The EASA class 1 medical examination is a clinical aero-medical assessment under Part-MED, not a written test, so preparation means paperwork and timing rather than revision. Confirm whether your appointment is an initial issue, a revalidation or a renewal, because this decides who examines you and which rules apply. Book an aero-medical centre (AeMC) for initial issue, or an AeMC or aero-medical examiner (AME) for revalidation and renewal. Bring proof of identity, your most recent medical certificate if you have one, and documents supporting your signed declaration of medical history. If you are revalidating, attend up to 45 days before expiry; otherwise a renewal with stricter requirements applies.
What the class 1 examination actually is
It is a clinical aero-medical examination and assessment under Part-MED, the medical annex to EASA's aircrew rules. There is no written paper; your preparation task is administrative.
Part-MED is Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, and it sets the medical requirements for pilots in EASA Member States. A medical certificate may only be issued, revalidated or renewed once the required aero-medical examinations and assessments are complete and you have been assessed as fit.
That framing changes what preparation means. You cannot revise your way to fitness, but you can control which appointment you book, which provider examines you, and whether your declaration and records are complete on the day.
This guide walks through each step: who needs a class 1 certificate, where the examination happens, what is assessed, and how validity, revalidation and renewal work.
Sources: AMC & GM to Part-MED — Issue 2, Amendment 1 (ED Decision 2025/002/R) | EASA — Document library entry, published 05 Feb 2025; Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011), revision from August 2023 | EASA — Annex IV (Part-MED), MED.A.030–MED.A.050 and Subpart B table of contents
Which licences require a class 1 certificate
You must hold a valid class 1 certificate to exercise the privileges of a CPL, MPL or ATPL. A class 1 certificate also covers class 2 and LAPL privileges.
Under MED.A.030, a pilot exercising the privileges of a commercial pilot licence (CPL), multi-crew pilot licence (MPL) or airline transport pilot licence (ATPL) must hold a valid class 1 medical certificate. Private flying has lower requirements: a PPL holder needs at least a class 2 certificate, and LAPL holders need at least a LAPL medical certificate.
A class 1 medical certificate includes the privileges and validities of class 2 and LAPL medical certificates. If you hold a class 1 certificate, it covers recreational flying as well.
One restriction is easy to overlook: a licence holder may not hold more than one medical certificate issued under Part-MED at the same time.
Where you are examined and how to apply
Initial class 1 certificates are issued only by an aero-medical centre. Revalidation and renewal can be done by an AeMC or an authorised aero-medical examiner, and applications require identity proof and a signed declaration of your medical history.
An aero-medical centre (AeMC) is an approved organisation that conducts aero-medical examinations; an aero-medical examiner (AME) is a doctor authorised to do so. For class 1 certificates the distinction matters: initial issuance must happen at an AeMC. Revalidation and renewal of a class 1 certificate may be carried out by an AeMC or an AME.
Applications follow the form and manner set by your national competent authority. You must provide proof of your identity and a signed declaration covering your medical history, whether you have previously applied for or undergone a medical examination and with what result, and whether you have ever been assessed as unfit or had a certificate suspended or revoked.
If you already hold a certificate and are attending for revalidation or renewal, present your most recent medical certificate before the examination begins.
What the examination assesses
Part-MED defines assessed medical areas covering the major body systems and condition groups, shared by class 1 and class 2 certificates, with an additional haemoglobin test required at every class 1 examination.
The medical requirements for class 1 and class 2 certificates sit in Part-MED Subpart B, Section 2, organised by system. The table of contents of the Easy Access Rules shows the areas listed below; each has its own requirements, acceptable means of compliance and guidance material in the full document.
The examiner may require additional examinations or investigations where there is a clinical or epidemiological indication before issuing, revalidating or renewing your certificate.
One requirement is specific to class 1: applicants must undergo a haemoglobin test at each aero-medical examination. The detailed numeric standards for each system are set out in the MED.B texts themselves, which you can read in the Easy Access Rules publication.
- Cardiovascular system (MED.B.010)
- Respiratory system (MED.B.015)
- Digestive system (MED.B.020)
- Metabolic and endocrine systems (MED.B.025)
- Haematology (MED.B.030)
- Genitourinary system (MED.B.035)
- Infectious disease (MED.B.040)
- Obstetrics and gynaecology (MED.B.045)
- Musculoskeletal system (MED.B.050)
- Mental health (MED.B.055)
- Neurology (MED.B.065)
- Visual system (MED.B.070)
- Colour vision (MED.B.075)
- Otorhinolaryngology, ENT (MED.B.080)
- Dermatology (MED.B.085)
- Oncology (MED.B.090)
Sources: Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011), revision from August 2023 | EASA — Annex IV (Part-MED), MED.A.030–MED.A.050 and Subpart B table of contents; Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011), revision from August 2023 | EASA — Annex IV (Part-MED), MED.B.025–MED.B.080 excerpt
Validity, revalidation and renewal
A class 1 certificate is valid for 12 months, or 6 months in defined cases. You can revalidate up to 45 days before expiry; after expiry, renewal rules apply that depend on how long the certificate has lapsed.
Class 1 medical certificates are valid for 12 months. Two groups have a shorter 6-month validity: licence holders engaged in single-pilot commercial air transport carrying passengers who have reached age 40, and all holders who have reached age 60.
Timing changes the type of appointment. For revalidation, the aero-medical examination may be undertaken up to 45 days before the certificate expires. If you let it lapse, you need a renewal instead. The validity start date differs too: after initial issue and renewal, validity runs from the examination date, while after revalidation it runs from the previous certificate's expiry date.
Renewal requirements scale with the lapse. If the certificate expired less than 2 years ago, a routine revalidation-style examination is performed. Between 2 and 5 years, the AeMC or AME must first assess your aero-medical records before conducting the renewal examination. Beyond 5 years, the examination requirements for initial issue apply again, though the assessment is based on the revalidation requirements.
Worked example
Your class 1 medical certificate expired three years ago and you want to return to commercial flying. Which procedure applies, and what must happen before you are examined?
Show answer
A renewal applies. Because the certificate has been expired for more than 2 years but less than 5 years, the AeMC or AME must first assess your aero-medical records and only then conduct the renewal aero-medical examination.
MED.A.045(c)(2) sets three tiers for class 1 and class 2 certificates. Under 2 years of expiry, a routine revalidation examination is enough. Between 2 and 5 years, the record assessment comes first, which is why you should request your records from the previous AeMC or AME before booking. Over 5 years, the initial-issue examination requirements apply. The lapse in this scenario, three years, falls in the middle tier.
| Time since expiry | What applies |
|---|---|
| Less than 2 years | Routine revalidation aero-medical examination |
| More than 2 but less than 5 years | AeMC or AME assesses your aero-medical records before performing the renewal examination |
| More than 5 years | Initial-issue examination requirements apply; the assessment follows the revalidation requirements |
Referral to the medical assessor
If your case is referred under Part-MED, the decision passes to the medical assessor of the licensing authority, who receives your medical documentation from the AeMC or AME.
Referral is a defined procedure, not a verdict. When an applicant for a class 1 certificate is referred in accordance with Part-MED, the AeMC or AME transfers the relevant medical documentation to the licensing authority.
The medical assessor of the licensing authority may issue or reissue a medical certificate. If you are referred, the practical next step is to provide any additional reports the assessor requests promptly, so the documentation reaching the authority is complete.
Preparing your documents before the appointment
As practical preparation, assemble your identity document, your current or most recent certificate, and written support for everything you declare in your medical history.
The following is practical advice, not a regulatory requirement. The declaration itself is required: you sign a statement of your medical history and of any previous applications or aero-medical examinations, including whether you were ever assessed as unfit or had a certificate suspended or revoked.
Because the declaration is signed and factual, preparing it in writing at home reduces the risk of omitting something. A simple list of past diagnoses, current and past prescriptions, previous medical examinations and their outcomes covers what the form asks about.
For a revalidation or renewal, remember that presenting your most recent medical certificate before the examination is required, and that examiners should not start the examination without it unless information comes from the licensing authority's medical assessor.
Final checklist before your appointment
Confirm your appointment type, book the right provider, and bring the documents the procedure requires.
Work through this list before the day itself, because most items cannot be fixed at the counter.
- Identify your appointment type: initial issue, revalidation, or renewal
- Book an AeMC for an initial class 1; an AeMC or AME for revalidation or renewal
- If revalidating, book within the 45-day window before expiry to avoid a renewal
- Check your validity period: 12 months normally, 6 months from age 60, or from age 40 in single-pilot commercial air transport carrying passengers
- Bring proof of identity
- Bring your most recent medical certificate if you are revalidating or renewing
- Prepare your signed declaration content: full medical history, previous applications and examinations, and any past unfit assessments, suspensions or revocations
- If your certificate expired more than 2 years ago, arrange for your aero-medical records to be available for assessment first
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