examiner will assess your medical history and carry out the renewal examination as detailed in the medical assessment section.

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