A fit-to-fly certificate is a doctor's letter confirming you're medically fit for air travel. Airlines ask for one in late pregnancy, after surgery or fractures, and after significant illness. A MobiDoctor clinician can assess you by video and issue your certificate online — wherever you are in Europe.
A fit-to-fly certificate (also called a fitness-to-fly letter) is a signed statement from a doctor or midwife confirming you are medically fit for air travel. Airlines request one from week 28 of pregnancy, after recent surgery or fractures, and after significant illness. It states your identity, the clinical confirmation the airline needs, and the issuing doctor's details — and it usually has to be fresh: Wizz Air accepts letters issued within 6 days of the flight, Jet2 within 7, Turkish Airlines within 10.
| Pregnancy from ~28 weeks | Most European airlines require a letter from week 28 — see the pregnancy rules by airline. |
| After surgery | Airlines commonly require clearance after recent operations — how long depends on the procedure and whether gas was introduced (abdominal, eye and chest surgery have the longest waits). |
| Fractures & casts | Several carriers require a cast to be split if it's under 48 hours old, and clearance for full-leg casts. |
| Heart or lung conditions | After a cardiac event, or with significant respiratory disease, airlines can ask for medical clearance (often via a MEDIF form). |
| Airline or tour-operator request | If check-in staff have flagged a visible condition or recent illness, a dated letter resolves it fastest. |
Typical guidance for uncomplicated cases, per the UK Civil Aviation Authority's fitness-to-fly guidance — your airline may apply its own rules, and your own doctor assesses your case.
| Abdominal surgery | ~10 days Trapped gas expands at altitude — the CAA advises avoiding air travel for 10 days. |
| Laparoscopy (keyhole) | ~24 hours Residual CO₂ clears quickly after keyhole procedures. |
| Colonoscopy | ~24 hours Where gas was introduced into the bowel. |
| Neurosurgery | ~7 days Allows trapped intracranial gas to reabsorb. |
| Eye surgery with gas bubble (retinal detachment) | 2–6 weeks Approximately 2 weeks for SF₆ gas, 6 weeks for C₃F₈ — flying earlier risks sight-threatening pressure damage. |
| Other intra-ocular surgery / penetrating eye injury | ~1 week Per CAA guidance. |
| Fresh plaster cast | 24–48 hours Airlines commonly restrict flying for 24 hours (flights under 2h) or 48 hours (longer flights) after a cast is fitted — several require the cast to be split. |
| Heart attack (uncomplicated) | 7–10 days Per CAA guidance, where there are no complications; complicated MI needs 4–6+ weeks and assessment. |
| Angioplasty / stent | ~3 days May be fit after 3 days — individual assessment is essential. |
| Heart bypass (CABG) | 10–14 days Allows chest air to reabsorb after surgery. |
| Pacemaker / ICD fitted | Once stable No fixed wait — travel once medically stable. |
| Collapsed lung (pneumothorax) | No flying until resolved Absolute contraindication while present; typically ~2 weeks after successful drainage with full re-expansion. |
| Significant trauma in the last 7 days | Contact the airline Chest injuries carry particular in-flight risk — clearance is usually needed. |
Sources: UK CAA fitness-to-fly guidance for surgical conditions, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease. Individual circumstances vary; a MobiDoctor clinician confirms your case and issues the letter your airline expects.
Your name and date of birth; the clinical confirmation the airline needs (fitness to fly, and for pregnancy: due date, single or multiple pregnancy, absence of complications); the doctor's name, registration and signature; the issue date; and a verification reference your airline or insurer can check at our verification page.
Available daily — same-day appointments in most cases.
The doctor reviews your situation and any records. Certificates are issued only where clinically appropriate.
Signed, dated, verification-ready — typically within hours of your consultation.
Airlines require a letter from a licensed doctor or midwife; they do not generally require it to be issued in person. Our letters state the airline-required confirmations, are signed by EU-licensed doctors, and carry a reference airline staff can verify. Where an airline mandates its own form (for example a MEDIF or the carrier's pregnancy form), our doctor completes the medical sections that a treating clinician may complete.
Consultations run daily from early morning to late evening; most certificates are issued the same day.
Then we'll say so — and if you need to cancel your trip, a not-fit-to-fly letter supports your travel-insurance claim instead.
