OGUK / OEUK Medical, explained
The offshore-worker fitness-to-work certificate for the UK Continental Shelf. Examined by OEUK-registered doctors against the OEUK medical guidelines. Renamed from OGUK to OEUK Medical in 2022 when Oil & Gas UK became Offshore Energies UK.
The OEUK Medical certificate sits alongside BOSIET and MIST as the third leg of the UKCS offshore-worker compliance set. Where BOSIET tests survival skills and MIST tests safety-system knowledge, the OEUK Medical tests whether the worker is physically fit for the offshore environment. No medical, no helicopter, no rig.
How much does an OGUK medical cost?
An OGUK medical, now officially the OEUK medical, typically costs £120–250 in the UK depending on the clinic and location. The base fee covers the history review, physical examination, vision and hearing tests, urine analysis and the certificate. Extra tests such as a chest X-ray add to the price.
How long is an OGUK medical valid?
An OEUK medical certificate is valid for up to two years from the examination date. The doctor can issue a shorter certificate where a condition needs follow-up, and some operators require annual medicals for specific roles. Renewal means a fresh in-person examination with an OEUK-registered doctor.
What is the difference between OGUK and OEUK?
Nothing in substance. Oil & Gas UK rebranded to Offshore Energies UK in February 2022, so the OGUK medical became the OEUK medical. The examination, the registered-doctor requirement and the two-year validity are unchanged, and certificates issued under either name are accepted across the UK Continental Shelf.
CertVault tells you when your OEUK (OGUK) medical renewal is due — 60 days ahead, for every cert you hold. Free for workers.
Track my OEUK medical free →Why the OEUK Medical exists
Offshore work places extraordinary physical demands on workers. The journey out begins with a helicopter flight; the return journey only happens at the end of a multi-week rotation. While on the installation, workers may need to evacuate at short notice — by survival craft, life raft, or in extremis by jumping. Routine medical care is limited to the rig medic; serious medical events require helicopter evacuation in flyable weather.
The OEUK Medical exists to confirm — before a worker mobilises — that their physical condition is compatible with these demands. The standard is not a normal occupational-health screen. It is calibrated specifically for the offshore environment: cardiovascular fitness, hearing and vision adequate for emergency response, no conditions that would deteriorate dangerously while away from medical care, and the ability to participate in survival drills.
The certificate is mandatory across the UK Continental Shelf. Operators do not waive it. A worker arriving for mobilisation without a current OEUK Medical will not be flown out, regardless of role or seniority.
What the examination involves
Medical history review
Past conditions, current medications, family history of relevant conditions, lifestyle factors.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Height and weight check; significant outliers may require further assessment.
Blood pressure
Resting blood pressure measurement; elevated readings may require follow-up.
Vision
Distance and near acuity testing, colour-vision testing where relevant to the role.
Hearing (audiometry)
Tone-threshold audiogram to detect hearing loss; relevant for offshore noise exposure and communication.
Urine analysis
Glucose, protein, blood — flags potential conditions for further investigation.
Cardiovascular assessment
Heart rate, rhythm, sometimes ECG. Critical given the physical demands of offshore work and limited medical evacuation.
Lung function (where indicated)
Spirometry may be added for workers in dust-exposure roles or with respiratory history.
Drug and alcohol screening (optional)
Required by some operators as part of the pre-mobilisation medical, separate from the OEUK baseline.
The examination is structured to be efficient — most appointments are 30–60 minutes — but thorough. The OEUK guidelines are detailed and the registered doctor follows them precisely. Workers should arrive having fasted if asked (some clinics require it for urine analysis), and prepared to declare their full medical history honestly. Non-disclosure of relevant conditions can invalidate the certificate and create liability issues offshore.
How much does an OGUK medical cost? Price breakdown
The OGUK medical price in the UK sits in the £120–250 range for a standard examination. Aberdeen, with the densest cluster of OEUK-registered clinics, tends to be at the competitive end; single-doctor practices elsewhere in the UK and same-day or out-of-hours appointments sit at the top. The certificate itself carries no separate issuing fee — it is included in the examination price.
Included in the base fee
- Medical history review and declarations
- Height, weight and BMI
- Blood pressure and pulse
- Vision test (incl. colour vision where relevant)
- Audiometry (hearing)
- Urine analysis
- Certificate issued on the day if you pass
Usually priced on top
- Chester step test / fitness assessment where the operator or role requires it
- Additional blood tests or ECG requested by the examining doctor
- Drug and alcohol screening (an operator requirement, not part of the OEUK standard)
- Combined medicals — OEUK plus ENG1 or an operator-specific top-up — often sold as a bundle
OGUK medical price: what moves it
- Location — Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland are the cheapest markets because of competition; London and one-off regional clinics charge more.
- Speed — same-day and emergency slots before a mobilisation carry a premium.
- Extras — any of the add-ons above. Ask the clinic for an itemised quote if your operator has specified extra tests.
- Bundling — marine crew who need both OEUK and ENG1 can usually get a combined appointment for less than two separate ones.
Who pays?
Directly employed offshore staff normally have the medical booked and paid for by the employer as a routine compliance cost. Contractors, agency workers and the self-employed usually pay upfront and either reclaim it from the contracting company or absorb it as a business expense. If you are between contracts, keeping the medical current at your own cost is worth it: an expired medical is the commonest reason a short-notice offshore job goes to someone else.
OGUK medical validity and renewal
An OEUK medical certificate is valid for up to two years from the date of examination. The examining doctor can issue a shorter certificate — six or twelve months is common where a condition needs review — and some operators require an annual medical for specific roles regardless of what the certificate says.
Renewal is a fresh examination, not a paperwork extension. You book with any OEUK-registered doctor (it does not have to be the one who issued the previous certificate), sit the same examination, and receive a new certificate dated from the new appointment. There is no discount for renewing and no shortened “refresher” version.
Book renewal four to six weeks before expiry. Clinics in the busy hubs fill up ahead of crew-change dates, and if the examination raises anything that needs a GP letter or specialist follow-up you want that resolved before the old certificate lapses rather than after.
⚠ There is no grace period
The day after the expiry date you are not medically cleared, and the heli-admin desk will not fly you. Because the medical runs on a two-year clock — shorter than the four-year BOSIET and MIST cycles — it is the UKCS credential most likely to expire between rotations. CertVault alerts you 60 days out.
When does my OEUK (OGUK) medical expire?
Enter your medical exam date and we show the expiry date — and email you once, 60 days before it, so renewal is booked in time. No account needed.
Valid up to 2 years - your doctor may have issued a shorter period; check the certificate. Renewal is a fresh exam, so book 4-6 weeks ahead. Holding more than one certificate? A free CertVault profile tracks all of them automatically.
Possible outcomes
Pass — full certificate
Worker is medically fit. Certificate issued, valid up to 2 years.
Pass — restricted certificate
Worker is fit with limitations (e.g. no diving, no specific role). Certificate notes the restriction.
Pass — shorter validity
Worker is fit but certificate runs for less than 2 years (e.g. 6 or 12 months) to support clinical follow-up.
Defer — referral required
Findings need further investigation by a specialist before a decision. No certificate issued until cleared.
Fail — not medically fit
Worker does not meet OEUK medical standards. No certificate issued. Appeal pathway available via OEUK.
OEUK vs other offshore medicals
NORSOK (Norwegian Continental Shelf)
Norwegian standard for offshore work on the NCS. Issued by Norwegian-approved physicians against Norwegian medical regulations. Not directly interchangeable with OEUK — workers moving from UKCS to NCS typically need to undergo a NORSOK examination.
ENG1 (UK seafarer)
UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency seafarer medical, issued by MCA-approved doctors. ENG1 is the maritime equivalent — required for crew on vessels rather than fixed installations. Workers on offshore-support vessels typically need ENG1; workers on fixed platforms or FPSOs typically need OEUK. Some marine crew on offshore vessels need both.
National equivalents (Brazil ANP, Australia OPITO/MARCSTA, etc.)
Many offshore regions maintain their own national medical standards. International oil companies operating across multiple basins sometimes accept OEUK as a baseline plus local-medical top-up; pure national operators usually require their national standard exclusively. Confirm with the specific operator before booking.
OGUK medical or OEUK medical — which do I need?
Either. They are the same certificate under two names. In February 2022 the trade body Oil & Gas UK rebranded to Offshore Energies UK and renamed the medical scheme, the doctor register and the guidance with it. The examination was not changed, existing OGUK-branded certificates stayed valid to their expiry date, and every certificate issued since carries the OEUK name. Job adverts that still ask for an “OGUK medical” are satisfied by an in-date OEUK one.
Full comparison, what to write on your CV, and how ATS keyword filters treat the two names: OGUK vs OEUK explained →
Find an OEUK-registered examining doctor
OEUK Medicals can only be issued by doctors who are registered and approved by Offshore Energies UK. OEUK maintains the canonical list of currently-registered examining doctors on its website — verify the doctor's registration status before booking, as the list is updated when doctors join or leave the register.
Search by location or doctor name. Returns current OEUK-registered examining doctors permitted to issue OEUK Medical certificates.
Major providers
Major examining clinics — well-established names in the UKCS offshore-medical market:
- Capital Medical (Aberdeen) — Long-established offshore-medical clinic.
- Bridge Travel Health (Aberdeen) — OEUK-registered examining doctors.
- Offshore Medicals UK — Multi-site OEUK-registered clinics.
- GP Matters (Glasgow) — Glasgow-area OEUK medicals.
- Connexus Occupational Health — Multiple UK locations.
- International SOS — Offshore Medicals — Global occupational-health provider, OEUK-registered doctors at multiple locations.
Training hubs by region
Aberdeen, UK
Highest concentration of OEUK-registered examining doctors globally.
London, UK
Central-London occupational-health clinics with OEUK doctors.
Glasgow, UK
Scottish offshore-supporting clinics.
Newcastle, UK
Southern-North-Sea-supporting clinics.
Houston, USA
Some US clinics maintain OEUK doctor registration to serve cross-Atlantic offshore workers.
Manila / Singapore
Limited OEUK-registered doctors serving Asia-Pacific offshore market.
Provider list reflects established long-standing centres as of May 2026 and is not exhaustive. Many other accredited providers exist worldwide. Always verify current accreditation status via the official directory above before booking. CertVault is not affiliated with any listed provider.
Jobs that ask for OEUK medical
Live listings from employer career sites, refreshed daily. Browse by role or region.
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Offshore and marine roles in North Sea.
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Offshore and marine roles in UK Offshore.
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Current roustabout openings worldwide.
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Current offshore driller openings worldwide.
All openings: CertVault job board
Frequently asked questions
What is the OGUK Medical?↓
How long is an OGUK Medical valid?↓
How much does an OGUK Medical cost?↓
Who can issue an OGUK Medical?↓
What does the OGUK Medical exam involve?↓
OGUK Medical vs NORSOK vs ENG1 — what is the difference?↓
Why was OGUK renamed to OEUK?↓
Can the OGUK Medical be done remotely?↓
Related certifications
BOSIET
Practical emergency-response qualification — the other half of UKCS mobilisation compliance.
MIST
UK offshore safety-system awareness — the third leg of the UKCS triple.
OGUK vs OEUK
The 2022 rename explained — what changed, what didn't, and what to put on your CV.
Offshore Oil & Gas industry guide
Full reference for offshore certifications across all major regions.
OEUK official site →
Offshore Energies UK — medical guidelines, registered-doctor list, industry resources.
Track every offshore medical and cert
CertVault stores your OEUK Medical alongside BOSIET, MIST, IWCF and every other offshore credential — and alerts you 60 days before any expire.
Based on publicly available OEUK guidelines and clinic documentation as of May 2026. Verify current requirements with OEUK directly.