LAPL Medical
Last updated: April 20, 2026 · Maintained by Aviatr Editorial Team
What is LAPL Medical?
A LAPL Medical Certificate is a simplified EASA medical certificate required for holders of a Light Aircraft Pilot License (LAPL). It has less stringent vision and cardiovascular requirements than Class 2 and is intended to keep recreational flying accessible to older pilots or those with minor medical variances that would otherwise complicate a Class 2 renewal.
How is LAPL Medical used?
LAPL medical exams can be conducted by AMEs or, in several EASA countries, by general-practice physicians who have completed a short aviation-medicine orientation course recognised by the national aviation authority. Validity is 60 months under age 40, then 24 months above age 40, making the LAPL medical the most permissive EASA medical currently in use for licensed pilot operations. A pilot who cannot meet Class 2 requirements can often retain LAPL privileges, which allow single-engine non-commercial flying up to 2,000 kg maximum takeoff mass within EASA airspace only. Many pilots transition from Class 2 to LAPL medical in later flying years to preserve their privileges with a simpler exam process. The LAPL medical is not recognised outside EASA member states — a LAPL-medical-only pilot cannot legally fly a non-EASA-registered aircraft without additional medical certification from the foreign authority, so cross-border general aviation into the UK post-Brexit or into non-EASA jurisdictions requires careful pre-flight verification.