Norwegian seafarer's doctors

All seafarers on board Norwegian vessels are required to provide a Norwegian medical certificate when signing on to ensure that the employee is medically fit for service. Such medical certificates may only be issued by an especially appointed seafarer’s doctor.

Medical practitioners with practice outside of Norway are approved as seafarer's doctors by a Norwegian foreign service mission on behalf of the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA). Approval as seafarer's doctors is granted for a period of one to five years.

The approval may be withdrawn if it is likely that the medical practitioner no longer satisfies the conditions for approval or that the medical practitioner's administrative procedure is not in compliance with the requirements of these Regulations or the Public Administration Act.

How to apply for approval

If you wish to be approved for conducting Norwegian maritime medicals, you must send your written application by post to the embassy in Canberra. The application must include the following documentation:

Application form
Confirmation of your registration as a doctor
An Ophthalmologist's report confirming that you have normal colour vision
Confirmation that you have passed a basic course in maritime medicine approved by NMA
Declaration that you have a quality system in accordance with an international standard

The act of lodging an application does not guarantee approval as a Norwegian seafarer’s doctor. Your application will be assessed by the embassy based on the provided documentation and the need for approved doctors in your geographical area. The embassy may on request provide a preliminary assessment of the need for further doctors in your geographical area before you attend a course in maritime medicine approved by NMA. However, such assessment cannot take into account future changes, and does not guarantee approval if an application is later lodged.

All applications will be assessed individually in the order they are received. Approved doctors will receive a conditional approval letter from the embassy. Before you can begin conducting Norwegian maritime medicals, you must obtain a Norwegian national ID-number (“D-number”) and log-in details for the online portal for submission of electronic medical certificates. Information regarding this process will be included in the approval letter. Once you are ready to use the electronic submission system, the embassy will issue you with an “Approval Certificate”.

How to renew an existing approval

Approvals are given for a specified time periode. Renewals are not automatically granted. Applications for renewal must be sent to the embassy in Canberra by post or email no later than one month before your existing approval expires. If you apply after the expiry date, a new complete application will be required.

The application must include the following documentation:

Application form
Confirmation of your registration as a doctor
Confirmation that you have passed a refresher course in maritime medicine approved by the NMA
Declaration that you have a quality system in accordance with an international standard