Seafarer Medical Guides
Plain-language guides on vision, hearing, the medical examination and medical certificates — each with its sources, jurisdiction and review dates.
- Medical CertificateUnderstanding Your Seafarer Medical CertificateWhat a seafarer medical certificate states, what limitations mean, and how validity works.
- Medical ExaminationHow to Prepare for a Seafarer Medical ExaminationA practical guide to preparing for your seafarer medical examination — from booking to the day itself.
- HearingPreparing for a Hearing TestSimple steps to make sure your hearing test reflects your normal hearing.
- HearingEngine-Room Noise and Hearing ProtectionWhy engine-room noise damages hearing, and how to choose and use hearing protection that works.
- HearingUnderstanding AudiometryWhat happens in a pure-tone hearing test, how to read an audiogram, and what the results can and cannot show.
- VisionPreparing for an Eye ExaminationHow to prepare for the vision part of your seafarer medical so the result reflects your true eyesight.
- VisionSeafarers and GlassesPractical advice for seafarers who wear glasses or contact lenses — at the medical and on board.
- VisionColour Vision and SeafarersWhy colour vision matters at sea, how it is tested, and why finding out early matters for deck careers.
- VisionUnderstanding Visual AcuityHow visual acuity is tested with letter charts, what affects your result, and how to get an accurate measurement.
- VisionWhat Is 20/20 Vision?20/20 explained in plain language, with its metric equivalent and what it does not tell you.
- VisionWhat Is 6/6 Vision?What 6/6 means on an eye test, how it relates to 20/20, and what "corrected" and "uncorrected" vision mean for seafarers.