If you want to work on a yacht, the first thing anyone will tell you is that you need an ENG1. And if you are not British, there is a good chance you have never heard of it and have no idea what it means.
Here is the simple version. The ENG1 is the UK's name for a seafarer medical certificate, a piece of paper that proves you are healthy enough to work at sea. It is one of the two things, alongside your STCW, that you legally must have before anyone can pay you to work as crew. No valid medical, no interview, no contract. This guide covers what it is, what it costs, how long it lasts, what happens at the appointment, and the one thing most crew get confused about: whether you actually need the UK version at all.
What the ENG1 actually is
The ENG1 is a medical examination that confirms you are fit to work on a seagoing vessel. It is issued by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, usually shortened to the MCA, and carried out by a doctor the MCA has approved.
Why it matters so much comes down to law, not preference. There is an international rule called the Maritime Labour Convention, and it says that every person working as paid crew on a commercial vessel must hold a valid seafarer medical certificate. Yachts that carry paying guests or employ paid crew count as commercial vessels, so this applies to you whether you are a deckhand, a stew, a chef or an engineer. It is not a formality that some yachts enforce and others ignore. Port authorities can inspect a vessel and ask to see crew documentation, and a crew member on board without a valid medical creates a legal problem for the captain and the boat. That is why no captain will hire you without it.
The most important thing to understand: you don't need the UK one
This is the part that confuses almost every crew member who is not from Britain, so it is worth being clear about.
You do not need the specific UK ENG1. The ENG1 is simply the UK's version of a seafarer medical. Almost every country runs its own equivalent, issued by its own maritime authority, and because they are all issued to the same Maritime Labour Convention standard, they are accepted on commercial yachts anywhere in the world, no matter where the yacht is registered.
A few of the common ones you will hear about:
- ENG1 is the UK certificate, and it is the one most people in the superyacht world name by default. It is issued by MCA-approved doctors and recognised everywhere.
- SAMSA is the South African seafarer medical. For South African crew it is usually cheaper and easier to arrange at home before flying to a yachting hub, and the UK recognises it as equivalent.
- ML5 is a lighter UK medical for small commercial vessels operating within 60 miles of a safe haven. It is not a substitute for the ENG1 if you want a serious superyacht career, so don't let anyone talk you into it as a shortcut.
If you are starting out and there is an MCA-approved doctor near you, getting the ENG1 itself is the cleanest option because nobody ever questions it. But if that means an expensive trip you cannot afford yet, know that your own country's equivalent will get you on board just as well. Get the medical sorted at home, from a maritime-approved doctor, and you are good to go.
What it costs and how long it lasts
Costs vary by country and by doctor, but as a rough guide the ENG1 runs somewhere between £80 and £180, with around £115 being typical in the UK. It is not an expensive certificate next to your STCW, and it is one of the fastest to arrange.
On validity, the standard for adults is up to two years. Two things can shorten it. If you are over 40, the certificate is often issued for one year rather than two. And if the doctor finds a condition that needs watching, they may issue a shorter certificate or one with restrictions. Either way, the rule to remember is simple: renew it before it expires, not after. An expired medical means you cannot legally work, and sorting a renewal at the last minute, in a foreign port, in peak season, is exactly the kind of avoidable stress you don't want.
What actually happens at the appointment
The examination is quick, usually somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour, and there is nothing to dread. It is a general fitness check, not an ordeal.
The doctor will typically test your eyesight, colour vision included, since some roles require you to tell navigation lights apart correctly. They will check your hearing, your blood pressure, your height and weight, and go through your general medical history. There may be a urine test. You do not need to fast beforehand, and you are allowed to bring someone with you if you want to.
A few practical notes. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, bring them and bring your prescription. If you have any ongoing medical condition or take regular medication, bring the details, because being upfront is far better than having something surface later. And book it early rather than late. Getting the medical done before you start job-hunting means that if something does come up, you have time to deal with it instead of losing a job offer over it.
If you fail or get a restriction
Failing outright is uncommon, but it happens, and it is not the end of your career. If the doctor cannot pass you, you get a letter explaining why and what you can do about it. Some issues are temporary and clear up. Some can be treated and then re-examined. For colour vision in particular, there is a further test that assesses severity, and passing it can still allow an unrestricted certificate.
A restricted certificate is more common than an outright fail. It might keep you off certain lookout duties, for example. It still lets you work, just not in every role, so it is worth knowing where you stand before you apply for jobs that a restriction would rule out.
Where the ENG1 fits on your CV
Once you have it, the ENG1 belongs in the certificates section of your CV, with its expiry date visible. This matters more than crew realise. A captain or recruiter scanning your CV is checking, before anything else, that your STCW and medical are current. A certificate listed with no expiry date reads as either careless or as something you are hiding, and neither helps you.
List it clearly, show the date, and keep it honest. When it is getting close to expiry, renew it and update the date on your CV. This is exactly the kind of detail that is easy to let slip and that quietly costs people interviews, which is why keeping all your certificate dates in one place and staying on top of them is worth the small effort.
The bottom line
The ENG1 is one of the easiest and cheapest boxes to tick on your way into yachting, and one of the most important, because without a valid seafarer medical you cannot legally be hired at all. Get it early, from an approved doctor in whichever country is easiest for you, keep it current, and show the date clearly on your CV. That is the whole job.
If you are still building the CV that this certificate goes on, dajCV structures your certificates, sea service and visas into the one-page format crew agencies expect, so nothing important gets buried or left off.