Fitness to Dive
the medical clearance for Divers-to-Dive
(Also known as "Dive Medical Clearance", “Pre-Dive Medical Examination” or “Physical Fitness to Dive”)
This evaluation determines whether a diver is fit to safely engage in underwater activities. The examination must be performed by a certified Medical Examiner of Divers.
Appointment and Questionnaires:
Find all the information of the appointment date and time in Landspítalaap.
It is also possible that you are requested to complete some health questionnaires in the app in advance.
*The appointment dates in the app overrules those received by SMS.
How to access this service
We are working on improving our system. For now, you can send a request by email to hok (a )landspitali.is. You must include the following information:
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Kennitala
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Reason for request (type of diving to be performed)
Due to the high demand for our services, we are currently only offering appointments for certain types of diving. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We strongly encourage divers to request the referral as early as possible, especially if the certification is needed by a specific date.
Find us
We are in Landspítali Fossvogur, on the second floor, E2.
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After your registration with your kennitala in the machine at the main reception of the building, follow the instructions in the screen of the machine.
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Please wait in the brown waiting room to be called by your name.
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The secretaries in the brown waiting room do not manage our agenda since they are from another department, do not announce yourself to them.
Scheduling the interview
The schedule follows a triage priority, this means that the agenda for interviews is assigned according to the priority of needs, and not by date of arrival of the referral.
Once your initial referral is accepted, you will have received an SMS of confirmation, this means that you are now on the appointment scheduling list.
If the initial evaluation reveals anything that requires further investigation, additional clinical tests may be requested. In that case, a second appointment may be needed to review the results before the certification can be issued.
Certificate Validity
The validity of the certificate depends on the diver’s health and the type of diving being undertaken.
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Recreational diving, in a healthy and young condition: 5 years.
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Professional diving (instructors) in a healthy and young condition: 2 years.
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Other types of diving: 1 year.
If there are no contraindications to diving are the fitness-to-dive certification will be issued electronically*.
Scope of the Examination
The type and extent of the medical examination are based on the diving activity for which clearance is sought.
For healthy recreational divers, no clinical tests are usually required unless indicated by the physician.
Medical Conditions and Additional Testing
For individuals with pre-existing medical conditions—such as asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, or others—additional tests may be required before medical clearance to dive can be granted. The evaluating physician will determine what is necessary based on your condition and diving plans.
International Validity
All fitness-to-dive certificates issued are recognized internationally; however, each country reserves the right to apply its own regulations and may impose additional requirements.
Types of diving that can be cleared by us:
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Recreational / Sport / Free-diving
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Technical, including Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR)
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Surface Supplied
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Commercial / Industrial
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Public Safety Diving / Rescue / Recovery
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Military / Tactical / Combat Diving
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Saturation
What to expect during you first examination:
During your initial medical evaluation for fitness to dive, the following will be included:
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Review of your medical history
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Questions about current medications, illnesses, or chronic conditions
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Full physical examination
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Neurological assessment
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Measurement of weight and height
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Vital signs check (blood pressure, pulse, etc.)
Duration: 30–60 minutes
Appointments: Tuesdays and Wednesdays (12:00-13:00)
Important Notes
Printed certificates with ink stamp can be issued upon special request, especially for international purposes in commercial or saturation diving.
Clinical test appointments, if required, are not coordinated by our department. Scheduling may take several days or weeks, depending on availability in the broader healthcare system.
Information about tests
In some cases, the doctor will require certain clinical tests or examinations by other specialists as part of the evaluation process before issuing the certification. (This depends on many external factors such as the type of diving being performed, age, health conditions, medical history, etc.)
If you are in the process of a medical examination to dive, some studies could have been ordered, if this is your case, your doctor will inform you. (Please note that this is a general list, and you may not necessarily need all of them.) Please follow your dive doctor's instructions.
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Blood and urine test: Blóðrannsók E-1, 1st Floor, in the main entrance of the building, Landspítali Fossvogi.
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Hjartalínurit: C-3, 3rd Floor, Office with a red heart in the door, Landspítali Fossvogi.
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Chest X-Ray: Röntgen E-3, 3rd Floor, Grænn biðstofa, Landspítali Fossvogi.
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Lung test: They will contact you for an appointment, Landspítali Fossvogi.
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Hearing test: They will contact you for an appointment, Læknastöðin-Glæsibær.
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Exercise heart test: They will contact you for an appointment, Heilsuvernd.
If you have any questions regarding the instructions above, the diving doctor will answer them during the appointment.