8che wrote: "Why would you have to do a type rating every year ? As the licence and its ratings are now on for life surely all you need to do is a medical and an LPC when the time comes to once again use your EASA licence. There doesnt appear to be any mention of an LPC at least once in 5 years anymore either."
No idea. I didn't write them, but this is what they say:
FCL.740 Validity and renewal of class and type ratings
(a) The period of validity of class and type ratings shall be 1 year, except for single pilot single-engine class ratings, for which the period of validity shall be 2 years, unless otherwise determined by the operational suitability data, established in accordance with Part-21.
(b) Renewal. If a class or type rating has expired, the applicant shall:
(1) take refresher training at an ATO, when necessary to reach the level of proficiency necessary to safely operate the relevant class or type of aeroplane; and
(2) pass a proficiency check in accordance with Appendix 9 to Part-FCL
However, you will be able to keep your licence current by including a foreign rating, even though it will be annotated that it's valid only for aircraft registered in the relevant country.