Prepare for the EASA Class 2 medical by treating it as an aero-medical examination under Part-MED. Apply through your competent authority's form, bring proof of identity and a complete signed medical declaration, and know the age-based validity rules before you book. Focus your study on the Part-MED assessment areas that match your own history, and gather the records that document stability.
What a Class 2 medical certificate actually is
The Class 2 certificate is an aeromedical fitness certificate issued under Part-MED of the European aircrew rules. You earn it by completing an aero-medical examination and being assessed as fit, not by passing a written knowledge test.
Part-MED is Annex IV to Regulation (EU) No 1178/2011, and it sets the medical standards for aircrew in EASA Member States. A pilot exercising private pilot licence (PPL) privileges must hold at least a valid class 2 medical certificate, and a student pilot must hold the required medical certificate before flying solo. So when people talk about the Class 2 examination, they mean the aero-medical examination and assessment that sits behind this certificate.
Only approved practitioners can issue it. An initial class 2 certificate is issued by an aero-medical centre (AeMC, an approved medical centre) or an aero-medical examiner (AME, a doctor certified for aero-medical assessments). Revalidation and renewal also go through an AeMC or an AME.
Two coverage rules are worth knowing early. A class 2 certificate includes the privileges and validity of a LAPL medical certificate, and a class 1 certificate includes both class 2 and LAPL. You may also not hold more than one Part-MED medical certificate at the same time.
What you must provide when you apply
You apply in the form your competent authority establishes, then provide proof of identity and sign a declaration covering your medical history, any previous applications, and any previous unfit assessments.
The application itself follows the form and manner set by the competent authority of your Member State, so check your national authority's process for booking and paperwork. The substantive requirements come from Part-MED and are the same across Member States.
At the examination you must provide the AeMC, AME or GMP with proof of your identity and a signed declaration. The declaration covers three things: the medical facts concerning your medical history; whether you have previously applied for a medical certificate or undergone an aero-medical examination, and if so by whom and with what result; and whether you have ever been assessed as unfit or had a certificate suspended or revoked.
If you are revalidating or renewing, present your most recent medical certificate before the examination. The associated guidance says the examiner should not start the examination without it, unless relevant information has been received from the medical assessor of the licensing authority.
Validity, revalidation and renewal
Validity depends on your age: 60 months up to age 40, 24 months from 40 to 50, and 12 months above 50, with fixed cut-offs at ages 42 and 51. You can revalidate up to 45 days before expiry without losing time.
A class 2 certificate issued while you are under 40 lasts 60 months, but it stops being valid once you reach 42 if that comes first. Between 40 and 50 it lasts 24 months, ceasing once you reach 51. Above 50 it lasts 12 months.
Dates are calculated in a specific way. For initial issue and renewal, validity runs from the date of the aero-medical examination. For revalidation, it runs from the expiry date of the previous certificate, which is why the early window matters: you can take the revalidation examination up to 45 days before your certificate expires without losing validity time.
If the certificate has already expired, the process depends on how long ago. Under two years expired, you take a routine revalidation examination. Expired more than two years but less than five, the AeMC or AME first assesses your aero-medical records. Expired more than five years, the initial-issue examination requirements apply.
Worked example
All four applicants hold or seek EASA class 2 medical certificates, and validity follows only the age-based rules above. Applicants A (born 1 July 1992), B (born 1 July 1987) and C (born 1 March 1981) each pass an initial examination on 10 June 2026. (a) State each certificate's expiry date. (b) Applicant D, aged 47, holds a certificate expiring 30 September 2026 and books a revalidation examination for 20 August 2026. Is that date allowed, and what is the new expiry?
Show answer
(a) A: 10 June 2031. B: 1 July 2029. C: 10 June 2028. (b) Yes, 20 August 2026 is allowed, and D's new certificate expires 30 September 2028.
A is 33 at examination, so 60 months apply, running to 10 June 2031; A turns 42 on 1 July 2034, after that date, so the 60 months govern. B is 38 at examination, so 60 months would run to 10 June 2031, but B turns 42 on 1 July 2029, and a certificate issued before age 40 ceases to be valid once the holder reaches 42, so B's certificate ends on 1 July 2029. C is 45 at examination, so 24 months apply, to 10 June 2028; C turns 51 on 1 March 2032, after that, so nothing is cut short. For D, revalidation may be undertaken up to 45 days before expiry: 45 days before 30 September 2026 is 16 August 2026, so 20 August is inside the window. Revalidation validity is calculated from the expiry date of the previous certificate, so 24 months from 30 September 2026 gives 30 September 2028.
| Age at examination | Validity period | Fixed cut-off |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40 | 60 months | Ceases once the holder reaches age 42 if that comes first |
| 40 to 50 | 24 months | Ceases once the holder reaches age 51 if that comes first |
| Over 50 | 12 months | None |
Which body systems are assessed
Part-MED lists the assessment areas explicitly: general requirements first, then one section per body system from cardiovascular to oncology. Treat these as your preparation map and read the sections relevant to your own history.
Subpart B of Part-MED starts with general rules: limitations to medical certificates and the general medical requirements that all pilots must meet. Section 2 then applies specifically to class 1 and class 2 applicants and sets out the system-by-system assessment areas. The table below is the map; the criteria for each system sit in the rules and their acceptable means of compliance, which you should read directly for any condition that affects you.
Be aware that the examiner can look beyond the routine assessment. Before issuing, revalidating or renewing, the AeMC, AME or, in a referral, the medical assessor may require additional medical examinations and investigations where there is a clinical or epidemiological indication.
If your goal is a light aircraft pilot licence (LAPL) rather than a PPL, note that LAPL medical certificates have their own separate assessment requirements in MED.B.095, with different AMC material. Confirm which certificate your licence actually needs before booking.
| Assessment area | Part-MED reference |
|---|---|
| Limitations to medical certificates | MED.B.001 |
| General medical requirements | MED.B.005 |
| 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; AMC & GM to Part-MED — Issue 2, Amendment 1 (ED Decision 2025/002/R) | EASA — EASA document library entry with AMC file and explanatory note
One area worked through: metabolic and endocrine
Metabolic and endocrine conditions are judged on demonstrated stability. Diabetes requiring insulin means an unfit assessment; diabetes not requiring insulin is unfit unless stable blood sugar control is demonstrated, and class 2 applicants on glucose-lowering medication are assessed in consultation with the medical assessor.
This area shows how a Part-MED rule reads in practice, and the same structure of binding rule plus guidance repeats across systems. The implementing rule states that applicants with metabolic, nutritional or endocrine dysfunction may be assessed as fit subject to demonstrated stability of the condition and a satisfactory aero-medical evaluation. On diabetes, applicants requiring insulin are assessed as unfit, and applicants not requiring insulin are unfit unless stable blood sugar control can be demonstrated. For class 2 applicants needing medication other than insulin for blood sugar control, fitness is assessed in consultation with the medical assessor of the licensing authority.
The guidance material then adds detail. Acceptable means of compliance (AMC) is guidance on how to comply, not a binding rule in itself. The AMC indicates a fit assessment may be considered when the dysfunction is asymptomatic, clinically compensated and stable, with or without replacement therapy, and regularly reviewed by an appropriate specialist. Similar condition-by-condition entries cover obesity, thyroid disorders, gout and abnormal glucose metabolism.
The preparation implication is direct. If this area concerns you, bring what documents stability: recent monitoring results, your specialist or GP review, and the exact names and doses of your medication. The assessment turns on demonstrated, reviewed control, and those records are the evidence.
If your case needs a second look
An out-of-limits finding is not a simple refusal. The examiner can require additional examinations, and a referral sends your documentation to the medical assessor of the licensing authority, who may issue or reissue the certificate.
When an applicant for a class 2 certificate is referred under the limitations rules, the AeMC or AME transfers the relevant medical documentation to the licensing authority. The medical assessor of the licensing authority reviews it and may issue or reissue a medical certificate. A deferral therefore means the assessor needs more information, not that the outcome is decided.
Ask the examiner what specific follow-up would resolve the question. Because the examiner can request further examinations and investigations where there is a clinical indication, the fastest route to a decision is usually the documentation you can supply, as covered in the sections above.
A short preparation checklist
Combine the sourced requirements with a compact personal file: identity documents, your current certificate if renewing, one accurate line per medical condition, and supporting records from your clinicians.
The first four items below are requirements from Part-MED or direct consequences of it. The rest are practical advice, not official requirements, but they follow the same logic: the assessment works best when your history is complete and documented.
- Apply using your competent authority's form and book with an AME or AeMC; ask them about fees when you book.
- Bring proof of identity, and your most recent medical certificate if you are revalidating or renewing.
- Declare your full medical history, including previous applications, results and any past unfit assessment, in the signed declaration.
- If revalidation is due, book within the 45-day window before expiry so your new validity runs from the old expiry date.
- Advice: write one line per condition — diagnosis, treatment, date of the last change, and treating clinician.
- Advice: request review letters from your GP or specialists in advance, and bring prescription records.
- Advice: bring your current glasses or contact lenses and their prescription.
- Advice: do not stop prescribed medication before the examination on your own; ask the AME first, since an unannounced change makes the assessment harder, not easier.
Sources
Facts checked against official EASA documents: