An Accredited Medical Conclusion (AMC) determines whether, despite not meeting the medical standards, an applicant’s condition is unlikely to compromise aviation safety.
If you do not meet the medical standards, your medical examiner cannot issue a medical certificate. However, you may request flexibility through an Accredited Medical Conclusion (AMC). To apply, you must provide consent on page 4 of the application form. If you decline consent, your examiner will make a decision without applying flexibility, which may result in your certificate being declined. If you provide consent, you may withdraw it at any time and the AMC application stops.
Your medical examiner will explain if an AMC is needed before any application is made. Applying for an AMC is generally beneficial and seldom results in denial of medical certification.
Once CAA receives your application, an initial review will occur to formally name Experts to assess your application. In some instances, your medical examiner may be named, in others the Experts will be CAA Medical Officers.
An AMC application may or may not result in the issue of a medical certificate. Each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis considering the medical condition(s), its treatment, your type of flying or operation, and your aviation experience.
The Director names Experts for the AMC. The Experts may be your medical examiner or CAA senior medical officers. Once assigned, the Experts will review any conditions that do not meet the medical standards. During this process, you may be requested to undergo further investigations or provide additional reports.
The Experts take into consideration:
Safety is critical for flying or air traffic control operations. For a single pilot or solo controller, sudden incapacitation can lead to serious or even fatal safety outcomes. Multicrew operations provide redundancy, reducing this risk. The AMC process assesses how your medical condition and aviation environment affect safety. Knowing about your aviation experience and plans is also vital information when considering the application of flexibility to the medical standards.
In many cases, an acceptable level of safety is achieved by applying conditions, restrictions or endorsements on your medical certificate. Examples include:
Once your medical examiner completes their conclusion, they proceed to an assessment of your application for a medical certificate. This assessment decides whether a medical certificate can be issued and the need for any conditions or restrictions.
Once the AMC is completed, CAA sends a copy of the AMC letter to your medical examiner. This letter includes recommendations on your eligibility for a medical certificate and any conditions or restrictions that may apply.
Your medical examiner will then complete their assessment and notify you of the outcome. You may request a copy of the AMC letter from your medical examiner or CAA.
If your medical examiner determines that a medical certificate cannot be issued, you will be advised of the reasons and provided any advice for a future application.
If applicable, the CAA Experts and your medical examiner may suggest further information that may assist with future applications.
You can request a review of the decision made, such as ineligibility for a medical certificate or the conditions imposed on your medical certificate, see Review a medical decision for more information.
Medical information sheet 001: Accredited medical conclusion [PDF 255 KB]
You will pay the medical examiner a fee for the initial medical examination and assessment. If an AMC is then required, the medical examiner will charge the CAA for their time in assessing and completing your AMC process. The CAA will pay this charge and on-charge all time spent on your AMC (the CAA, medical examiner, and specialist time) to you that is in excess of two hours at the CAA standard rate.
No. Only the total time spent by medical practitioners (the CAA, external medical examiners, and specialists) in excess of two hours for each AMC will be charged to the participant.
The CAA will charge all time spent by medical professionals (the CAA, external medical examiners, and specialists) in excess of two hours at the CAA standard charge out rate of $312.40 (inc. GST) per hour.
The rate charged by the CAA is the rate that is set in legislation. This rate covers the cost of establishing and administering the aviation safety system, including the fees payable to medical professionals who worked on your AMC.
No, you will be charged an hourly rate of $312.40 (inc. GST) per hour by the CAA irrespective of the medical examiner’s hourly rate.
The CAA will invoice you at monthly intervals for the chargeable time (in excess of two hours for each AMC). Each invoice will charge for all time incurred in the previous month.
No. The CAA will invoice you for your AMC in monthly intervals so that you are aware of the costs you have incurred on your AMC thus far.
You are at liberty to choose not to proceed with your application if your medical examiner indicates that flexibility needs to be applied. You can also withdraw your application for a medical certificate simply by writing to the Director of Civil Aviation at any time during the process. You will however be charged for the time incurred up to closure that is in excess of two hours regardless of the outcome of the AMC.
Due to the different levels of complexity for each individual case, the CAA is not able to provide an estimate for the AMC.
No, the CAA is not able to contact you after a certain number of hours. We will continue with your AMC process until a conclusion is reached or you advise us to stop.
Yes. You will be required to pay for the time incurred on your AMC that is in excess of two hours.
No. The application fee covers the cost of operating the CAA’s medical unit and processing your application. The AMC payments cover the cost that has already been incurred in processing your AMC.
The application fee reflects the cost of operating the CAA’s medical unit. The AMC cost is the cost directly related your AMC which is over and above the cost of operating the CAA’s medical unit.
The time taken to complete an AMC varies from case to case. An AMC can range from relatively simple to very complex cases. A simple AMC can be reached very promptly. However complicated AMCs can take significantly longer, usually because further tests or specialist reports are required. The CAA’s experience is that delays in providing the requested information are often the principal cause for a prolonged process.
An apparently stable condition may in fact have progressed. From time to time, the Director may find it appropriate to have a more in-depth review of a case. If a previous in-house AMC has been completed, the CAA will often already have the relevant documentation. Thus these cases may not necessarily take much time to process.
You may be asked to provide the results of tests deemed relevant and necessary for the AMC process. If a disqualification has recently been lifted, there is a good chance that much of the necessary information is already available. More recent information may be needed however.
When conducted in-house (by the CAA's medical officers), the CAA will send the AMC document to your medical examiner who will in turn forward this document to you together with their assessment and certificates as applicable.
The Director identifies one or more medical experts for the case concerned. This decision is made after multiple factors have been considered. These include case complexity and relevant experience and expertise of the experts considered.
If you have any questions about this topic, use our contact form, or email med@caa.govt.nz.
