ENG1 Equivalent: Which Seafarer Medicals Count on Yachts
What "ENG1 or equivalent" means in a job ad
You've got a seafarer medical from home. It might be Australian, South African, French or US Coast Guard. Then every yacht job ad says "ENG1 or equivalent medical certificate", and you're left wondering whether yours counts as an ENG1 equivalent or whether you need to book an ENG1 before you go dockwalking.
The ENG1 is the UK's seafarer medical, issued by an MCA approved doctor. If you're new to it, start with our ENG1 medical certificate guide. It covers what the ENG1 is, how long it lasts, what it costs and how to book one. This post answers a narrower question: which other medicals do UK-flagged yachts accept in its place?
"Or equivalent" points to an official list. The UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) publishes it in MSN 1815. If your country is on that list and you hold its proper national seafarer medical, your certificate counts. If your country isn't on the list, it doesn't count legally, however thorough the exam was.
Port Hercule, Monaco: the crews on these boats come from dozens of countries, which is why "ENG1 or equivalent" is the standard wording. Photo: Mike is Michi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The MCA's ENG1 equivalent countries list
The current version is MSN 1815 (M+F) Amendment 7, published on 13 August 2026. Amendment 7 added Switzerland.
| Group | Countries |
|---|---|
| EU & EEA | Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta*, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden |
| Rest of the world | Australia, Bermuda*, Canada, China, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Mauritius, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Ukraine |
*Malta: accepted only if the doctor is licensed by the Malta Medical Council and the exam was done in Malta. Maltese certificates issued anywhere else aren't accepted. *Bermuda: accepted only if issued by a doctor nominated by Carnival Corporation & PLC.
The notice also makes these points clear:
- It has to be the national seafarer medical. That's the certificate your country normally issues to its own seafarers, from a doctor approved by its maritime authority. A general health check from your family doctor doesn't qualify.
- The issuing system matters, not the location. An approved Norwegian doctor working abroad can issue a Norwegian seafarer medical. Those doctors can't issue an ENG1, though.
- Get an English translation. The MCA says it "is expected that the medical certificate has an English translation" so the captain or an inspector can see any restrictions. If your medical is in Greek, Polish or Mandarin, carry a translation with it.
- Austria isn't on the list because it told the MCA it has no seafarer medical system, so Austrians need an ENG1. The notice says the same about Luxembourg but then lists it in the annex anyway. If you're Luxembourgish, check with the MCA before relying on it.
To get an equivalent medical, contact your own country's maritime authority. It will point you to an authorised doctor.
Notable countries not on the list include the USA and the Philippines.
ENG1 vs ML5: not interchangeable
The ML5 comes up because it's also an MCA form, it's cheaper, and your GP can do it. The MCA's seafarer medical guidance says you don't need an approved doctor for it.
The ML5 is meant for Boatmaster's Licence holders, RYA commercial endorsements on small coded vessels, some domestic passenger vessel crew and some small fishing boats. The MCA's own 2025 ML5 report says plainly that the ML5 "does not comply with the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention" and "may not be accepted during vessel inspections outside the UK."
Superyachts cruise abroad and get inspected under the Maritime Labour Convention, so an ML5 won't get you a deckhand or stew job. If you got one for instructing or a UK workboat job, you still need an ENG1 or a listed equivalent.
Is a USCG medical an ENG1 equivalent?
If you're American, your seafarer medical is the Merchant Mariner Medical Certificate, issued by the US Coast Guard's National Maritime Center. Your doctor fills in the CG-719K form and you apply with it. The NMC reviews the form and issues the certificate. The 719K is only the application, not the medical certificate.
The USA isn't on the MCA list, so strictly speaking a USCG medical isn't an ENG1 equivalent for UK-flag purposes. In practice it's widely used in the Florida market, especially on US-flagged boats and on many Cayman-flagged yachts run out of Fort Lauderdale.
The Cayman Islands red ensign, one of the most common flags on superyachts. The flag state, not the job ad, sets which medicals are legally valid on board. Photo: Ben W, CC BY-SA 2.0.
To be honest about it: a USCG medical will get you work in Florida and the Caribbean. It may not satisfy a captain or management company running a strict MCA-compliant boat in the Med. If you're in the US and want a medical nobody will question, see our guide to getting an ENG1 in Fort Lauderdale and the USA.
When an equivalent is fine, and when to get an ENG1 anyway
There's one legal nuance. MSN 1815 says the ENG1 requirement doesn't apply to people employed on non-commercial pleasure vessels, so in theory a purely private yacht might not need you to hold one. In practice, charter yachts, management companies, crew agencies and most captains still ask for "ENG1 or equivalent" as standard. Don't treat that loophole as a reason to show up without one.
A listed equivalent is usually fine when:
- Your country is on the MSN 1815 list and the certificate is the proper national seafarer medical
- It's in date, with an English translation if it's not already in English
- You can renew it easily, either at home or through an authorised doctor abroad
It's smart to get an ENG1 anyway when:
- You can't renew at home easily. Say your equivalent expires mid-season in Palma and the nearest authorised doctor is a flight home. An ENG1 from an approved doctor in the UK, Antibes or Fort Lauderdale is less hassle. Check the MCA's approved doctor list for your area before you commit.
- A captain, agency or management company insists on it. Some do, out of habit or company policy. Arguing about it rarely wins you the job.
- Your certificate falls outside the conditions. A Maltese medical issued outside Malta isn't accepted at all. A Bermudian one only counts if a Carnival-nominated doctor issued it. Anything without a clear English version means more explaining than replacing it would cost.
- You're heading to the Med with a USCG medical. It may be accepted, but it's the certificate most likely to get questioned.
Al Raya alongside in Antibes, where an ENG1 is the medical nobody questions. Photo: Spike, CC BY-SA 4.0.
If you go the ENG1 route, read what to expect at the ENG1 exam first. It covers what the doctor checks and what happens if you get a restriction.
What doesn't count
None of these is an ENG1 equivalent:
- A letter from your GP saying you're fit and healthy
- Drug test results
- Travel or visa medicals
- A standalone exam report form without the issued certificate
- A seafarer medical from a country that isn't on the MSN 1815 list
How Radius handles medicals
On Radius we accept:
- A UK ENG1 from an MCA approved doctor
- A national seafarer medical certificate from any country on the MSN 1815 equivalent list
- A USCG Merchant Mariner Medical Certificate, even though the USA isn't on the MCA list. Many of our Florida captains run US-flag and Cayman-flag boats that accept it, and captains can open the document and judge it for themselves. It must be the certificate issued by the National Maritime Center. A CG-719K form on its own doesn't count.
We don't accept GP letters, drug tests, travel or visa medicals, standalone exam forms, or seafarer medicals from countries outside the list (apart from the USCG certificate). The Philippine Medical Certificate for Service at Sea is not accepted on Radius. If your medical isn't in English, include an English translation as extra pages in the same PDF.
Once your ENG1 or accepted equivalent is verified, along with your STCW and CV, and you've checked in recently, you show up on the map for captains looking for dayworkers near you. You don't need to chase every Facebook post.