If you are a pilot, an air traffic controller (ATCO) or a flight information service officer (FISO), you need a medical certificate to be able to fly or perform your duties. A medical examination is required for this certificate. You can get examined at an Aeromedical Centre (AeMC) or by an independent Aeromedical Examiner (AME).
Medical certificates for aviation
A medical certificate is an official document that proves you are medically fit to fly or to work as an ATCO, FISO or ASO. The medical certificate is issued by an AME. You will receive a medical certificate once you have completed all required medical examinations and have been declared fit.
The medical certificate states:
- The class you were examined for (class 1, 2, 3, or LAPL).
- The expiry date of your medical fitness.
- Whether you have any limitations affecting your performance in the air or as an ATCO, FISO or ASO.
Required classes
Each licence requires a specific class of medical certificate. The table below shows which medical certificate you need for each licence.
|
Licence |
Medical certificate class |
|
ATCO or student ATCO |
Class 3 |
|
ATPL |
Class 1 |
|
BPL – commercial |
Class 2 |
|
BPL – non-commercial |
LAPL Class |
|
CPL |
Class 1 |
|
FISO |
Class 3 |
|
LAPL |
LAPL Class |
|
MPL |
Class 1 |
|
PPL |
Class 2 |
|
RPA-L |
LAPL Class |
|
RPL |
LAPL Class |
|
SPL – commercial |
Class 2 |
|
SPL – non-commercial |
LAPL Class |
Approved aeromedical examiners
Only doctors and medical centres approved by the Civil Aviation Authority the Netherlands (CAA NL) are authorised to perform medical examinations and issue medical certificates. Not all doctors are authorised to examine every class. There is also a difference between an initial examination and a revalidation or renewal examination. An initial examination for Class 1 and Class 3 may only be carried out at an AeMC.
Choose a doctor or a centre from the list of approved Aeromedical Centres (AeMCs) and Aeromedical Examiners (AMEs, in Dutch).
Yes, you are allowed to undergo a medical examination in any European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Member State.
If this is your first examination, you must state during the examination which country will be your competent authority. If you want to apply for a licence in the Netherlands, state that CAA NL will be your competent authority.
If your medical certificate was issued in the Netherlands and you want to have it revalidated or renewed in an EASA Member State other than the Netherlands, your medical certificate will keep the issue number of the Netherlands.
In both situations, you must ensure that the doctor or centre that revalidated or renewed your medical certificate sends the complete medical examination file to CAA NL. As the competent authority, CAA NL is responsible for managing your medical file.
You can find a list of approved AeMCs and AMEs on the websites of the relevant aviation authorities.
You received a notification because your initial examination for a Class 1 medical certificate was registered in EASA’s European Aero-Medical Repository (EAMR).
During the examination, the AeMC records certain information in the EAMR. This includes your personal details, the date of the examination and information about your medical certificate, such as the validity date and any limitations.
The EAMR notification confirms this registration and contains your unique EAMR ID. Keep this number safe, as you will need it for future examinations.
Validity
The validity of your medical certificate depends on the class and your age.
- Up to 60 years of age: usually valid for 12 months.
- From 60 years of age: valid for 6 months.
Please note: if you are over 40 years of age and carrying passengers for payment in an aircraft certified for a single pilot, your medical certificate is valid for 6 months.
- Up to 40 years of age: valid for up to 60 months.
A certificate issued before your 40th birthday is valid until your 42nd birthday at the latest. - From 40 to 50 years of age: valid for 24 months.
A certificate issued before your 50th birthday is valid until your 51st birthday at the latest. - From 50 years of age: valid for 12 months.
- Up to 40 years of age: valid for 24 months.
- From 40 years of age: valid for 12 months.
- Up to 40 years of age: valid for up to 60 months.
A certificate issued before your 40th birthday is valid until your 42nd birthday at the latest. - From 40 years of age: valid for 24 months.
Please note: you must always carry a valid medical certificate to be allowed to fly or work as an ATCO, FISO or ASO.
Renewal of revalidation
If your medical certificate is expiring soon, it needs to be revalidated. You must attend your medical examination in good time. If you have the examination within 45 days before the expiry date, the expiry date will stay the same.
If your certificate has expired, you are not allowed to fly or perform your work. You must apply for a renewal of the medical certificate.
For renewal or revalidation of your medical certificate, a medical examination is required. Make an appointment on time at an approved AeMC or an authorised AME (in Dutch).
Special medical situations
Sometimes the AME may notice something during the examination that requires extra medical attention. In cases of doubt, the AME will consult with the CAA NL Medical Assessor.
Who makes the final decision depends on the class of the certificate:
If the AME identifies a medical issue during the examination or you do not fully meet all medical requirements, the AME assesses whether you are safe to fly or able to carry out your work. The AME discusses this with the CAA NL Medical Assessor. The medical assessor decides whether the AME may issue a medical certificate, and if the medical certificate should include a limitation.
In most cases, you will be informed within 3 weeks whether you will receive a medical certificate, with or without a limitation. If you have questions about this process, please contact your AME.
If you disagree with the decision made by the CAA NL Medical Assessor, you have the right to submit an objection.
If the AME identifies a medical issue during the examination or you do not fully meet all medical requirements, the AME assesses whether you are safe to fly. If so, the AME issues the medical certificate. The medical certificate may include a limitation.
If there is any doubt, the AME will consult the CAA NL Medical Assessor. If you have questions about this process, please contact your AME.
Secondary reviews and objections
If you disagree with the results of your medical examination, first discuss this with your AME. The next step depends on who made the decision:
- If your AME or AeMC made the decision, you can ask CAA NL for a secondary review. You can request a review if you were declared medically unfit or if you disagree with a limitation on your medical certificate.
- If the CAA NL Medical Assessor made the decision, the decision letter explains which actions you can take if you disagree. Usually, this involves submitting an objection.
If you disagree with a decision made by your AME or AeMC, you can ask CAA NL in writing to review the decision. Include at least the following in your letter:
- Your name, address and city.
- The reason why you do not agree with the result.
- Your signature.
Send your letter to:
CAA NL
FAO: Team Aviation Medical
Postbus 16191
2500 BD Den Haag
the Netherlands
Write ‘MEDICAL CONFIDENTIAL’ on the envelope.
You must submit your request for a secondary review within 6 weeks of the date of the result of your medical examination. After this period, the CAA NL Medical Assessor has 8 weeks to make a decision. The decision period can be extended once by 8 weeks.
If you still disagree with the decision made by CAA NL, you can submit an objection. Another medical assessor will then make a decision regarding your objection. The medical assessor can consult independent medical advisors for this purpose. If you still disagree with the outcome, you can lodge an appeal.
Reporting a change to your aeromedical fitness
You must report changes to your aeromedical fitness to your examining doctor, including:
You must report the following health issues at any approved AeMC or to an authorised AME (in Dutch): if you are temporarily less medically fit, have been ill for more than 21 days, have had a medical procedure, will have a medical procedure soon, have been prescribed medication, or are temporarily unfit to fly or perform your duties for another reason.
If you are pregnant, this will impact your medical certificate. At the beginning of pregnancy, you are temporarily medically unfit because your body is changing. This means there is an increased risk of symptoms such as fatigue or dizziness.
For pilots, an AME can declare you fit up to the 26th week of pregnancy after receiving a written statement from your midwife or gynaecologist. You will receive a medical certificate with a limitation. After the 26th week of pregnancy, flying is no longer allowed. After childbirth or termination of pregnancy, you must report back to your AME.
For ATCO’s, FISO’s and ASO’s, your certificate remains valid until the end of the 34th week of pregnancy, provided the AME finds you medically fit. Please also read the information sheet Pregnant and Flying (in Dutch).
Managing medical dossiers
CAA NL manages the medical records of pilots, ATCOs and FISOs. CAA NL keeps your data safe and monitors compliance by AMEs and AeMCs. CAA NL uses medical data only for oversight and decisions related to your medical certificate.
Questions and answers
Always contact your AME or AeMC with any questions about the examination. Questions regarding the status of your certificate must also be directed to the centre or the examiner. CAA NL cannot provide information about the status of your certificate or share detailed medical information directly with you. CAA NL communicates only with the AeMC or the AME, for example in cases involving medical particulars.
If you have lost your medical certificate and it is still valid, you must report the loss to your AME or AeMC and request a duplicate. As long as you cannot show a valid medical certificate, you are not allowed to fly or perform your work as an ATCO or FISO.
No, if you do not have your medical certificate with you when you are flying or working, you are not allowed to fly or perform your work as an ATCO or FISO.
The costs of a medical examination and a medical certificate vary per AME or AeMC. CAA NL does not set these rates and has no influence over them.
If the examination reveals no issues requiring further assessment, you will usually receive the medical certificate immediately. For certain specific medical conditions, the examining doctor is required to consult the CAA NL Medical Assessor. In such cases, you will usually be informed within 3 weeks whether you will receive the certificate.
If you want to arrange a new aeromedical examination, you are free to choose from any approved AME or AeMC.
If you have already registered with an AME or AeMC and completed the application form, your file will be recorded in the central system that AMEs are required to use. From that moment, other doctors and centres can no longer access your file. You cannot complete the examination elsewhere.
You can stop the medical examination at any time. The AME or AeMC must also register and report an incomplete examination to CAA NL.
If another AME needs access to data from previous aeromedical examinations, or if you visit a different AME or AeMC for your examination, they may need to view relevant information from earlier medical assessments. This is only allowed with your permission. For this purpose, you must sign a written statement.