Prepare for the CASA Class 3 medical examination by getting the process right rather than studying content. Book with a designated aviation medical examiner, pay the $75 processing fee in CASA's Medical Records System before submitting, bring a current list of your conditions and medications with any specialist reports, and allow up to 20 business days for processing. Your examiner and CASA's AvMed team assess your health status; there is no syllabus to memorise.
What the Class 3 certificate covers
The Class 3 medical certificate lets you exercise the privileges of an air traffic control licence or work as a flight service officer. It is a health assessment, not a knowledge test.
CASA requires pilots and air traffic controllers to hold a current medical certificate to exercise the privileges of their licence. The certificate class reflects your licence type and what you can do under it. Class 3 applies specifically to air traffic control licences and to flight service officers.
Because this is a medical assessment, there is no syllabus to memorise. Your medical examiner and CASA's Aviation Medicine (AvMed) team look at your medical conditions, your medications and your overall health status. CASA delegates then decide whether to grant the certificate.
A medical issue does not automatically mean refusal. In most cases you can gain a certificate even when a condition is present. CASA's delegates assess the medical risk and may apply safety measures, such as conditions written onto your certificate.
Sources used: Classes 1 to 3 medical certificates | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Class 3 medical certificate section
Who examines you and how the decision is made
A designated aviation medical examiner (DAME) performs the examination, and you apply and pay through CASA's Medical Records System (MRS) in myCASA before your examiner submits the assessment.
A DAME is a doctor CASA has designated to perform aviation medical examinations under Part 67 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. For eye and vision assessments, CASA expects these to be done by a designated aviation ophthalmologist or a credentialed optometrist where those specialists are available.
The application runs through MRS inside myCASA. The process includes an applicant questionnaire, a clinical examination, and submission of the completed assessment by your examiner to CASA. Your Aviation Reference Number identifies you in the system.
You must pay the application fee in MRS before you can submit. Your DAME or their medical receptionist can usually help you complete the payment during your visit.
Sources used: Classes 1 to 3 medical certificates | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Class 3 medical certificate section; CASA Aviation Medicine Examiner Handbook, August 2025 (Examiner Handbook V6.1, December 2025) — Chapters 2, 4 and 6; Medical certificate fees, payments and processing | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Processing fees and processing times sections
What the medical examination involves
The examination combines a health questionnaire, a clinical examination and, where indicated, further tests or specialist reports. The examiner handbook covers a defined set of test categories for aviation medicals.
Your examiner reviews your questionnaire responses, performs the clinical examination, and requests further clinical information or referrals if needed. The depth of testing depends on your history, your age and the class of certificate.
CASA's examiner handbook lists the medical test categories used for aviation assessments: blood pressure, hearing tests, visual acuity, colour vision, urine analysis, ECGs, cardiovascular risk assessment, spirometry, sleep apnoea risk assessment, and tests for alcohol and other drugs. Additional tests apply to Class 1 and Class 3 assessments beyond those required for Class 2.
Two cautions keep your expectations accurate. First, CASA publishes a separate additional tests chart showing which age-related tests may apply; the exact set for you depends on your circumstances, so ask your DAME rather than assuming a fixed list. Second, the specific clinical standards and values used to judge results sit in current CASA material and with your examiner, so treat any figure you read elsewhere as unverified.
Sources used: CASA Aviation Medicine Examiner Handbook, August 2025 (Examiner Handbook V6.1, December 2025) — Chapters 2, 4 and 6; Medical certificate fees, payments and processing | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Processing fees and processing times sections
Validity and renewal
A Class 3 medical certificate is valid for two years, unless CASA advises otherwise. Renewal means a fresh application, so plan around your expiry date and the processing time.
The two-year validity is the default position; CASA can advise a different period in individual cases. Mark your expiry date well in advance of flying or controlling duties that depend on it.
If your medical is due to expire within two weeks and you are worried the assessment will not finish in time, contact CASA directly. An extension of a medical certificate is also available as a paid service, listed at $50.
Sources used: Classes 1 to 3 medical certificates | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Class 3 medical certificate section; Medical certificate fees, payments and processing | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Processing fees and processing times sections
Fees, payment and processing times
The CASA processing fee for a Class 3 medical is $75, paid in MRS before submission. The standard service target is 20 business days once your application is complete.
The fee covers CASA's work to process and consider your application, not the medical examination itself. It depends on the certificate class, not on whether it is an initial issue or a renewal. It is also separate from your DAME's consultation costs, which you should confirm with the practice directly.
Payment runs through MRS by Visa or MasterCard. If you apply for multiple classes in the same application, you pay a single $75 processing fee.
Processing time depends heavily on completeness. The 20-business-day standard starts only when CASA has received your payment and every document needed to assess the application. A straightforward application that needs no extra tests or reports currently takes up to four weeks, while complex cases assessed through Complex Case Management can take an additional three to four weeks. Applications needing extra test results or specialist reports average around 50 days, largely driven by how long those documents take to arrive.
| Request type | CASA processing fee |
|---|---|
| Class 3 medical | $75.00 |
| Extension of medical certificate | $50.00 |
| Reconsideration of application | $150.00 |
How to prepare before your appointment
Preparation is administrative: book the right examiner, pay early, and bring complete documentation so your application is assessable the first time.
Most delays come from missing payment, outstanding tests, or specialist reports that have not arrived. A short preparation routine removes almost all of them.
- Confirm or create your myCASA access and locate your Aviation Reference Number
- Book an appointment with a DAME and ask when making the appointment whether any age-related additional tests apply to you
- Pay the $75 processing fee in MRS before you submit the application
- Prepare a current list of all medications, including over-the-counter products
- Gather any specialist reports or recent test results relevant to your conditions
- Disclose your medical conditions openly with your examiner; the assessment is built on the declared picture of your health
- Allow up to 20 business days for processing, or longer if reports are needed
Sources used: Classes 1 to 3 medical certificates | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Class 3 medical certificate section; CASA Aviation Medicine Examiner Handbook, August 2025 (Examiner Handbook V6.1, December 2025) — Chapters 2, 4 and 6; Medical certificate fees, payments and processing | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Processing fees and processing times sections
If you have a medical condition
A diagnosed condition usually does not block certification. CASA's delegates assess the risk and can issue a certificate with conditions attached as safety measures.
CASA states plainly that in most cases you can gain a medical certificate even when a medical issue is present. The delegate weighs your risk and may manage it with conditions on the certificate rather than refusing it. What matters is that your examiner and the AvMed team see the complete, current picture of your conditions, medications and health status.
Expect a longer timeline if specialist input is needed. CASA may request additional test results, specialist reports or further information from your DAME, and there can be weeks to months between the initial application and the arrival of those documents. The 20-business-day clock starts at the last required piece of documentation.
If an application is refused or you disagree with a decision, a reconsideration service exists for a $150 fee. The examiner handbook also sets out the processes for suspensions, cancellations, refusals and reviews, so you have defined avenues rather than an all-or-nothing outcome.
Sources used: Classes 1 to 3 medical certificates | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Class 3 medical certificate section; CASA Aviation Medicine Examiner Handbook, August 2025 (Examiner Handbook V6.1, December 2025) — Chapters 2, 4 and 6; Medical certificate fees, payments and processing | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Processing fees and processing times sections
Worked example: a new medication between renewals
If your health or medication changes while your certificate is current, the sound step is to raise the change with your DAME or CASA's AvMed team so your certificate rests on accurate information.
Medication questions are among the easiest to get wrong, because a common purchase feels unrelated to a regulatory certificate. The exercise below tests the reasoning once, with the alternatives you are most likely to consider.
Practice check
You hold a current Class 3 medical certificate. Six months before its renewal, a doctor starts you on a new medication whose label warns that it may cause drowsiness. Which course of action best matches the certification process? A) Say nothing until renewal, because your certificate is still valid. B) Stop taking the medication immediately, since drowsiness could affect your duties. C) Raise the change with your DAME or CASA's AvMed team so your certificate details reflect your current health and medications. D) Ask the pharmacist whether the medication affects medical certificates.
Show answer
C
The assessment is built on your declared medical conditions, medications and health status, and the examiner handbook treats reporting of safety-relevant conditions as part of the process. Option C keeps the certificate aligned with your actual health. Option A leaves the certificate resting on an outdated picture, and a drowsiness effect is directly relevant to a vigilance-critical role. Option B is a treatment decision that belongs to your prescribing doctor, not a regulatory step you should take unilaterally. Option D fails because a pharmacist cannot assess aviation medical certification; only your DAME and CASA's AvMed team can.
Sources used: Classes 1 to 3 medical certificates | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Class 3 medical certificate section; CASA Aviation Medicine Examiner Handbook, August 2025 (Examiner Handbook V6.1, December 2025) — Chapters 2, 4 and 6
Your next steps
Work through the process in order: examiner, payment, documentation, then submission, with the official CASA pages open as you go.
The strongest application is a complete one. Book your DAME early, pay in MRS before submitting, and hand your examiner everything relevant at the appointment so the 20-business-day clock starts as soon as possible.
For the authoritative detail, use CASA's own pages on classes of medical certificates, the steps to apply, and the fee schedule. Your DAME remains the right person for anything specific to your health, including which additional tests apply to you and what the current standards mean for your situation.
- Read CASA's page on Class 1 to 3 medical certificates to confirm the class you need
- Follow CASA's steps to apply for a medical certificate
- Check the current fee schedule before you pay in MRS
- Keep the additional tests chart handy and confirm your own test list with your DAME
Sources used: Classes 1 to 3 medical certificates | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Class 3 medical certificate section; Medical certificate fees, payments and processing | Civil Aviation Safety Authority — Processing fees and processing times sections
Sources used
Facts checked against CASA sources: