Get a seafarer medical certificate from a KMA-approved doctor
Kenya Maritime Authority · sources read 3 Oct 2026
Book an exam with a doctor on KMA's approved list and take your ID and the KMA request form. The certificate lasts up to 2 years, and KMA endorses it in 1 day for USD 5.
- Fee
- We couldn't confirm a fee from the official page. Check it there before you pay.
- How long
- KMA endorsement: 1 day
- Where
- A KMA-approved doctor (the list has doctors in Mombasa, Nairobi, Malindi and Kisumu), then Kenya Maritime Authority, Bahari Towers, Mbaraki Road, Mombasa for endorsement.
What you need
- KMA medical examination request form (FRM09), filled in by you or your employer
- Proof of identity (national ID or passport)
- Your previous seafarer medical certificate, if you have one
Steps
- Pick a doctor from KMA's list of medical practitioners authorised to examine seafarers.
- Download the medical examination request form from KMA's Seafarer's Hub. You or your employer fill it in (pre-sea or periodic exam).
- Go for the exam with your ID. The approved doctor issues the certificate for KMA, or recommends that KMA issues it.
- Take the doctor's medical examination report to KMA for endorsement. It costs USD 5.
Watch out
- The certificate lasts at most 2 years (1 year if you are under 18), so plan your next exam before it runs out.
- Refused or given restrictions? You can ask KMA to have another approved doctor review it, at your own cost.
- Each doctor's KMA approval has an expiry date on the list. Check it is still valid before you book.
Who can apply
- Seafarers aged 16 or older.
- Anyone who will work as a seafarer on a ship needs a valid one.
Official sources (4)
- Medical Practitioners Authorised by Kenya Maritime Authority to Conduct Medical Examination for Seafarers kma.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- The Merchant Shipping (Seafarer Medical Examination and Certification) Regulations, L.N. 42 of 2016 kma.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- Merchant Shipping Medical Examination Request Form (FRM09) kma.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026
- KMA English Citizens' Service Delivery Charter, July 2026 kma.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026