The Regulations on medical examination of employees on Norwegian ships and mobile offshore units (the Health Regulations) shall ensure that the employee is medically fit for service on board, is not suffering from a medical condition likely to be aggravated by service at sea or to endanger the health and safety or other persons on board.
Guidance to the Regulations
The Norwegian center of maritime medicine has developed the guidance to the Regulation in co-operation with the NMA. The guidance is a dynamic reference book made of cases processed by the appellate body. The guidance will be updated accordingly to feedback from the seafarer's doctors.
Please find an updated version of the guidance
Overview of NMA approved seafarerʼs doctors
You will find an overview of all NMA approved seafarerʼs doctors from the link available under "Related topics".
The approval and task of a seafarerʼs doctor
A seafarer's doctor is an authorised medical practitioner approved by Norwegian authorities to perform medical examinations and make decisions in accordance with the provisions of the Regulations concerning the medical examination of employees on Norwegian ships and mobile offshore units.
An approval as seafarer's doctor requires that the medical practitioner is authorised in accordance with national requirements in the country where he/she has a practice. Medical practitioners with practice in Norway shall be approved as seafarer’s doctors by the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA). Medical practitioners with practice outside of Norway shall be approved as seafarer’s doctors by a Norwegian Foreign Service Mission on behalf of the Norwegian Maritime Authority, cf. section 7, 7 paragraph in the Regulations of 5 June 2014 No. 805 on medical examination of employees on Norwegian ships and mobile offshore units. Norwegian Foreign Service Missions consider the need for approving seafarer’s doctors, based on demand from persons working on Norwegian flagged vessels and the number of seafarer’s doctors in their region.
Norwegian centre of maritime medicine
The Norwegian Maritime Authority co-operates closely with the Norwegian centre of maritime medicine regarding medical questions. The Norwegian centre of maritime medicine arranges courses according to section 7 of the Regulations. For more information about courses in maritime medicine, please visit http://www.ncmm.no/.
When are medical practitioners required to complete a course in maritime medisine?
Requirements for courses in maritime medisine and transitional arrangements according to the Health Regulations.
Medical practitioners who are already approved seafarer’s doctors will be included in the transitional arrangement in section 19 of the Health Regulations, and will therefore have 5 years from the entry into force of the Regulations in order to complete the course. Medical practitioner who are not approved seafarer’s doctors when the Regulations enter into force must complete a course in maritime medicine approved by the Norwegian Maritime Authority before they can be approved as seafarer’s doctors. Seafarer’s doctors must complete a refresher course approved by the Norwegian Maritime Authority within each approval period in order to have their approval renewed.
- Requirements for basic course in order to become approved seafarer's doctor - Medical practitioners without prior approval must complete a Basic course for seafarer’s doctors before they can be approved.
- Requirements for refresher course after 1 JULY 2019 - A refresher course must be completed during the approval period.