DGCA Class 1 medical

What is the difference between Class 1 and Class 2?

Class 1 is the more demanding assessment, and you renew it through your career.

Which do I do first, Class 2 or Class 1?

Class 2 first, then Class 1. You can book your Class 1 initial as soon as your Class 2 examiner gives you a fit CA-35. You don't have to wait for DGCA's Class 2 assessment.

Where can I do a Class 1 initial?

Since 15 November 2025 a Class 1 initial can be done at three Air Force centres (AFCME New Delhi, IAM Bengaluru, Jorhat) or at ten private hospitals DGCA has approved. They include Apollo in Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Indore and Delhi, Max and Medanta in the Delhi area, Ruby Hall in Pune, and Nanavati and V M Medical Centre in Mumbai. Check DGCA's current list before you book. Students report waiting weeks for a slot at the Air Force centres.

What happens at the examination?

Expect an eye examination with colour vision, an ECG, a chest X-ray, blood and urine tests, a hearing test and an ENT check, then the physician's examination. You don't get a verdict on the spot: for a Class 1 initial, DGCA issues the assessment itself, and a finding that needs a specialist can add weeks.

What stops people?

• Colour vision. Class 1 asks for normal colour perception, and no preparation changes it.
• Eyesight. Glasses are fine. A refractive error beyond the limits in the standard is not.
• Blood pressure and the ECG. An abnormal trace or high readings usually mean a referral and further tests, and weeks added.
• Weight. A high BMI tends to bring a temporary unfit with a review date, which can be cleared.

What if I'm declared unfit?

If you are made temporarily unfit, you are reviewed when the period ends, or earlier through an NOC on eGCA once half of it has passed. If you are unfit for more than three months, or permanently unfit, you can appeal to DGCA within 90 days. The appeal medical is at an Air Force centre, and DGCA's decision then is final.

How long does a Class 1 last?

A Class 1 lasts 12 months. From age 60 it lasts 6 months. If you fly single-pilot commercial air transport, it lasts 6 months from age 40. DGCA's centre list adds instructional duties to this. A long training delay means renewals before you reach an airline.

What does a DGCA Class 1 medical cost?

DGCA's own fee, paid on Bharatkosh before the exam, is 5,000 rupees for a Class 1 initial or renewal and 3,000 for a Class 2. At an Air Force centre the Class 1 initial tests are charged at a fixed 2,076. Private hospitals set their own price, and students report 17,000 to 25,000 there.

Both initial certificates together come to 13,076 to 45,500 rupees on these figures. A renewal is DGCA's fee each time, plus what your examiner charges.

Can I sit the DGCA papers before the medical?

Yes. The theory papers and the medical are separate, so you can sit papers while the medical is in progress.

Sources: CAR 7-C-I, paras 3.1.5, 4.3, 5.1, 7 and 10; DGCA Class 1 centre list, 27 Aug 2026; FCL Circular 03 of 2025; DGCA notice, 15 Jul 2025; DGCA notice, 22 Oct 2025.