Originally Posted by
paco
You require an IR for them to stay valid for 7 years after the date of its expiry - he never added one.
True - if you want an ATPL. The ATPL exam validity is determined by what you use them for. For a LAPL or PPL they're only valid for 24 months. CPL or IR they're valid for 36 months, ATPL is a rolling 7 years. However they can also be used to satisfy the theory requirements for FI and a first MP type rating - which have no expiry.