The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has published a list of overseas-based doctors approved to provide medical services for UK seafarers, the agency confirmed on 25 August 2026.
The publication, titled Guidance: MCA approved doctors for overseas, makes available the names and locations of practitioners outside the United Kingdom who are accepted by the MCA to undertake medical assessments for seafarers. It is intended as a reference for seafarers and employers who need to arrange medical examinations while abroad.
The existence of an MCA-approved overseas list aims to provide clarity on which practitioners meet the agency’s requirements for examinations that support seafaring certification. The document is presented by the MCA as a single accessible source for those seeking clinicians recognised for work linked to seafaring medical fitness.
Shipping companies, manning agents and individual seafarers will find the list relevant when scheduling medicals that contribute to statutory or company fitness determinations while outside UK territory. The guidance does not replace local regulatory or employer obligations but serves to indicate practitioners the MCA accepts for the purposes set out in its guidance.
The MCA published the list on 25 August 2026 and it is recorded under the title Guidance: MCA approved doctors for overseas. The agency’s publication supplies the international contacts it recognises so that interested parties can identify appropriate medical practitioners when operating globally.
Practical use for seafarers and employers
The list provides a starting point for locating clinicians who have been accepted by the MCA to perform examinations for UK seafarers. Employers arranging voyages, crewing or medical appointments can consult the guidance when planning overseas medical assessments to ensure practitioners they engage are included on the MCA list.
Consultation of the guidance should be part of wider voyage and crewing preparations, particularly where a seafarer requires a medical assessment to satisfy conditions of employment or certification. The list is a reference rather than an exclusive directory, and users should confirm arrangements with the doctor and the MCA as appropriate.
Scope and intended audience
The guidance applies to those seeking information about practitioners outside the UK who are recognised by the MCA for seafarer medicals. It will be of use to individual seafarers, company medical officers, crewing agents and others who coordinate or rely upon overseas medical examinations for seafaring personnel.
Those consulting the list should bear in mind it is produced by the MCA to indicate the practitioners it accepts; any legal or regulatory obligations that attach to medical certification remain the responsibility of the certificating authority, the seafarer and the employer.
Publication details and access
The MCA published the guidance on 25 August 2026 under the heading Guidance: MCA approved doctors for overseas, and it should be obtainable from the agency’s official publications. Users seeking the information are directed to consult the MCA’s published material for the full list and any accompanying instructions or notes provided by the agency.
The release provides an official reference point for those arranging medical services internationally on behalf of UK seafarers and underlines the MCA’s continuing role in setting and communicating the parameters by which overseas clinicians are accepted for seafaring medical work.
The MCA’s publication of this overseas list on 25 August 2026 supplies employers and seafarers with a clear reference; those with immediate need for a recognised practitioner should consult the guidance and make direct contact with the named clinicians and the MCA where necessary.